As I like to say we only think of the Romans as rational and scientific because of the great architecture that has come down to us. There was the other side of their psyche, superstitious to the extreme. Nothing illustrates this better than the festival of Lemuria.
The Romans believed that particular rites had to be performed for the dead or the deceased's spirit would be trapped between their old body, unable to enter the afterlife. Lemuria was designed to get rid of the year's accumulated ghosts.
Ovid provides a detailed description of the rites. The head of the household (Pater Familius) would walk backwards through the house tossing black beans and reciting this nine times: I send these; with these beans I redeem me and mine (Haec ego mitto; his redimo meque meosque fabis). The rest of the household members would clang pots and pans and repeat Ghosts of my fathers and ancestors, be gone!
That's not exactly in keeping with our view of them as rational and scientific. More like "world domination with a side of Ouija Board". Interestingly, you can buy you Lemuria swag here:
Superstitions have existed for a LONG time!!!
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