May 27: Nothing to Fear Day

The ancient Greeks developed a multitude of future-predicting devices. A statue of Hermes on the town square does the trick. Whisper your question in its ears and stop your own ears while moving out of the agora. Whatever you hear next, is the answer to your question. Fallen ill? Hurry up to Demeter’s spring, where a mirror is hung above it. It reflects your image either cured or dead, so at least you can prepare. Not certain about an endeavour? Well, a sneeze would be a good omen. And to avert bad luck, try spitting on the ground. You could also throw a barley bread in Ino’s pond. If it floats – even for a while – the goddess does not accept the offer and disaster is imminent. Did you spot a vulture? Good for you, except if it snatches your sacrifice from the altar. Caught in a spider’s web? Check if it’s black or white, your future depends on it. Knowing all that, you’d think that the Athenians would have paid special attention to the damage done by crows to their statue at Delphi. They didn’t, went to war with Sicily and were decimated. Fafo, I’d say.

Bronze mirror, Cleveland Museum of Art, USA

Stele of the vultures (Tello, Iraq), Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

Did you know...

• In Rome, people with “lucky names” were chosen to bring on sacrificing victims. The goddess Nemesis was called on to avert the evil eye. The memory of the dead should not be attacked. Odd numbers were seen as more powerful than even ones. When someone sneezed, a “Bless you (name)” was uttered. Id your ears tinkled, someone was talking about you. Calling “two!” to a scorpion would stop it from attacking. Mentioning a fire at a banquet had to be countered by pouring water under the table. Sweeping the floor when a guest had left, was considered unlucky, as was removing a serving trolley when a guest was still drinking. An even number of guests could harm the reputation of each of them. On market days, nails should be cut in silence and cutting hair on the seventeenth and twenty-ninth of the month would prevent hairloss. And spitting in your right shoe before putting it on would protect you from danger.