BEAN, in botany. See VICIA.
The ancients made use of beans in gathering the votes of the people, and for the election of magistrates. A white bean signified abstention, and a black one condemnation. Beans had a mysterious use in the lemuralia and parentalia; where the master of the family, after washing, was to throw a sort of black beans over his head, still repeating the words, "I redeem myself and family by these beans." Ovid gives a lively description of the whole ceremony in verse.—V. 435.
Abstention from beans was enjoined by Pythagoras, one of whose symbols is, ναυαγία ἀποξείκοι, ἀφίειν ἃ σάβι. The Egyptian priests held it a crime to look at beans, judging the very sight unclean. The flamen dialis was not permitted even to mention the name. The precept of Pythagoras has been variously interpreted: some understand it of forbearing to meddle in trials and verdicts, which were then by throwing beans into an urn: others, building on the equivocal of the word ναῦ, which equally signifies a bean and a human testicle, explain it by abstaining from venery. Clemens Alexandrinus grounds the abstinence from beans on this, that they render women barren; which is confirmed by Theophrastus, who extends the effect even to plants. Cicero suggests another reason for this abstinence, viz. that beans are great enemies to tranquillity of mind. For a reason of this kind it is, that Amphiarus is said
to have abstained from beans, even before Pythagoras, that he might enjoy a clearer divination by dreams.