Home -> Articoli -> Roma: la morte e i fantasmi

Philippi's ghosts

by Eugenia Salza Prina Ricotti

Armies of ghosts.

In the century of the civil wars many were the ghosts that hovered on Rome and his history. They came in legions and legions they were in its more tragic moments. Dio tells us that in the occasion of the Philippi’s battle the terrorised traveller who longed the Tiber’s banks herd, coming from Ceasar’s gardens, high blasts of trumpets that called the soldiers to the battle. Extremely strong was also the clangour of the swords and the arms that clashed in the combats, while the darkness of the night was lacerated by the shouts of the shadowy warriors, by the moans of the wounded or dying men. Were these armies of ghosts that, anew, were battling ancient battles, or were these the echoes of the far away one that reverberated on the Tiber Banks? Nobody knows. However there is no doubt that in this decisive period of the History ghosts and prodigies multiplied without an end. Even the statues were very active in signalling the gravity of the moment. All the historians tell us of the marble protraits of the protagonists of this moment and of the statues of the gods that sweated, cried or were covered by blood as did the holy image of Jupiter on the Albans Hills which apparently was wounded to one of his shoulders and to his right hand. Of course also the ghost of Ceasar made many apparitions and gave his support to Octavianus sending him wise advice.