In 390 BC, Rome suffered a terrible defeat in the Battle of Allia. The Gauls followed up their victory by capturing Rome. They sacked the city, looting and burning. The survivors took refuge on the Capitoline Hill, which the Gauls surrounded. The Romans held out. One night, the Gauls ascended the hill via a path they found out about. It was a narrow path along the cliffside, but they managed to reach the top undiscovered. When the first barbarian poked his head up, the sacred geese of the Temple of Juno started honking. A Roman soldier named Marcus Manlius rushed to the site and knocked the first Gaul backwards with his shield. This created a domino effect with several Gauls losing their footing and plunging to their death. Other Romans joined Marcus and the Gauls were forced to retreat. Eventually, the Romans paid the Gauls a huge amount to leave the city. After this, the geese were honored by being carried on a litter through the streets of Rome in an annual parade. The geese wore garlands and were given offerings. By the way, the watch dogs on the hill that night were executed for sleeping on the job.
The Ancient Romans believed you should not fight a battle until you made sure the gods were cool with it. For this reason, an army or navy would be accompanied by sacred chickens. The chickens were cared for by a priest called a pullarius which means “priest of the sacred chickens”. On the morning of the battle, the sacred chickens would be brought out. Grain was spread on the ground to see if the chickens would eat. If they did, it meant the gods approved of battle that day. If not, you had to wait and try again the next day.
In 294 BC, Roman consul Lucius Papirius Cursor was prepared for battle with the Samnites. For some reason, the pullarius lied and told him the chickens had eaten when actually they had not. He was probably telling Cursor what he wanted to hear. The general formed his army for attack, but his nephew came to tell him about the lie. Cursor was in a dilemma because he really believed today was the best day to fight, but how would his soldiers fight if they knew the chickens had not eaten. He solved his problem by telling his army that the pullarius was the problem. He put him in the front line and when he was the first Roman killed this was proof the gods were with them. For emphasis, a crow passed over the Roman lines and loudly cawed. This was considered confirmation the gods were with them. The Romans won the battle and Cursor was given a triumph when he returned to Rome.
In 249 BC, a Roman fleet approached a Carthaginian fleet. The Roman admiral Publius Claudius Pulcher really wanted to attack the enemy fleet, but when the sacred chickens were brought out and grain was spread on the deck of the flagship, they refused to eat. Pulcher was enraged and threw the chickens overboard saying “If they won’t eat, let’s see if they will drink!” Needless to say, the Romans lost the battle. Never disrespect the sacred chickens.
0 Comments