as looked upon as sacred both by the Greeks and Romans, and was supposed to be sent to execute vengeance on the earth. Hence persons killed with lightning, being considered as hateful to the gods, were buried apart by themselves, lest the ashes of other men should receive pollution from them. Some say they were interred upon the very spot where they died; others think that they had no interment, but were suffered to rot where they fell, because it was unlawful for any man to approach the place. For this reason the ground was hedged in, lest any person should unawares contract pollution from it. All places struck with lightning were carefully avoided and fenced round, from an opinion that Jupiter had either taken offence at them, and fixed upon them the marks of his displeasure, or that he had, by this means, pitched upon them as sacred to himself. The ground thus fenced about was called by the Romans bidental. Lightning was much observed in augury, and was a good or bad omen, according to the circumstances attending it.