Sortes Virgilianae

Record summary

The Sortes Virgilianae was a bibliomantic practice in which a passage from Virgil, especially the Aeneid, was selected as an omen for a questioner. Ancient and medieval anecdotes associate the procedure with figures such as Hadrian and later rulers, while the broader practice belongs to the tradition of sortes or lot-divination. It matters comparatively because a canonical literary text became an instrument of personal and political prognostication. The extent of actual use, the authenticity of famous episodes, and the transition from pagan precedent to Christianized practice remain uncertain.