Devotion

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A devotio in Roman antiquity was the cultic (self-) sacrifice to the gods. The devotiones of three Decii from successive generations have been handed down .

The ritual process

In the most famous variant, a general consecrates himself to the underworld gods, along with the life of the enemy. A package deal is proposed to the gods, as it were: They get the life of the vower (through his death in battle) on condition that they also take the life of the enemy.

According to the description in Livy ( from urbe condita 8, 9) the general, at the request of the priest , puts on the toga praetexta , covers his head, puts his hand on his chin and stands on a laid spear. Then he speaks the formula of devotion. It consists of an invocation of one's own gods and the gods of the enemy, the request for victory in battle and finally the promise to sacrifice the life of the enemy together with one's own for the Roman state:

legiones auxiliaque hostium mecum Deis Manibus Tellurique devoveo.
I consecrate the troops and auxiliaries of the enemy together with me to the Manen and the Tellus .

Livy reports (8, 10) that the general need not necessarily have his own life ready for sacrifice, but can also consecrate that of any soldier. If the soldier survives, his image must be buried at least seven feet deep; the grave site is considered cursed and may not be entered by a Roman official. An atonement is also to be offered. If the general who consecrated himself survives, he can no longer validly perform sacred acts for his entire life. If the spear he was standing on falls into the hands of the enemy, a suovetaurilia sacrifice must be made.

The devotiones of the Decii

Livius' above remarks refer to the devotio of the older Publius Decius Mus . Decius dedicates himself to the gods in the fight against the Latins at the Battle of Vesuvius in 340 BC. His son of the same name dies by devotio in the battle of Sentinum 295. It is assumed that only this devotio is historical and was later passed on from son to father. Cicero ( de finibus 2, 61) also knows of a devotio of his grandson in the battle of Ausculum 279, which is otherwise not recorded.

Other meanings

Macrobius ( Saturnalia 3, 9) quotes a devotio formula on the occasion of the conquest of Carthage , which was spoken after the evocatio ( i.e. the request to the gods to leave the enemy so that one does not sin against the gods during the conquest) and only had the consecration of the opposing city to the gods as content. Corinth and some Italian cities were consecrated in this way, according to Macrobius.

During the imperial era , devotio became a formulaic expression of loyalty by subjects to the ruler. According to Suetonius ( Caligula 27, 2), Caligula forced a citizen to take devotio literally.

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