The Rains of Blood
Roman historians recorded rains of blood among the warnings from the gods, alongside talking cattle and statues that sweated.
What was reported
The Roman historian Livy, writing at the time of Augustus, listed the prodigies, or omens, reported each year: lightning striking temples, animals speaking, statues weeping, and more than once, that it had rained blood. Such signs were taken seriously, and priests performed ceremonies to calm the gods.
Red rain has been reported many times since, in Europe, India and elsewhere.
Explanations offered
Modern red rains have been traced to dust from deserts, such as the Sahara, carried high into the air and washed down by rain, and in some cases to tiny red algae. Ancient reports were probably often the same thing, though some prodigies were rumours that grew in the retelling.
- When
- Recorded by Roman historians
- Where
- Rome, Italy
- Witnesses
- Romans, recorded by Livy and others
- Status
- Mostly explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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