in the Roman sacrifices, signifies the act of killing the victim. This was performed either by the priest himself, or by some of his inferior officers, who were known under the name of popes, agones, culturarii, and victimarii; but, before the beast was killed, the priest, turning himself to the east, drew a crooked line with his knife, from the forehead to the tail. Amongst the Greeks this ceremony was most commonly performed by the priest, or, in his absence, by the most honourable person present. If the sacrifice was offered to the celestial gods, the victim's throat was bent up towards heaven; if to the infernal, or to heroes, it was killed with its throat towards the ground. The manner of killing the animal was by a stroke on the head, and, after it had fallen, thrusting a knife into its throat. Much notice was taken of; and good or ill success predicted from, the struggles of the beast, or its quiet submission to the blow; from the flowing of the blood, and the length of time the animal happened to live after the fall; and other circumstances.