What role did superstition play in Roman civilization and mythology?...

[Samantha]

...Examples, please.? I need some examples of superstition in Roman times. One such example I have already is that Romans believed that the Gods were angered when there were thunder storms. Thanks. Easy 10 points to whomever gives me the most legitimate answers.

[rico]

A more ominous example for the Romans was thunder from a clear sky. They were a very superstitious people. Sometimes if a single thing went wrong in a ritual, the entire thing would have to be performed again from the beginning. They took omens by watching the skies and seeing what kinds of birds flew through which sections of the sky. And, in fact, the wrong kinds of birds were sighted it could even cause them halt and suspend a meeting of the senate. The Olympian deities (mostly borrowed from the Greeks) were less important to them than Goddesses like Vesta, or the home Gods the Pentes and Lares. These gods and goddesses did not have forms that could be shown in statuary, but they really regulated everyday behavior for everyday Romans. Even things like starting out an important journey with the left foot first could possibly bring disaster. Also, spirits of the dead were very important in every day Roman life. In aristocratic household wax death masks of all the ancestors would be prominently displayed. And at meals, you'd notice everyone spilling little bits of their drinks at the start of the meal. You had to pour a libation to the ancestor spirits or bad things might occur.