1. Hebrew Bible, Deuteronomy, 4.36 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 4.36. מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם הִשְׁמִיעֲךָ אֶת־קֹלוֹ לְיַסְּרֶךָּ וְעַל־הָאָרֶץ הֶרְאֲךָ אֶת־אִשּׁוֹ הַגְּדוֹלָה וּדְבָרָיו שָׁמַעְתָּ מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ׃ | 4.36. Out of heaven He made thee to hear His voice, that He might instruct thee; and upon earth He made thee to see His great fire; and thou didst hear His words out of the midst of the fire." |
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2. Hebrew Bible, Exodus, 20.22 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 20.22. וְאִם־מִזְבַּח אֲבָנִים תַּעֲשֶׂה־לִּי לֹא־תִבְנֶה אֶתְהֶן גָּזִית כִּי חַרְבְּךָ הֵנַפְתָּ עָלֶיהָ וַתְּחַלְלֶהָ׃ | 20.22. And if thou make Me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast profaned it." |
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3. Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 21.17, 22.11, 22.15 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 21.17. וַיִּשְׁמַע אֱלֹהִים אֶת־קוֹל הַנַּעַר וַיִּקְרָא מַלְאַךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶל־הָגָר מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַה־לָּךְ הָגָר אַל־תִּירְאִי כִּי־שָׁמַע אֱלֹהִים אֶל־קוֹל הַנַּעַר בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא־שָׁם׃ 22.11. וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי׃ 22.15. וַיִּקְרָא מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה אֶל־אַבְרָהָם שֵׁנִית מִן־הַשָּׁמָיִם׃ | 21.17. And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her: ‘What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is." 22.11. And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said: ‘Abraham, Abraham.’ And he said: ‘Here am I.’" 22.15. And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham a second time out of heaven," |
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4. Hebrew Bible, Numbers, 7.89 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 7.89. וּבְבֹא מֹשֶׁה אֶל־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ וַיִּשְׁמַע אֶת־הַקּוֹל מִדַּבֵּר אֵלָיו מֵעַל הַכַּפֹּרֶת אֲשֶׁר עַל־אֲרֹן הָעֵדֻת מִבֵּין שְׁנֵי הַכְּרֻבִים וַיְדַבֵּר אֵלָיו׃ | 7.89. And when Moses went into the tent of meeting that He might speak with him, then he heard the Voice speaking unto him from above the ark-cover that was upon the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and He spoke unto him." |
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5. Hebrew Bible, Isaiah, 66.6 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 66.6. קוֹל שָׁאוֹן מֵעִיר קוֹל מֵהֵיכָל קוֹל יְהוָה מְשַׁלֵּם גְּמוּל לְאֹיְבָיו׃ | 66.6. Hark! an uproar from the city, Hark! it cometh from the temple, Hark! the LORD rendereth recompense to His enemies." |
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6. Homer, Iliad, 2.353 (8th cent. BCE - 7th cent. BCE)
| 2.353. /For I declare that Cronos' son, supreme in might, gave promise with his nod on that day when the Argives went on board their swift-faring ships, bearing unto the Trojans death and fate; for he lightened on our right and shewed forth signs of good. Wherefore let no man make haste to depart homewards until each have lain with the wife of some Trojan |
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7. Homer, Odyssey, 13.222, 20.104, 22.45-22.59, 22.61-22.64 (8th cent. BCE - 7th cent. BCE)
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8. Hebrew Bible, Ezekiel, 1.4, 1.25-1.26 (6th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 1.4. וָאֵרֶא וְהִנֵּה רוּחַ סְעָרָה בָּאָה מִן־הַצָּפוֹן עָנָן גָּדוֹל וְאֵשׁ מִתְלַקַּחַת וְנֹגַהּ לוֹ סָבִיב וּמִתּוֹכָהּ כְּעֵין הַחַשְׁמַל מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ׃ 1.25. וַיְהִי־קוֹל מֵעַל לָרָקִיעַ אֲשֶׁר עַל־רֹאשָׁם בְּעָמְדָם תְּרַפֶּינָה כַנְפֵיהֶן׃ 1.26. וּמִמַּעַל לָרָקִיעַ אֲשֶׁר עַל־רֹאשָׁם כְּמַרְאֵה אֶבֶן־סַפִּיר דְּמוּת כִּסֵּא וְעַל דְּמוּת הַכִּסֵּא דְּמוּת כְּמַרְאֵה אָדָם עָלָיו מִלְמָעְלָה׃ | 1.4. And I looked, and, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with a fire flashing up, so that a brightness was round about it; and out of the midst thereof as the colour of electrum, out of the midst of the fire." 1.25. For, when there was a voice above the firmament that was over their heads, as they stood, they let down their wings." 1.26. And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above." |
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9. Euripides, Andromache, 1148, 1147 (5th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 1147. πρὶν δή τις ἀδύτων ἐκ μέσων ἐφθέγξατο | |
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10. Hebrew Bible, Nehemiah, 9.13 (5th cent. BCE - 4th cent. BCE)
| 9.13. וְעַל הַר־סִינַי יָרַדְתָּ וְדַבֵּר עִמָּהֶם מִשָּׁמָיִם וַתִּתֵּן לָהֶם מִשְׁפָּטִים יְשָׁרִים וְתוֹרוֹת אֱמֶת חֻקִּים וּמִצְוֺת טוֹבִים׃ | 9.13. Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spokest with them from heaven, and gavest them right ordices and laws of truth, good statutes and commandments;" |
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11. Herodotus, Histories, 1.65, 1.158-1.160 (5th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 1.65. So Croesus learned that at that time such problems were oppressing the Athenians, but that the Lacedaemonians had escaped from the great evils and had mastered the Tegeans in war. In the kingship of Leon and Hegesicles at Sparta, the Lacedaemonians were successful in all their other wars but met disaster only against the Tegeans. ,Before this they had been the worst-governed of nearly all the Hellenes and had had no dealings with strangers, but they changed to good government in this way: Lycurgus, a man of reputation among the Spartans, went to the oracle at Delphi . As soon as he entered the hall, the priestess said in hexameter: , quote type="oracle" l met="dact"You have come to my rich temple, Lycurgus, /l lA man dear to Zeus and to all who have Olympian homes. /l lI am in doubt whether to pronounce you man or god, /l lBut I think rather you are a god, Lycurgus. /l /quote ,Some say that the Pythia also declared to him the constitution that now exists at Sparta, but the Lacedaemonians themselves say that Lycurgus brought it from Crete when he was guardian of his nephew Leobetes, the Spartan king. ,Once he became guardian, he changed all the laws and took care that no one transgressed the new ones. Lycurgus afterwards established their affairs of war: the sworn divisions, the bands of thirty, the common meals; also the ephors and the council of elders. 1.158. The men of Cyme, then, sent to Branchidae to inquire of the shrine what they should do in the matter of Pactyes that would be most pleasing to the gods; and the oracle replied that they must surrender Pactyes to the Persians. ,When this answer came back to them, they set about surrendering him. But while the greater part were in favor of doing this, Aristodicus son of Heraclides, a notable man among the citizens, stopped the men of Cyme from doing it; for he did not believe the oracle and thought that those who had inquired of the god spoke falsely; until at last a second band of inquirers was sent to inquire concerning Pactyes, among whom was Aristodicus. 1.159. When they came to Branchidae, Aristodicus, speaking for all, put this question to the oracle: “Lord, Pactyes the Lydian has come to us a suppliant fleeing a violent death at the hands of the Persians; and they demand him of us, telling the men of Cyme to surrender him. ,But we, as much as we fear the Persian power, have not dared give up this suppliant of ours until it is clearly made known to us by you whether we are to do this or not.” Thus Aristodicus inquired; and the god again gave the same answer, that Pactyes should be surrendered to the Persians. ,With that Aristodicus did as he had already decided; he went around the temple, and took away the sparrows and all the families of nesting birds that were in it. But while he was doing so, a voice (they say) came out of the inner shrine calling to Aristodicus, and saying, “Vilest of men, how dare you do this? Will you rob my temple of those that take refuge with me?” ,Then Aristodicus had his answer ready: “Lord,” he said, “will you save your own suppliants, yet tell the men of Cyme to deliver up theirs?” But the god replied, “Yes, I do command them, so that you may perish all the sooner for your impiety, and never again come to inquire of my oracle about giving up those that seek refuge with you.” 1.160. When the Cymaeans heard this answer, they sent Pactyes away to Mytilene ; for they were anxious not to perish for delivering him up or to be besieged for keeping him with them. ,Then Mazares sent a message to Mytilene demanding the surrender of Pactyes, and the Mytilenaeans prepared to give him, for a price; I cannot say exactly how much it was, for the bargain was never fulfilled; ,for when the Cymaeans learned what the Mytilenaeans were about, they sent a ship to Lesbos and took Pactyes away to Chios . From there he was dragged out of the temple of City-guarding Athena and delivered up by the Chians, ,who received in return Atarneus, which is a district in Mysia opposite Lesbos . The Persians thus received Pactyes and kept him guarded, so that they might show him to Cyrus; ,and for a long time no one would use barley meal from this land of Atarneus in sacrifices to any god, or make sacrificial cakes of what grew there; everything that came from that country was kept away from any sacred rite. |
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12. Cicero, On Divination, 1.44-1.45 (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. BCE)
| 1.44. Quoniám quieti córpus nocturno ínpetu Dedí sopore plácans artus lánguidos, Visúst in somnis pástor ad me appéllere Pecús lanigerum exímia puchritúdine; Duós consanguineos árietes inde éligi Praeclárioremque álterum immoláre me; Deinde eíus germanum córnibus conítier, In me árietare, eoque íctu me ad casúm dari; Exín prostratum térra, graviter saúcium, Resupínum in caelo cóntueri máximum ac Mirifícum facinus: déxtrorsum orbem flámmeum Radiátum solis líquier cursú novo. Eius igitur somnii a coniectoribus quae sit interpretatio facta, videamus: 1.45. Réx, quae in vita usúrpant homines, cógitant, curánt, vident, Quaéque agunt vigilántes agitantque, éa, cui in somno áccidunt, Mínus mirandum est; dí rem tantam haud témere inproviso ófferunt. Próin vide ne, quém tu esse hebetem députes aeque ác pecus, Ís sapientiá munitum péctus egregié gerat Téque regno expéllat; nam id, quod dé sole ostentúmst tibi, Pópulo commutátionem rérum portendít fore Pérpropinquam. Haec béne verruncent pópulo. Nam quod ad déxteram Cépit cursum ab laéva signum praépotens, pulchérrume Aúguratum est rém Romanam públicam summám fore. Age nunc ad externa redeamus. | 1.44. At nights approach I sought my quiet couchTo soothe my weary limbs with restful sleep.Then in my dreams a shepherd near me droveA fleecy herd whose beauty was extreme.I chose two brother rams from out the flockAnd sacrificed the comelier of the twain.And then, with lowered horns, the other ramAttacked and bore me headlong to the ground.While there I lay outstretched and wounded sore,The sky a wondrous miracle disclosed:The blazing star of day reversed its courseAnd glided to the right by pathway new. 1.45. Now observe how the diviners interpreted this dream:It is not strange, O king, that dreams reflectThe days desires and thoughts, its sights and deeds,And everything we say or do awake.But in so grave a dream as yours we seeA message clearly sent, and thus it warns:Beware of him you deem bereft of witAnd rate no higher than a stupid ram,Lest he, with wisdom armed, should rise to fameAnd drive you from your throne. The suns changed courseUnto the state portends immediate change.And may that prove benigt to the state;For since the almighty orb from left to rightRevolved, it was the best of auguriesThat Rome would be supreme oer all the earth. [23] |
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13. Anon., Sibylline Oracles, 5.63-5.65, 5.344-5.345 (1st cent. BCE - 5th cent. CE)
| 5.63. Worn weary unto death; him foreign dust 5.64. But dust that of Nemea's flower has name 5.65. 65 Shall hide a corpse. And after him shall rule 5.344. Shall they be cut off; but they shall set up 5.345. 345 Their trophies for an age of evil men. |
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14. Livy, History, 1.31.3, 2.7.2, 5.32.6-5.32.7, 6.33.5 (1st cent. BCE - 1st cent. BCE)
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15. Vergil, Aeneis, 1.284-1.285, 3.16-3.72, 3.78, 3.80-3.81, 3.84-3.99, 3.101-3.102, 3.274-3.288, 5.47, 6.760-6.766, 7.54-7.56, 7.122-7.123, 7.206-7.207, 7.240-7.241, 8.36-8.37, 8.681, 8.704-8.706, 9.641-9.644, 12.931-12.938, 12.947-12.949 (1st cent. BCE - 1st cent. BCE)
| 1.284. and bare the flesh below; some slice with knives 1.285. and on keen prongs the quivering strips impale 3.17. where once was Troy . An exile on the seas 3.26. et my first walls, though partial Fate opposed 3.29. Unto Dione's daughter, and all gods 3.30. who blessed our young emprise, due gifts were paid; 3.34. a mound was seen, and on the summit grew 3.35. a copse of corner and a myrtle tree 3.36. with spear-like limbs outbranched on every side. 3.48. the mystery within,—but yet again 3.57. a moaning and a wail from that deep grave 3.62. was kin of thine. This blood is not of trees. 3.63. Haste from this murderous shore, this land of greed. 3.64. O, I am Polydorus! Haste away! 3.65. Here was I pierced; a crop of iron spears 3.66. has grown up o'er my breast, and multiplied 3.67. to all these deadly javelins, keen and strong.” 3.68. Then stood I, burdened with dark doubt and fear 3.78. he scorned all honor and did murder foul 3.80. on all the gold. O, whither at thy will 3.81. curst greed of gold, may mortal hearts be driven? 3.84. who sat in conclave with my kingly sire 3.85. and bade them speak their reverend counsel forth. 3.86. All found one voice; to leave that land of sin 3.87. where foul abomination had profaned 3.88. a stranger's right; and once more to resign 3.89. our fleet unto the tempest and the wave. 3.90. But fit and solemn funeral rites were paid 3.91. to Polydorus. A high mound we reared 3.92. of heaped-up earth, and to his honored shade 3.93. built a perpetual altar, sadly dressed 3.94. in cypress dark and purple pall of woe. 3.95. Our Ilian women wailed with loosened hair; 3.96. new milk was sprinkled from a foaming cup 3.97. and from the shallow bowl fresh blood out-poured 3.98. upon the sacred ground. So in its tomb 3.99. we laid his ghost to rest, and loudly sang 3.102. looked safe and fair, and o'er its tranquil plain 3.274. Now Phoebus speaks. Obedient let us be 3.275. and, warned by him, our happier Iot pursue!” 3.276. He spoke: with heart of hope we all obeyed; 3.277. again we changed abode; and, leaving there 3.278. a feeble few, again with spreading sails 3.280. When from the deep the shores had faded far 3.281. and only sky and sea were round our way 3.282. full in the zenith hung a purple cloud 3.283. torm-laden, dark as night, and every wave 3.284. grew black and angry, while perpetual gales 3.285. came rolling o'er the main, and mountain-high 3.286. the wreckful surges rose; our ships were hurled 3.287. wide o'er the whirling waters; thunder-clouds 3.288. and misty murk of night made end of all 5.47. Garbed in rough pelt of Libyan bear was he 6.760. To mock the storm's inimitable flash— 6.761. With crash of hoofs and roll of brazen wheel! 6.762. But mightiest Jove from rampart of thick cloud 6.763. Hurled his own shaft, no flickering, mortal flame 6.764. And in vast whirl of tempest laid him low. 6.765. Next unto these, on Tityos I looked 6.766. Child of old Earth, whose womb all creatures bears: 7.54. and all Hesperia gathered to the fray. 7.55. Events of grander march impel my song 7.56. and loftier task I try. Latinus, then 7.122. upon their outstretched skins. Straightway a voice 7.123. out of the lofty forest met his prayer. 7.206. the whirling chariot, or stretch stout bows 7.207. or hurl the seasoned javelin, or strive 7.240. girt in scant shift, and bearing on his left 7.241. the sacred oval shield, appeared enthroned 8.36. all shapes of beast or bird, the wide world o'er 8.37. lay deep in slumber. So beneath the arch 8.681. my son, who by his Sabine mother's line 8.704. and bellowing Tuscan trumpets shook the air. 8.705. All eyes look up. Again and yet again 8.706. crashed the terrible din, and where the sky 9.641. Tumultuously shouting, they impaled 9.642. on lifted spears—O pitiable sight! — 9.643. the heads of Nisus and Euryalus. 9.644. Th' undaunted Trojans stood in battle-line 12.931. o through the scattered legions Turnus ran 12.932. traight to the city walls, where all the ground 12.933. was drenched with blood, and every passing air 12.934. hrieked with the noise of spears. His lifted hand 12.935. made sign of silence as he loudly called: 12.936. “Refrain, Rutulians! O ye Latins all 12.937. your spears withhold! The issue of the fray 12.938. is all my own. I only can repair 12.947. or sovereign Apennine that lifts in air 12.948. his forehead of triumphant snow. All eyes 12.949. of Troy, Rutulia, and Italy |
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16. Josephus Flavius, Jewish Antiquities, 13.282-13.283, 19.60-19.61 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 13.282. Now a very surprising thing is related of this high priest Hyrcanus, how God came to discourse with him; for they say that on the very same day on which his sons fought with Antiochus Cyzicenus, he was alone in the temple, as high priest, offering incense, and heard a voice, that his sons had just then overcome Antiochus. 13.283. And this he openly declared before all the multitude upon his coming out of the temple; and it accordingly proved true; and in this posture were the affairs of Hyrcanus. 19.61. and that Cherea at first suspected that some one of the conspirators had betrayed him, and he was caught, but at length perceived that it was by way of exhortation. Whether somebody that was conscious of what he was about, gave a signal for his encouragement, or whether it was God himself, who looks upon the actions of men, that encouraged him to go on boldly in his design, is uncertain. |
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17. New Testament, Acts, 9.7 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 9.7. The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice, but seeing no one. |
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18. New Testament, John, 12.28-12.29 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 12.28. Father, glorify your name!"Then there came a voice out of the sky, saying, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. 12.29. The multitude therefore, who stood by and heard it, said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him. |
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19. New Testament, Mark, 1.11 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 1.11. A voice came out of the sky, "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. |
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20. New Testament, Matthew, 3.17 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 3.17. Behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. |
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21. Plutarch, Camillus, 14.2 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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22. Plutarch, On Isis And Osiris, 14, 12 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 12. Here follows the story related in the briefest possible words with the omission of everything that is merely unprofitable or superfluous: They say that the Sun, when lie became aware of Rhea’s intercourse with Cronus, Cf. Moralia, 429 f; Diodorus, i. 13. 4; Eusebius, Praeparatio Evang. ii. 1. 1-32. invoked a curse upon her that she should not give birth to a child in any month or any year; but Hermes, being enamoured of the goddess, consorted with her. Later, playing at draughts with the moon, he won from her the seventieth part of each of her periods of illumination, Plutarch evidently does not reckon the ἕνη καὶ νέα (the day when the old moon changed to the new) as a period of illumination, since the light given by the moon at that time is practically negligible. An intimation of this is given in his Life of Solon, chap. xxv. (92 c). Cf. also Plato, Cratylus, 409 b, and the scholium on Aristophanes’ Clouds, 1186. One seventieth of 12 lunar months of 29 days each (348 days) is very nearly five days. and from all the winnings he composed five days, and intercalated them as an addition to the three hundred and sixty days. The Egyptians even now call these five days intercalated Cf. Herodotus, ii. 4. and celebrate them as the birthdays of the gods. They relate that on the first of these days Osiris was born, and at the hour of his birth a voice issued forth saying, The Lord of All advances to the light. But some relate that a certain Pamyles, What is known about Pamyles (or Paamyles or Pammyles), a Priapean god of the Egyptians, may be found in Kock, Com. Att. Frag. ii. p. 289. Cf. also 365 b, infra . while he was drawing water in Thebes, heard a voice issuing from the shrine of Zeus, which bade him proclaim with a loud voice that a mighty and beneficent king, Osiris, had been born; and for this Cronus entrusted to him the child Osiris, which he brought up. It is in his honour that the festival of Pamylia is celebrated, a festival which resembles the phallic processions. On the second of these days Ar ueris was born whom they call Apollo, and some call him also the elder Horus. On the third day Typhon was born, but not in due season or manner, but with a blow he broke through his mother s side and leapt forth. On the fourth day Isis was born in the regions that are ever moist The meaning is doubtful, but Isis as the goddess of vegetation, of the Nile, and of the sea, might very naturally be associated with moisture. ; and on the fifth Nephthys, to whom they give the name of Finality Cf. 366and 375 b, infra . and the name of Aphroditê, and some also the name of Victory. There is also a tradition that Osiris and Arueris were sprung from the Sun, Isis from Hermes, Cf. 352 a, supra . and Typhon and Nephthys from Cronus. For this reason the kings considered the third of the intercalated days as inauspicious, and transacted no business on that day, nor did they give any attention to their bodies until nightfall. They relate, moreover, that Nephthys became the wife of Typhon Cf. 375 b, infra . ; but Isis and Osiris were enamoured of each other Cf. 373 b, infra . and consorted together in the darkness of the womb before their birth. Some say that Arueris came from this union and was called the elder Horus by the Egyptians, but Apollo by the Greeks. 12. Here follows the story related in the briefest possible words with the omission of everything that is merely unprofitable or superfluous: They say that the Sun, when he became aware of Rhea's intercourse with Cronus, invoked a curse upon her that she should not give birth to a child in any month or year; but Hermes, being enamoured of the goddess, consorted with her. Later, playing at draughts with the moon, he won from her the seventieth part of each of her periods of illumination, and from all the winnings he composed five days, and intercalated them as an addition to the three hundred and sixty days. The Egyptians even now call these five days intercalated and celebrate them as the birthdays of the gods. They relate that on the first of these days Osiris was born, and at the hour of his birth a voice issued forth saying, "The Lord of All advances to the light." But some relate that a certain Pamyles, while he was drawing water in Thebes, heard a voice issuing from the shrine of Zeus, which bade him proclaim with a loud voice that a mighty and beneficent king, Osiris, had been born; and for this Cronus entrusted to him the child Osiris, which he brought up. It is in his honour that the festival of Pamylia is celebrated, a festival which resembles the phallic processions. On the second of these days Arueris was born whom they call Apollo, and some call him also the elder Horus. On the third day Typhon was born, but not in due season or manner, but with a blow he broke through his mother's side and leapt forth. On the fourth day Isis was born in the regions that are ever moist; and on the fifth Nephthys, to whom they give the name of Finality and the name of Aphroditê, and some also the name of Victory. There is also a tradition that Osiris and Arueris were sprung from the Sun, Isis from Hermes, and Typhon and Nephthys from Cronus. For this reason the kings considered the third of the intercalated days as inauspicious, and transacted no business on that day, nor did they give any attention to their bodies until nightfall. They relate, moreover, that Nephthys became the wife of Typhon; but Isis and Osiris were enamoured of each other and consorted together in the darkness of the womb before their birth. Some say that Arueris came from this union and was called the elder Horus by the Egyptians, but Apollo by the Greeks. |
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23. Plutarch, Lycurgus, 23.2 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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24. Tacitus, Histories, 5.13 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 5.13. Prodigies had indeed occurred, but to avert them either by victims or by vows is held unlawful by a people which, though prone to superstition, is opposed to all propitiatory rites. Contending hosts were seen meeting in the skies, arms flashed, and suddenly the temple was illumined with fire from the clouds. of a sudden the doors of the shrine opened and a superhuman voice cried: "The gods are departing": at the same moment the mighty stir of their going was heard. Few interpreted these omens as fearful; the majority firmly believed that their ancient priestly writings contained the prophecy that this was the very time when the East should grow strong and that men starting from Judea should possess the world. This mysterious prophecy had in reality pointed to Vespasian and Titus, but the common people, as is the way of human ambition, interpreted these great destinies in their own favour, and could not be turned to the truth even by adversity. We have heard that the total number of the besieged of every age and both sexes was six hundred thousand; there were arms for all who could use them, and the number ready to fight was larger than could have been anticipated from the total population. Both men and women showed the same determination; and if they were to be forced to change their home, they feared life more than death. Such was the city and people against which Titus Caesar now proceeded; since the nature of the ground did not allow him to assault or employ any sudden operations, he decided to use earthworks and mantlets; the legions were assigned to their several tasks, and there was a respite of fighting until they made ready every device for storming a town that the ancients had ever employed or modern ingenuity invented. |
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25. Aelius Aristides, Orations, 40.22 (2nd cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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26. Heliodorus, Ethiopian Story, 2.35 (2nd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)
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27. Pausanias, Description of Greece, 7.22.3 (2nd cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 7.22.3. Coming at eventide, the inquirer of the god, having burnt incense upon the hearth, filled the lamps with oil and lighted them, puts on the altar on the right of the image a local coin, called a “copper,” and asks in the ear of the god the particular question he wishes to put to him. After that he stops his ears and leaves the marketplace. On coming outside he takes his hands from his ears, and whatever utterance he hears he considers oracular. |
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