11 of the strangest superstitions from Ancient Rome

Roman couples avoided weddings in May with striking consistency. Despite its pleasant spring weather, May was linked to Lemuria, a festival honouring spirits of the dead who could become restless or angry.

Held on 9, 11, and 13 May, Lemuria rituals involved midnight gatherings where the head of the household walked barefoot through the house and chanted to ward off harmful ghosts.

Because of this connection to death and the underworld, many Romans saw May as unlucky for a marriage intended to begin a new life.

Instead, June, which honoured Juno, the goddess of marriage and childbirth, felt much more suitable. 

Black beans played a key role in warding off the dead, especially during Lemuria.

According to the poet Ovid, the paterfamilias would toss these beans without looking back, believing that spirits would follow and pick them up.

The bean’s supposed power to carry away harmful forces gave it an important place in Roman ritual.

Some sources note that beans were tied to the underworld because of their dark colour and because they grew underground.

If people skipped the proper bean-throwing ritual, a household could remain open to hauntings. 

Romans placed great trust in augury, the practice of interpreting bird behaviour to predict future events.

Augurs, who held official religious roles, watched birds’ calls, flight paths, and feeding habits to decide whether the gods approved of political actions, military plans, or public festivals.

For example, if birds appeared on the right side of the augur (the dextera), the sign usually looked favourable.

Crows, vultures, and sacred chickens often featured in these readings. In one famous case, a Roman commander threw sacred chickens into the sea when they refused to eat before battle (a sign of bad luck) which led to disaster in the field. 

In Roman daily life, sneezing could interrupt a conversation or stop a public speech if it happened at a sensitive moment.

Although not every sneeze carried the same meaning, many Romans believed that an unexpected sneeze could signal the gods’ involvement or be a warning.

Saying “Salve!” (meaning “good health”) after a sneeze was both a polite response and a spiritual safeguard.

Some Romans paused plans if a sneeze happened at the start of a journey or a business deal.

Superstition held that ignoring a sneeze’s warning could bring the gods’ disapproval. 

The entrance to a Roman home was the space between the safety of the house and the risks outside.

Romans honoured the god Janus at their entrances, believing he protected changes and in-between points.

As a result, many homes displayed charms, inscriptions, or small altars near the door to guard against hostile spirits or jealous visitors.

Stepping across the doorway with the wrong foot could bring bad luck, so some Romans made a habit of entering or exiting in a specific way.

Brides were carried over doorways to prevent the unlucky effect of stumbling on entry rather than as a romantic gesture. 

Before leaving home for a journey, Romans often sat down for a brief moment as a ritual to block bad luck.

Known as sederunt, this practice gave the traveller a moment of stillness and thought, which people believed would calm uneasy spirits or deities and ensure a safe departure.

Families developed household customs around this act, especially before long or dangerous trips.

The superstition may have come from the idea that starting something in haste could upset the gods or draw misfortune. 

Timing mattered greatly in Roman religious and social practice. Speaking the names of the dead outside of proper ceremonies, such as Parentalia or Lemuria, risked drawing unwanted attention from the underworld.

Romans observed dies nefasti, days on which official business and legal proceedings were not allowed because they counted as unclean for rituals.

Talking about death or referring to deceased individuals could disturb sacred routines or spoil the mood of a gathering.

People avoided such topics during weddings, feasts, or before public festivals to keep bad luck away. 

The cry of an owl sent a shiver through many Romans because they carried strong associations with death and predictions of bad luck.

Their night-time habits and spooky calls led people to believe they were messengers of doom.

According to Roman writers, an owl’s hoot could signal illness, death, or military defeat.

In some stories, an owl perched atop a public building foretold disaster for the city.

As a result, Romans sometimes nailed an owl’s corpse to a house’s door, hoping to drive away the bad luck it brought. 

Whistling indoors invited evil spirits, according to several Roman sources. The sharp, high-pitched sound of a whistle was thought to mimic the cries of ghosts or the hissing of snakes.

Because Roman homes lacked clear spiritual boundaries between the living and the dead, people who made such noises inside risked drawing harmful forces.

In some regions, people linked whistling to magic spells. A poorly timed whistle during dinner or conversation could spoil the mood and bring suspicion. 

Romans sometimes avoided grouping soldiers, animals, or people in exact hundreds.

The round number of one hundred held mathematical neatness but also carried the idea of completeness that could show death or the end of something’s life.

In military units, legionary centuriae rarely numbered exactly one hundred men, and records often show slight differences.

Some believed that rounding numbers to exact totals could upset the gods or signal an end to growth and life.

Superstition advised leaving a group slightly unfinished to keep the gods’ favour. 

Romans displayed carved phalluses on walls, doorways, jewellery, and household items, but they were not meant to shock.

Known as fascina, these symbols were protective charms. Romans believed the phallus drove away the evil eye, a curse sent through jealous looks.

Public buildings, bakeries, and even military standards bore such images to ward off bad luck.

Some took the form of wind chimes, known as tintinnabula, which hung in doorways and made sound to push harmful spirits away.

These symbols were hoped to be a spiritual defence and a hope for good fortune.