Jesse Waugh

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Roman Sacrophagus with Depictions of Animal Sacrifice

Sarcophagus with Garlands and Erotic Cherubs and Depictions of Animal Sacrifice - Small Pig
from Da Via Labicana
140-150 AD
Rome

People's fear festers into superstition. While our superstitions make us suffer, they make animals suffer even more. Animal sacrifice is just as gruesome and wrong as human sacrifice. Featured are rather graphic and explanatory images showing Ancient Roman animal sacrifice rituals taking place. A small pig and what looks like a male and female goat are in the process of being mutilated and murdered and offered to the gods.

Notice the smaller figures to the right and left in the images: They exhibit similar iconography, each holding items suggesting a phallus in the lowered hand in an implement in the raised hand.

Sarcophagus with Garlands and Erotic Cherubs and Depictions of Animal Sacrifice
from Da Via Labicana
140-150 AD
Rome

Sarcophagus with Garlands and Erotic Cherubs and Depictions of Animal Sacrifice - Goat and She-goat
from Da Via Labicana
140-150 AD
Rome