Roman Sacrifice

I.                    Lustration (Purification)

Circular procession around the victim, usually three times

II.                  Procession to the altar

III.                Praefatio (Preface)

Offerings of incense and wine on the altar

The opening of ritual space

IV.                Immolatio
        Pouring of wine over victim’s head

        Sprinkling back with salted flour

        Passing sacrificial knife over victim’s spine

        Prayers transferring the victim from human to divine possession

V.                  Slaughtering

        Victim is felled and butchered.

        The corpse is opened up and the vital organs inspected. (If the vital organs look  suspicious, the sacrifice needs to begin again with a different victim.)

VI.                Banquet

Beheading of the victim

Vital organs are set aside and prepared as offerings to the gods (either boiled or  roasted)

Then the meat of the victim was cooked and eaten in a sacrificial meal.