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A Roman Human Sacrifice

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A Roman Human Sacrifice

Just finished an interesting article “Catiline's Eagle” (Ancient Warfare Vol XIV, Issue 1) which makes reference to the Roman practice of human sacrifice.

As some of you may know the first recorded Gladiatorial fights were recorded as part of Roman funerary games. In this case it is an expiatory sacrifice at a father's tomb conducted by Lucius Sergius Catilina (aka Catiline). In 87 BCE Lutatius Catulus (Catiline's father) was prosecuted and driven to suicide by Tribune Marius Gratidianus.

In the Civil War of 83-82 BCE Catiline sided with Sulla and became famous for hunting down and killing Sulla's enemies who had been proscribed. Apparently as a reward fro services rendered Marius Gratidianus (who was on the losing side) was turned over to Catiline for sacrifice at the tomb of Catiline's father.

Catiline oversaw Gratidianus' scourging thru the streets of Rome to the tomb where Catiline personally broke his limbs and gouged out his eyes before beheading him.

By the way Catiline was quite a character having been charged with a number of crimes in his career including the seduction of a Vestal Virgin in 73 BCE. All of which he survived until killed as rebel in battle in 62 BCE.

More gist for the fantasy mill.

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