m.v.gr.

Een paar voorbeelden van gebeden uit de voorChristelijke tijd (uit Plautus):

SUPPLICATION TO VENUS

Tibi auscultamus et, Venus alma, ambae te obsecramus, aram amplexantes hanc tuam lacrumantes, gentibus nixae, in custodelam nos tuam ut recipias et tutere; illas scelestos, qui tuom fecerunt fanum parvi, fac ut ulciscare nosque ut hanc tua pace aram obsidere patiare… ne invisas habeas neve idcirco nobis vitio vortas, minus quod bene esse lautum tu arbitrare

(Kindly Venus, we tearfully entreat, as we kneel and clasp this your altar, take us under your protection and defend us. Punish the evil ones who have belittled your sanctuary, and in your good grace let this altar be our refuge… be not offended with us, nor hold us at fault, if there be anything about us that to you is unclean) (Rodens, 694-701)

CATO, De Agricultura :

Father Mars, I pray and beseech thee that thou be gracious and merciful to me, my house, and my household; to which intent I have bidden this suovetaurilia to be led around my land, my ground, my farm; that thou keep away, ward off and removed sickness, seen and unseen, barrenness and destruction, ruin and unseasonable influence; and that thou permit my harvests, my grain, my vine-yards and my plantations to flourish and to come to good issue, preserve in health my shepherds and my flocks, and give good health and strength to me, my house and my household To this intent, to the intent of purifying my farm, my land and my ground, and of making an expiation, as I have said, deign to accept the offering of these suckling victims; Father Mars, to the same intent deign to accept the offering of these suckling offering.