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[ SOLD OUT ] HAACK, Marie-Laurence, Les haruspices dans le monde romain. Diffusion De Boccard, Paris, 2003. 273p. Paperback. Series: Ausonius, Scripta Antiqua 6. (Rare). 'The complexity of the role of the 'haruspices' in ancient Rome is matched only by their virtually complete anonimity in the historical and archaeological record: the (very) little that we do have is so meagre as to be frustrating, and ample demonstration only of our ignorance. We should not underestimate the difficulty of Haack's task in setting out to focus, not just on the links between politics and religion (as has been done before), but also on the place of 'haruspices' in society more generally. (...) H.'s detailed survey follows a chronological line, from the earliest links between the 'Etruscan' priests and Rome to their response to the Christianization of the Empire. The story is one of gradual publc appropriation by the imperial power of a useful foreign resource and the simultaneous appearance of 'private' practitioners in Roman society. The role of the latter came to a head, somewhat inevitably, in the late Republic with the rise of the 'great' men. The image of an out-going organization of official 'haruspices' at Rome, initially codified by Augustus (so H. argues), extended by Claudius, and continues as thoroughly Romanized priests began to be appointed in the army, is sketched out very plausibly, and the position of these men in response to an ever-stronger Christianity is also explored. (...) The result is a highly plausible scenario of opportunism and bureaucratization in somewhat arbitrary stages that led to sanctioned (or at least popular) haruspical activity in many areas of Roman life, curtailed ultimately (though not completely) by the ban on sacrifice that severely reduced the role of those whose craft depended on it.' (JASON DAVIES in The Journal of Roman Studies, 2007, pp.283-84). From the library of Professor Carl Deroux. (Antiquarian) (approx. delivery time: undeliverable) ISBN: 9782910023386