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Tiresias: The Ancient Mediterranean Religions Source Database



2165
Cassius Dio, Roman History, 45.17


nan In the consulship of Aulus Hirtius and Gaius Vibius (for Vibius was now appointed consul in spite of the fact that his father's name had been posted on the tablets of Sulla) a meeting of the senate was held and opinions expressed for three successive days, including the very first day of the year., For because of the war which was upon them and the portents, very numerous and unfavourable, which took place, they were so excited that they failed to observe even the dies nefasti and to refrain on those days from deliberating about any of their interests. Vast numbers of thunderbolts had fallen, some of them descending on the shrine of Capitoline Jupiter which stood in the temple of Victory;, also a mighty windstorm occurred which snapped off and scattered the tablets erected about the temple of Saturn and the shrine of Fides and also overturned and shattered the statue of Minerva the Protectress, which Cicero had set up on the Capitol before his exile., This, now, portended death to Cicero himself. Another thing that frightened the rest of the population was a great earthquake which occurred, and the fact that a bull which was being sacrificed on account of it in the -- temple of Vesta -- leaped up after the ceremony. In addition to these omens, clear as they were, a flash darted across from the east to the west and a new star was seen for several days., Then the light of the sun seemed to be diminished and even extinguished, and at times to appear in three circles, one of which was surmounted by a fiery crown of sheaves. This came true for them as clearly as ever any prophecy did. For the three men were in power, — I mean Caesar, Lepidus, and Antony, — and of these Caesar subsequently secured the victory., At the same time that these things occurred all sorts of oracles foreshadowing the downfall of the republic were recited. Crows, moreover, flew into the temple of Castor and Pollux and pecked out the names of the consuls, Antony and Dolabella, which were inscribed there somewhere on a tablet., And by night dogs would gather together in large numbers throughout the city and especially near the house of the high priest, Lepidus, and howl. Again, the Po, which had flooded a large portion of the surrounding territory, suddenly receded and left behind on the dry land a vast number of snakes; and countless fish were cast up from the sea on the shore near the mouths of the Tiber., Succeeding these terrors a terrible plague spread over nearly all Italy, because of which the senate voted that the Curia Hostilia should be rebuilt and that the spot where the naval battle had taken place should be filled up. However, the curse did not appear disposed to rest even then,, especially since, when Vibius was conducting the opening sacrifices on the first day of the year, one of his lictors suddenly fell down and died. Because of these events they took counsel during those days, and among the various men who spoke on one side or the other Cicero addressed them as follows:


nan1.  In the consulship of Aulus Hirtius and Gaius Vibius (for Vibius was now appointed consul in spite of the fact that his father's name had been posted on the tablets of Sulla) a meeting of the senate was held and opinions expressed for three successive days, including the very first day of the year.,2.  For because of the war which was upon them and the portents, very numerous and unfavourable, which took place, they were so excited that they failed to observe even the dies nefasti and to refrain on those days from deliberating about any of their interests. Vast numbers of thunderbolts had fallen, some of them descending on the shrine of Capitoline Jupiter which stood in the temple of Victory;,3.  also a mighty windstorm occurred which snapped off and scattered the tablets erected about the temple of Saturn and the shrine of Fides and also overturned and shattered the statue of Minerva the Protectress, which Cicero had set up on the Capitol before his exile.,4.  This, now, portended death to Cicero himself. Another thing that frightened the rest of the population was a great earthquake which occurred, and the fact that a bull which was being sacrificed on account of it in the -- temple of Vesta -- leaped up after the ceremony. In addition to these omens, clear as they were, a flash darted across from the east to the west and a new star was seen for several days.,5.  Then the light of the sun seemed to be diminished and even extinguished, and at times to appear in three circles, one of which was surmounted by a fiery crown of sheaves. This came true for them as clearly as ever any prophecy did. For the three men were in power, — I mean Caesar, Lepidus, and Antony, — and of these Caesar subsequently secured the victory.,6.  At the same time that these things occurred all sorts of oracles foreshadowing the downfall of the republic were recited. Crows, moreover, flew into the temple of Castor and Pollux and pecked out the names of the consuls, Antony and Dolabella, which were inscribed there somewhere on a tablet.,7.  And by night dogs would gather together in large numbers throughout the city and especially near the house of the high priest, Lepidus, and howl. Again, the Po, which had flooded a large portion of the surrounding territory, suddenly receded and left behind on the dry land a vast number of snakes; and countless fish were cast up from the sea on the shore near the mouths of the Tiber.,8.  Succeeding these terrors a terrible plague spread over nearly all Italy, because of which the senate voted that the Curia Hostilia should be rebuilt and that the spot where the naval battle had taken place should be filled up. However, the curse did not appear disposed to rest even then,,9.  especially since, when Vibius was conducting the opening sacrifices on the first day of the year, one of his lictors suddenly fell down and died. Because of these events they took counsel during those days, and among the various men who spoke on one side or the other Cicero addressed them as follows:


Intertexts (texts cited often on the same page as the searched text):

6 results
1. Xenophon, Hellenica, 4.3.11, 4.3.13-4.3.14 (5th cent. BCE - 4th cent. BCE)

4.3.11. For it was near 394 B.C. Cnidos that the fleets sailed against one another, and Pharnabazus, who was admiral, was with the Phoenician ships, while Conon Cp. II. i. 29. Through the influence of Pharnabazus, Conon had been commissioned a Persian admiral. His fleet was Greek merely in the sense that it was manned by Greek mercenaries and volunteers. with the Greek fleet was posted in front of him. 4.3.13. Now Agesilaus, on learning these things, at first was overcome with sorrow; but when he had considered that the most of his troops were the sort of men to share gladly in good fortune if good fortune came, but that if they saw anything unpleasant, they were under no compulsion to share in it, I.e., being practically volunteers (cp. ii. 4). —thereupon, changing the report, he said that word had come that Peisander was dead, but victorious in the naval battle. 4.3.14. And at the moment of saying these things he offered sacrifice as if for good news, and sent around to many people portions of the victims which had been offered; so that when a skirmish with the enemy took place, the troops of Agesilaus won the day in consequence of the report that the Lacedaemonians were victorious in the naval battle.
2. Diodorus Siculus, Historical Library, 14.83.5-14.83.7 (1st cent. BCE - 1st cent. BCE)

14.83.5.  When they learned that the enemy's naval forces were at Cnidus, they made preparations for battle. Peisander, the Lacedaemonian admiral, set out from Cnidus with eighty-five triremes and put in at Physcus of the Chersonesus. 14.83.6.  On sailing from there he fell in with the King's fleet, and engaging the leading ships, he won the advantage over them; but when the Persians came to give aid with their triremes in close formation, all his allies fled to the land. But Peisander turned his own ship against them, believing ignoble flight to be disgraceful and unworthy of Sparta. 14.83.7.  After fighting brilliantly and slaying many of the enemy, in the end he was overcome, battling in a manner worthy of his native land. Conon pursued the Lacedaemonians as far as the land and captured fifty of their triremes. As for the crews, most of them leaped overboard and escaped by land, but about five hundred were captured. The rest of the triremes found safety at Cnidus.
3. Plutarch, Julius Caesar, 63.9 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)

4. Suetonius, Iulius, 81.3 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)

5. Valerius Maximus, Memorable Deeds And Sayings, 1.7.2 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)

6. Obsequens, De Prodigiis, 68 (3rd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)



Subjects of this text:

subject book bibliographic info
acilius balbus, m. Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
aemilius lepidus, m., triumvir Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
antonius, m. Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
artorius, m. Santangelo, Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond (2013) 240
augustus Santangelo, Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond (2013) 240
calpurnia Santangelo, Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond (2013) 240
capitol Santangelo, Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond (2013) 240
chalcidice Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
chasms, meterological phenomena Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
civil war Santangelo, Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond (2013) 240
claudius (emperor) Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
cnidus Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
comets Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
cornelius balbus, l. Santangelo, Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond (2013) 240
cornelius dolabella, p. Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
cornelius orfitus, ser. Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
coronas, meteorological phenomenon Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
dokoi Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
dreams Santangelo, Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond (2013) 240
eclipses Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
fabius, q. Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
ides of march Santangelo, Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond (2013) 240
italy (italia) Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
julius caesar, c. Santangelo, Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond (2013) 240
julius caesar, l. Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
jupiter, capitolinus Santangelo, Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond (2013) 240
marcius rex, q. Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
meteorites Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
minerva Santangelo, Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond (2013) 240
mucius scaevola, q. Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
munatius plancus, l. Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
octavian, c. Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
octavian Santangelo, Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond (2013) 240
olynthos Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
opimus, l. Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
paraselene Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
parhelion Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
persia, persians, and greek world Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
philip ii of macedonia Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
plutarch Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
porcius cato, m., consul Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
postumius albinus, sp. Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
prodigy Santangelo, Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond (2013) 240
rings, meteorological phenomenon Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
rutilius, p. Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
senate Santangelo, Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond (2013) 240
snakes' Santangelo, Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond (2013) 240
sparta, spartans Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
spikes, meterological phenomenon Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58
tullius cicero, m. Santangelo, Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond (2013) 240
weather Roller, A Guide to the Geography of Pliny the Elder (2022) 58