Tiresias: The Ancient Mediterranean Religions Source Database

9612

Plutarch, Romulus, 28.1-28.3
οὕτως οὖν οὕτως οὖν Coraës, following Stephanus and C, has οὕτως οὖν ταραττομένων ( while such disorder prevailed ). ἄνδρα τῶν πατρικίων γένει πρῶτον ἤθει τε δοκιμώτατον αὐτῷ τε Ῥωμύλῳ πιστὸν καὶ συνήθη, τῶν ἀπʼ Ἄλβης ἐποίκων, Ἰούλιον Πρόκλον, εἰς ἀγορὰν παρελθόντα προελθόντα MSS., Coraës, Sintenis 1 : παρελθόντα . καὶ τῶν ἁγιωτάτων ἔνορκον ἱερῶν ἁψάμενον εἰπεῖν ἐν πᾶσιν, ὡς ὁδὸν αὐτῷ βαδίζοντι Ῥωμύλος ἐξ ἐναντίας προσιὼν φανείη, καλὸς μὲν ὀφθῆναι καὶ μέγας ὡς οὔποτε πρόσθεν, ὅπλοις δὲ λαμπροῖς καὶ φλέγουσι κεκοσμημένος. At this pass, then, it is said that one of the patricians, a man of noblest birth, and of the most reputable character, a trusted and intimate friend also of Romulus himself, and one of the colonists from Alba, Julius Proculus by name, Cf. Livy, i. 16, 5-8. went into the forum and solemnly swore by the most sacred emblems before all the people that, as he was travelling on the road, he had seen Romulus coming to meet him, fair and stately to the eye as never before, and arrayed in bright and shining armour.
αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν ἐκπλαγεὶς πρὸς τὴν ὄψιν ὦ βασιλεῦ, φάναι, τί δὴ παθὼν ἢ διανοηθείς, ἡμᾶς μὲν ἐν αἰτίαις πεποίηκας ἀδίκοις καὶ πονηραῖς, πᾶσαν δὲ τὴν πόλιν ὀρφανὴν ἐν μυρίῳ πένθει προλέλοιπας; ἐκεῖνον δʼ ἀποκρίνασθαι· θεοῖς ἔδοξεν ὦ Πρόκλε τοσοῦτον ἡμᾶς γενέσθαι μετʼ ἀνθρώπων χρόνον, ἐκεῖθεν ὄντας, ἐκεῖθεν ὄντας MSS., Coraës, Sintenis 1, and Bekker; Sintenis 2 transposes to follow οὐρανόν . καὶ πόλιν ἐπʼ ἀρχῇ καὶ δόξῃ μεγίστῃ κτίσαντας, αὖθις οἰκεῖν οὐρανόν. ἀλλὰ χαῖρε καὶ φράζε Ῥωμαίοις, ὅτι σωφροσύνην μετʼ ἀνδρείας ἀσκοῦντες ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἀνθρωπίνης ἀφίξονται δυνάμεως. ἐγὼ δʼ ὑμῖν εὐμενὴς ἔσομαι δαίμων Κυρῖνος. He himself, then, affrighted at the sight, had said: O King, what possessed thee, or what purpose hadst thou, that thou hast left us patricians a prey to unjust and wicked accusations, and the whole city sorrowing without end at the loss of its father? Whereupon Romulus had replied: It was the pleasure of the gods, 0 Proculus, from whom I came, that I should be with mankind only a short time, and that after founding a city destined to be the greatest on earth for empire and glory, I should dwell again in heaven. So farewell, and tell the Romans that if they practise self-restraint, and add to it valour, they will reach the utmost heights of human power. And I will be your propitious deity, Quirinus.
ταῦτα πιστὰ μὲν εἶναι τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις ἐδόκει διὰ τὸν τρόπον τοῦ λέγοντος καὶ διὰ τὸν ὅρκον· οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ δαιμόνιόν τι συνεφάψασθαι πάθος ὅμοιον ἐνθουσιασμῷ· μηδένα γὰρ ἀντειπεῖν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ὑπόνοιαν καὶ διαβολὴν ἀφέντας εὔχεσθαι Κυρίνῳ καὶ θεοκλυτεῖν ἐκεῖνον. These things seemed to the Romans worthy of belief, from the character of the man who related them, and from the oath which he had taken; moreover, some influence from heaven also, akin to inspiration, laid hold upon their emotions, for no man contradicted Proculus, but all put aside suspicion and calumny and prayed to Quirinus, and honoured him as a god.

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

8 results
1. Dionysius of Halycarnassus, Roman Antiquities, 2.63.3-2.63.4 (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE) 2.63.3.  He also ordered that Romulus himself, as one who had shown a greatness beyond mortal nature, should be honoured, under the name of Quirinus, by the erection of a temple and by sacrifices throughout the year. For while the Romans were yet in doubt whether divine providence or human treachery had been the cause of his disappearance, a certain man, named Julius, descended from Ascanius, who was a husbandman and of such a blameless life that he would never have told an untruth for his private advantage, arrived in the Forum and said that, as he was coming in from the country, he saw Romulus departing from the city fully armed and that, as he drew near to him, he heard him say these words: 2.63.4.  "Julius, announce to the Romans from me, that the genius to whom I was allotted at my birth is conducting me to the gods, now that I have finished my mortal life, and that I am Quirinus." Numa, having reduced his whole system of religious laws to writing, divided them into eight parts, that being the number of the different classes of religious ceremonies.
2. Livy, History, 1.16.5-1.16.8 (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE)
3. Ovid, Fasti, 2.499-2.512, 3.291-3.346 (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE) 2.499. But Julius Proculus was travelling from Alba Longa 2.500. With the moon shining, and having no need of a torch 2.501. When suddenly the hedge to his left moved and shook: 2.502. So that he drew back a step, his hair bristling. 2.503. It seemed to him that Romulus, handsome, more than human 2.504. And finely dressed, stood there, in the centre of the road 2.505. Saying: ‘Prevent the Quirites from mourning me 2.506. And profaning my divinity by their tears: 2.507. Let the pious crowds bring incense and propitiate 2.508. The new god Quirinus, and cultivate their father’s art of war.’ 2.509. So he commanded and vanished into thin air: 2.510. Proculus gathered the people and reported the command. 2.511. Temples were built for the god, the hill named for him 2.512. And on certain days the ancestral rites are re-enacted. 3.291. Can teach you the rites of expiation. But they won’t 3.292. Teach them unless compelled: so catch and bind them.’ 3.293. And she revealed the arts by which they could be caught. 3.294. There was a grove, dark with holm-oaks, below the Aventine 3.295. At sight of which you would say: ‘There’s a god within.’ 3.296. The centre was grassy, and covered with green moss 3.297. And a perennial stream of water trickled from the rock. 3.298. Faunus and Picus used to drink there alone. 3.299. Numa approached and sacrificed a sheep to the spring 3.300. And set out cups filled with fragrant wine. 3.301. Then he hid with his people inside the cave. 3.302. The woodland spirits came to their usual spring 3.303. And quenched their dry throats with draughts of wine. 3.304. Sleep succeeded wine: Numa emerged from the icy cave 3.305. And clasped the sleepers’ hands in tight shackles. 3.306. When sleep vanished, they fought and tried to burst 3.307. Their bonds, which grew tighter the more they struggled. 3.308. Then Numa spoke: ‘Gods of the sacred groves, if you accept 3.309. My thoughts were free of wickedness, forgive my actions: 3.310. And show me how the lightning may be averted.’ 3.311. So Numa: and, shaking his horns, so Faunus replied: 3.312. ‘You seek great things, that it’s not right for you to know 3.313. Through our admission: our powers have their limits. 3.314. We are rural gods who rule in the high mountains: 3.315. Jupiter has control of his own weapons. 3.316. You could never draw him from heaven by yourself 3.317. But you may be able, by making use of our aid.’ 3.318. Faunus spoke these words: Picus too agreed 3.319. ‘But remove our shackles,’ Picus added: 3.320. ‘Jupiter will arrive here, drawn by powerful art. 3.321. Cloudy Styx will be witness to my promise.’ 3.322. It’s wrong for men to know what the gods enacted when loosed 3.323. From the snare, or what spells they spoke, or by what art 3.324. They drew Jupiter from his realm above. My song will sing 3.325. of lawful things, such as a poet may speak with pious lips. 3.326. The drew you (eliciunt) from the sky, Jupiter, and later 3.327. Generations now worship you, by the name of Elicius. 3.328. It’s true that the crowns of the Aventine woods trembled 3.329. And the earth sank under the weight of Jove. 3.330. The king’s heart shook, the blood fled from his body 3.331. And the bristling hair stood up stiffly on his head. 3.332. When he regained his senses, he said: ‘King and father 3.333. To the high gods, if I have touched your offering 3.334. With pure hands, and if a pious tongue, too, asks for 3.335. What I seek, grant expiation from your lightning,’ 3.336. The god accepted his prayer, but hid the truth with deep 3.337. Ambiguities, and terrified him with confusing words. 3.338. ‘Sever a head,’ said the god: the king replied; ‘I will 3.339. We’ll sever an onion’s, dug from my garden.’ 3.340. The god added: ‘of a man’: ‘You’ll have the hair,’ 3.341. Said the king. He demanded a life, Numa replied: ‘A fish’s’. 3.342. The god laughed and said: ‘Expiate my lightning like this 3.343. O man who cannot be stopped from speaking with gods. 3.344. And when Apollo’s disc is full tomorrow 3.345. I’ll give you sure pledges of empire.’ 3.346. He spoke, and was carried above the quaking sky
4. New Testament, Matthew, 27.51 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE) 27.51. Behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. The earth quaked and the rocks were split.
5. Plutarch, Romulus, 27.5, 28.2-28.3 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE) 27.5. And yet Scipio’s dead body lay exposed for all to see, and all who beheld it formed therefrom some suspicion and conjecture of what had happened to it; whereas Romulus disappeared suddenly, and no portion of his body or fragment of his clothing remained to be seen. But some conjectured that the senators, convened in the temple of Vulcan, fell upon him and slew him, then cut his body in pieces, put each a portion into the folds of his robe, and so carried it away. 28.2. He himself, then, affrighted at the sight, had said: O King, what possessed thee, or what purpose hadst thou, that thou hast left us patricians a prey to unjust and wicked accusations, and the whole city sorrowing without end at the loss of its father? Whereupon Romulus had replied: It was the pleasure of the gods, 0 Proculus, from whom I came, that I should be with mankind only a short time, and that after founding a city destined to be the greatest on earth for empire and glory, I should dwell again in heaven. So farewell, and tell the Romans that if they practise self-restraint, and add to it valour, they will reach the utmost heights of human power. And I will be your propitious deity, Quirinus. 28.3. These things seemed to the Romans worthy of belief, from the character of the man who related them, and from the oath which he had taken; moreover, some influence from heaven also, akin to inspiration, laid hold upon their emotions, for no man contradicted Proculus, but all put aside suspicion and calumny and prayed to Quirinus, and honoured him as a god.
6. Plutarch, Sulla, 27.2 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
7. Cassius Dio, Roman History, 56.45.2, 59.11.4 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE) 56.45.2.  Indeed, it was possible at once for people of any intelligence to foresee the change in conditions. For the consul Pompeius, upon going out to meet the men who were bearing the body of Augustus, received a blow on the leg and had to be carried back on a litter with the body; and an owl sat on the roof of the senate-house again at the very first meeting of the senate after his death and uttered many ill-omened cries. 59.11.4.  Indeed, a certain Livius Geminius, a senator, declared on oath, invoking destruction upon himself and his children if he spoke falsely, that he had seen her ascending to heaven and holding converse with the gods; and he called all the other gods and Panthea herself to witness. For this declaration he received a million sesterces.
8. Vergil, Georgics, 1.475 1.475. Flee to the vales before it, with face

Subjects of this text:

subject	book bibliographic info
aeneas	Seim and Okland (2009), Metamorphoses: Resurrection, Body and Transformative Practices in Early Christianity, 50
aetiology	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158
apollonia	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158
appearances	Seim and Okland (2009), Metamorphoses: Resurrection, Body and Transformative Practices in Early Christianity, 50
augustus	Bremmer (2017), Magic and Martyrs in Early Christianity: Collected Essays, 78; Seim and Okland (2009), Metamorphoses: Resurrection, Body and Transformative Practices in Early Christianity, 50
aventine hill,rome	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158
caesar,death	Bremmer (2017), Magic and Martyrs in Early Christianity: Collected Essays, 78
christ/jesus,and cynics,death	Bremmer (2017), Magic and Martyrs in Early Christianity: Collected Essays, 78
cult	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158
daimons	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158
drusilla	Bremmer (2017), Magic and Martyrs in Early Christianity: Collected Essays, 78
dyrrhachium	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158
faunus	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158
foundation,of cults	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158
inspiration	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158
italy	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158
jupiter,elicius	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158
jupiter	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158
livy	Seim and Okland (2009), Metamorphoses: Resurrection, Body and Transformative Practices in Early Christianity, 50
mary magdalene	Seim and Okland (2009), Metamorphoses: Resurrection, Body and Transformative Practices in Early Christianity, 50
numa	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158; Seim and Okland (2009), Metamorphoses: Resurrection, Body and Transformative Practices in Early Christianity, 50
nymph	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158
picus	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158
plutarch	Seim and Okland (2009), Metamorphoses: Resurrection, Body and Transformative Practices in Early Christianity, 50
proculus	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158; Seim and Okland (2009), Metamorphoses: Resurrection, Body and Transformative Practices in Early Christianity, 50
quirinus	Seim and Okland (2009), Metamorphoses: Resurrection, Body and Transformative Practices in Early Christianity, 50
revelation	Seim and Okland (2009), Metamorphoses: Resurrection, Body and Transformative Practices in Early Christianity, 50
romulus	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158; Seim and Okland (2009), Metamorphoses: Resurrection, Body and Transformative Practices in Early Christianity, 50
satyr	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158
sulla,lucius cornelius	Lipka (2021), Epiphanies and Dreams in Greek Polytheism: Textual Genres and 'Reality' from Homer to Heliodorus, 158
temple'	Seim and Okland (2009), Metamorphoses: Resurrection, Body and Transformative Practices in Early Christianity, 50