Before the Battle of Drepana in 249 , one of Rome's consuls, Publius Claudius Pulcher, consulted the sacred chickens.

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In ancient Rome, augury or the consultation of omens was a common practice, especially before important events such as battles or setting out to war. According to some ancient sources, one such incident occurred during the First Punic War between Rome and Carthage. Before the naval Battle of Drepana (also called Drepanum) in 249 , one of the consuls (highest elected position in the Republic), Publius Claudius Pulcher, consulted the sacred chickens. The belief was that if the chickens ate the grain fed them, the result of the battle would be favorable. However, when given the grain before Drepana, they did not eat it (pictured here). Claudius Pulcher, not to be deterred from fighting and to allay the fears of his crews, threw the sacred chickens overboard, saying that if they did not wish to eat, they could drink. The Romans lost the battle and Claudius Pulcher was subsequently exiled from Rome. This illustration dates to 1882.

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Photo credit: © Ivy Close Images / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: augury, battle, carthage, chickens, claudius, drepana, drepanum, future, history, omen, predicting, publius, pulcher, punic, rome, sacred, soothsayer, war, wars