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What purpose did divination serve?

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Anonymous

12y ago
Updated: 8/17/2019

Divination served to determine the will of the gods or to determine if action should be taken. In divination, signs are read and interpreted. It gave and gives (divination is still used today) a sense of direction if a person is contemplating an action. For example, a priest or auger would inspect the entrails, in particular the liver, of a sacrificial animal and determine if the signs were favorable for the contemplated action or not. Every Roman commander "took the auspices" before a battle and announced the results to the troops. (They were always favorable) Divination of this sort was carried out before any major undertaking by the government and many private citizens had auspices taken before setting out on a journey.

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Wiki User

12y ago

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