▁means ▁of ") ▁is ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁reading ▁om ens ▁from ▁the ▁behavior ▁of ▁r ats ▁or ▁m ice , ▁a ▁" ther iom antic " ▁method ▁of ▁div ination ▁which ▁might ▁be ▁imp lied ▁in ▁the ▁Bible ▁verse ▁Isa iah ▁ 6 6 : 1 7 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁Western ▁history , ▁certain ▁mouse ▁or ▁rat ▁vocal izations ▁(" the ir ▁particular ▁c ries ") ▁and ▁other ▁phen omena , ▁including ▁severe ▁cases ▁of ▁damage ▁w re aked ▁by ▁the ▁rod ents , ▁was ▁taken ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁sign ▁predict ive ▁of ▁evil . ▁For ▁example , ▁ Æ lain ▁rel ates ▁that ▁Quint us ▁Fab ius ▁Maxim us ▁Ver ru cos us ▁res igned ▁the ▁dict ator ship ▁in ▁consequence ▁of ▁a ▁" warning " ▁from ▁these ▁cre atures ; ▁according ▁to ▁Var ro , ▁Cass ius ▁Fl am ini us ▁retired ▁from ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁caval ry ▁for ▁the ▁same ▁reason . ▁ ▁Hor ap ol lo ▁describes ▁the ▁rat ▁as ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁destruction . ▁According ▁to ▁Her odot us , ▁S enn acher ib ' s ▁attempt ▁to ▁in va de ▁Egypt ▁was ▁th wart ed ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁army ' s ▁weapons ▁being ▁system atically ▁destroyed ▁by ▁r ats ▁the ▁night ▁before ▁they ▁were ▁due ▁to ▁attack . ▁ ▁The ▁Heb rew ▁word ▁for ▁" mouse " ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁a ▁root ▁meaning ▁" to ▁separate , ▁divide , ▁or ▁judge ". ▁It ▁was ▁remarked ▁by ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁comment ators ▁on ▁Hor