this post was submitted on 21 Nov 2025
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History Memes

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[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 9 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Explanation: While Romans are sometimes portrayed, especially by Romaboos like myself, as a very rational, practical culture, they were also an immensely superstitious culture, like most pre-modern societies. It leads to some interesting contrasts - you can read extremely rational Roman writers like Pliny the Elder dismissing magic as poppycock, and in the next breath advocating very wearing a hyena's anus on your forearm to enchant women to fall in love with you (it's not superstition it's SCIENCE).

Featured here is the fascinus, a common all-purpose Roman charm taking the form of a... well, an erect penis. This had three functions:

First and foremost, it was a fertility symbol, and thus believed to bring good health and good luck. For that reason, you see it plastered everywhere.

Secondly, it was considered a ward against the evil eye and other curses.

And thirdly, because Romans, like we do in the modern day, found dicks hilarious, and would give them legs, wings, or depict them fighting with their owners, in addition to scribbling them everywhere.

... some things never change.

[–] Naho_Zako@piefed.zip 2 points 6 days ago

And thirdly, because Romans, like we do in the modern day, found dicks hilarious, and would give them legs, wings, or depict them fighting with their owners, in addition to scribbling them everywhere. ... some things never change.

Yeah, I did a trip to Italy a few years ago and found souvenir stone/wooden dicks with dinosaur tails and other silly things in a market at Pompeii.

[–] Yondoza@sh.itjust.works 0 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I remember Dan Carlin (Hardcore History) talking about how Romans believed that you couldn't curse people, but call curses upon everyone in the area of the cursing. This means that cursing someone meant afflicting yourself with the same curse. It required a LOT of hate to curse someone in ancient Rome.

[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

The Romans definitely believed in individual curses. Hence curse tablets - which are very fascinating!

[–] Yondoza@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 days ago

Appreciate the correction.

[–] rumschlumpel@feddit.org 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

The English word "fascinate" ultimately derives from Latin fascinum and the related verb fascinare, "to use the power of the fascinus", that is, "to practice magic" and hence "to enchant, bewitch".

Fascinating.

[–] juliehuz@mastodon.world 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)
[–] Valmond@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago

Well, that's the ladies best friend