Tiresias: The Ancient Mediterranean Religions Source Database

2289

Cicero, On Divination, 1.107

Atque ille Romuli auguratus pastoralis, non urbanus fuit nec fictus ad opiniones inperitorum, sed a certis acceptus et posteris traditus. Itaque Romulus augur, ut apud Ennium est, cum fratre item augure Curantes magna cum cura tum cupientes Regni dant operam simul auspicio augurioque. †In monte Remus auspicio se devovet atque secundam Solus avem servat. At Romulus pulcher in alto Quaerit Aventino, servat genus altivolantum. Certabant, urbem Romam Remoramne vocarent. Omnibus cura viris, uter esset induperator. Exspectant; veluti, consul quom mittere signum Volt, omnes avidi spectant ad carceris oras As for that augural art of Romulus of which I spoke, it was pastoral and not city-bred, nor was it invented to gull the ignorant, but received by trustworthy men, who handed it on to their descendants. And so we read in Ennius the following story of Romulus, who was an augur, and of his brother Remus, who also was an augur:When each would rule they both at once appealedTheir claims, with anxious hearts, to augury.Then Remus took the auspices aloneAnd waited for the lucky bird; while onThe lofty Aventine fair RomulusHis quest did keep to wait the soaring tribe:Their contest would decide the citys nameAs Rome or Remora. The multitudeExpectant looked to learn who would be king.As, when the consul is about to giveThe sign to start the race, the people sitWith eyes intent on barrier doors from whose108 Embellished jaws the chariots soon will come;So now the people, fearful, looked for signsTo know whose prize the mighty realm would be.Meantime the fading sun into the shadesOf night withdrew and then the shining dawnShot forth its rays. Twas then an augury,The best of all, appeared on high — a birdThat on the left did fly. And, as the sunIts golden orb upraised, twelve sacred birdsFlew down from heaven and betook themselvesTo stations set apart for goodly signs.Then Romulus perceived that he had gainedA throne whose source and proper was augury. [49]

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Subjects of this text:

subject	book bibliographic info
artificial divination	Wynne (2019), Horace and the Gift Economy of Patronage, 185, 208
augury	Santangelo (2013), Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond, 219
birds	Santangelo (2013), Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond, 219
celer	Santangelo (2013), Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond, 219
conjecture	Wynne (2019), Horace and the Gift Economy of Patronage, 208
ennius,model / anti-model for lucan	Joseph (2022), Thunder and Lament: Lucan on the Beginnings and Ends of Epic, 97
ennius,time and space in	Joseph (2022), Thunder and Lament: Lucan on the Beginnings and Ends of Epic, 97
history of divinatory arts	Wynne (2019), Horace and the Gift Economy of Patronage, 208
homer,model / anti-model for lucan	Joseph (2022), Thunder and Lament: Lucan on the Beginnings and Ends of Epic, 97
impiety,in utramque partem form of dialogue	Wynne (2019), Horace and the Gift Economy of Patronage, 185
livy	Santangelo (2013), Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond, 219
myths,natural divination	Wynne (2019), Horace and the Gift Economy of Patronage, 185
outcomes'	Wynne (2019), Horace and the Gift Economy of Patronage, 208
outcomes	Wynne (2019), Horace and the Gift Economy of Patronage, 185
remoria	Santangelo (2013), Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond, 219
remus	Santangelo (2013), Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond, 219
romulus	Joseph (2022), Thunder and Lament: Lucan on the Beginnings and Ends of Epic, 97; Santangelo (2013), Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond, 219
rubicon	Joseph (2022), Thunder and Lament: Lucan on the Beginnings and Ends of Epic, 97
signs,augural	Santangelo (2013), Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond, 219
signs	Santangelo (2013), Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond, 219
syme,r.	Santangelo (2013), Roman Frugality: Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond, 219
topoi,of the sunrise	Joseph (2022), Thunder and Lament: Lucan on the Beginnings and Ends of Epic, 97