Many ancient civilizations had fascinating and even bizarre methods of predicting the future that left the public astonished. Among these, the ancient Romans had a unique way of “seeing through” the future.
Thousands of years ago, the ancient Romans often used animal entrails for divination, predicting events that could occur in the future.
The Romans sacrificed animals such as bulls, sheep, and chickens to offer to the gods. They believed that these sacrifices would help them create a connection with the heavens – where the gods resided. Through these animal sacrifices, the gods would receive the offerings made by humans. At the same time, the deities would convey messages through the entrails of the sacrificed animals.
Therefore, priests had the task of observing and analyzing the entrails of the sacrificed animals to discern what messages the gods wanted to communicate to humanity or to suggest about impending events. If they could decode the divine messages, people would gain insights into the future of the nation or their own destinies. This was something that Roman emperors and high-ranking officials often sought to know.
The Romans believed that predicting the future through the liver was the most accurate.
Although many parts of animal entrails were used for future divination, the Romans believed that predicting the future through the liver was the most accurate. This belief stemmed from their conviction that the liver was the seat of the animal’s soul. Thus, the liver became the most important organ. At that time, priests would examine the external shape of the liver, noting whether it was smooth, rough, or wrinkled…
Depending on the shape and condition of the liver after the animal was sacrificed to the gods, the priests would make predictions about whether lucky or unfortunate events would occur in the future.
