OMEN. 
e mo were given by ravens; but 
af dace of are which they were fuppofed to por- 
e'd depended, in fome meafure, on their appearing on 
ne right-hand, or Sake left; if they came croaking on the 
right-hand, :t was a tolerable good omen; but if on the 
aa a very bad 
As the cock, hea he is overcome, fits filent and melan- 
crows 5 earance in the f 
as the prefage of defeat ; in the latter ftate, as predi€ting 
victory. 
mens were alfo drawn by the Greeks from other ani- 
mals befides birds: bees, itis well know 
whiftle at it 
mens were alfo drawn by the Greeks from things 
which affeéted their own perfons ; is things external, 
““ oe ied appeared to men, but not make any im- 
preffion on them ;’” and from ominous words. The moft 
remar “able e fhall notic 
of the 
e pa zee i: the heart, ie eye, or any of the muf- 
cles, and ther the ears, were ominous: the omen 
was lucky, if the palpitations were on the right fide of the 
A number of rules 
flee of afcertaining whether 
oe were fortunate, or the contrary. “ en Themif- 
tocles was offering facrifices, it happened that three beau- 
tiful captives were brought to him, and at the fame - 
the fire burned clear and bright, a a {neeze happen 
ntides the fothfayer 
iGtory t ea 
midnight and the following noon it was fortunate, but from 
noon to midnight, unfortunate. “If a man {neezed at 
table while they were taking it away, or if another happened 
to fneeze upon his left-hand, it was unlucky; if on the 
right-hand, fortunate. If, in the undértaking any bufinefs, 
neue ae 
thofe which were drawn from things which prefented Sager 
e Greeks Enda oupCorw 
a bitch wie 
path, were deemed bad omens. Some things were re- 
arded as portendirg evil confequences to the hulbandman : 
if, while he was going to fow his land, e faw a woman at 
work with her {oindle, or carrying fi tncovered, he antici- 
pated a bad harveft. me 
a pu 
affembly, or judgment), i.e. the letters in ou ene ovate 
the fame number, viz. 42. 
When the Greeks went to fupplicate the gods to obtain 
favour, or to avert any calamity. it was ufual to touch 
i knees of the ftatue; if they had hopes, they touched 
a to let fly a dove, as w 
dire€tly expreffed death, but conveyed their meaning on this 
fubjeét by indirect and foftening terms; of which is very re- 
markable and expreffive, awoyw:do1, to which the Latin 
word denafci anfwers, ufed on the fame account: inftead of 
the word fignifying a prifon, they ufed one fignifying a 
houfe ; and they were even careful not to call their deities 
by their dees gee if thefe appellations were 
words of t herefore generally addreffed the 
furies, ae by the na ie 2 ves Derby O 1 
was yay or them to clothe their dead in white 
hence it was reckoned an unlu aah omen, and 
Peeling death, for a fick perfon to have 
» 
° 
a 
a.” 
mn) 
oO 
pw 
3 
ct 
ie) 
=> 
) 
ch 
5 
o 
Co 
52 
=) 
oe 
ie) 
” 
ss 
5 
oq 
c 
i oat 
= 3 
® 
Ru 
Qo. 
a 
5 
+ 9G 
tain Deas of dea 
erfons in sition ‘fuffered peal baa to grow long: 
to cut or fhave the hair was a to of joy: mariners, 
upon their delivery from (evn, "iid to fhave them 
felves; hence, if they dreamt of having the whole head 
ape from them. e you 
of his epiftles, halons that is drea 
hair: and this 
verance from fome ee eer mine: anger. en, how- 
» who were labouring under misfortune, though they 
id not permit others to fhave them, fometimes fhaved 
themfelves ; hence for a man to — of fhaving himfelf 
was a prefaye of fome great calam 
It was ufual among the Greeks to bedeck the tombs 
with flowers, herbs, and ribbands: parfley was ss ia 
ufed for this purpofe; hence it was regarded as a bad 
omen. As Timoleon was proceeding to consi the 
pofition and ftrength of the Carthaginian army, he was 
met by a number of ve loaded with parfley ; this his 
foldiers conceived to be a imoleon 
_ n — to imprefs this 
interpretation of the omen more fir-ngl n them, he fir 
made himlelf a chaplet, and then his Sapinies and all 
the 
foldiers followed his example. With lke addrefs, pew 
ondas 
