n
supervening, the actual slaughter followed at the altar. During the
whole operation silence was enjoined; the priests' heads were veiled
with the folds of the toga;[374] pipers (_tibicines_) continued to play,
in order that no unlucky sound or word might be heard which would make
it necessary to start afresh with another victim (_instauratio_).
Immediately before the slaughter the victim was made holier than ever by
sprinkling upon it fragments of sacred cake made of _far_ (_immolatio_),
and by pouring on it libations of wine from a _foculus_ or movable altar
containing this holy condiment, together with incense if that were used
in the rite. As soon as it was dead, the internal organs were examined
to make sure that there was no physical defect or abnormal growth, for
it was, of course, quite as necessary that the animal should be "purus"
within as without; this was the only object of the examination, until
the Etruscan art of _extipicina_ made its way to Rome. What became of
the blood we are not told; I have already remarked that blood has
curiously little part in Roman ritual and custom.[375] But the _exta_,
_i.e._ internal organs of life, were separated from the rest of the
carcase, and carefully cooked in holy vessels, before being laid upon
the altar (_porrectio_), together with certain slices of flesh called
_magmenta_, or increase-offerings, while the rest of the flesh, which
had now lost its holiness, was retained for the use of the priests.[376]
The time occupied in the actual slaughter and inspection of the organs
was not long; but the cooking of these must have been often a lengthy
process. Ovid tells us how on April 25 he met the Flamen Quirinalis
carrying out the exta of a dog and a sheep, which had been sacrificed at
Rome to Robigus that morning, in order to lay them on the altar of that
deity at the fifth milestone on the Via Claudia.[377] Certain days in
the calendar, called _endotercisi_, which were _nefasti_ in morning and
evening, were _fasti_ in the middle of the day, between the slaying of a
victim and the placing of its exta on the altar (_inter hostiam caesam
et exta porrecta_).[378]

I have so far purposely omitted one important detail--the prayer which,
so far as we know, invariably accompanied the sacrifice. It is not
absolutely certain at what moment of the rite it was said at Rome; in
the ritual of Iguvium we find it occurring immediately before the
placing of the exta on the altar;[379] b