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of portents, and finally concerning earthquakes and conflagrations and the divination from these, not so as to speak of the natural causes or the theories concerning these things—for let such things be left to philosophers—but if in some way it is possible from these very portents to learn beforehand the outcome of future events, perhaps. For it is possible to learn from the most learned history that many suns and moons have appeared at the same time, this happening from reflection. Therefore, it happens that the so-called mock-disk is observed not above the sun or the moon, but from the side, either when they are rising or setting. And this signifies the uprisings of powerful kings against one another, as it is possible to learn from the attack of Cambyses against the Egyptians, and at the time of Nero's downfall, during which Vespasian, while staying in Judaea, was being raised to the rule of the Romans, while in the west Vitellius, and Galba and Otho from another side, rose up in opposition. And Apuleius, writing about such things, says that three suns were seen under Claudius Caesar, and likewise as many moons under the consuls Gaius Annius and Gnaeus Domitius; by which it was clearly shown that the Gauls and Sarmatians would ravage the Roman territories; and the ................ .............be. And often a fiery star, imitating the shape of a shield, runs across from the east to the west sending out sparks, foretelling an attack of the Parthians. And these things from the primary points, I mean east and west, are thus to be understood; but from the north and south, these things no longer show us barbarian attacks, but more violent outbursts of winds. And if shooting from the north it runs out and makes furrows of fire in the air, it tells of thunderous portents, that a whirlwind and a more violent north wind will arise, but moving from the opposite direction it brings a south wind. For since the winds rise up from the farthest parts of the world and strike the air first, with no body resisting, it is likely that the sparks are set off from these stars. 5 Likewise it is possible to find other stars showing their own effects, sometimes on land, sometimes at sea; for they have often been seen settling upon soldiers' javelins and upon the masts of ships, and in other parts too, sounding a clear hissing and moving from place to place on the ship like birds, as if they would sink it. Whence also they fall upon the drier parts of the ship, from which it is likely the conflagration would be quicker. And those who sail the sea call such a shape or phenomenon Helen. But here too providence shows its works; for two stars immediately rush down from such a motion, which they call Castor and Pollux, who immediately drive the so-called Helen to flight. Let it not be superfluous among you to speak of the histories, how portents have often appeared on the heads of men, as in the case of Ascanius and Servius Tullus the king and Constantine who founded this great city. To all of whom the power of kingship was thereby indicated, yet not a peaceful or quiet one, but full of myriad evils both for those men themselves and for those who would be under them, but rather and more so for those men, inasmuch as the subject populace experiences lesser fortunes than the kings; For Ascanius in Alba his stepmother .............ed, and she innovated concerning the Trojan .......... and the name the.....l..... Tullus so filled the city with wars that the Romans were not able to enjoy the peace established by Numa; But it is not necessary to speak at length about Constantine, since you have in books the memory of the events that happened concerning him. 6 And often a small spark that seemed to fall from the heavens to the earth, then by increase was seen formed into a disk, into a certain circle like the moon; this, which happened recently, of no moderate treasons and

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τερατισμῶν, καὶ τὸ δὴ πέρας περὶ σεισμῶν καὶ ἐμπρησμῶν καὶ τῆς ἐκ τούτων μαντείας, οὐχ ὥστε τὰς φυσικὰς αἰτίας ἢ τὰ περὶ τούτων εἰπεῖν θεωρήματα φιλοσόφοις γὰρ δὴ τὰ περὶ τούτων ἀνείσθω, ἀλλ' εἴ πως οἷόν τέ ἐστιν ἐκ τούτων δὴ τῶν διοσημειῶν τὴν τῶν ἐσομένων ἴσως προμανθάνειν ἀπόβασιν. ἔστι γὰρ ἐκ τῆς πολυμαθεστάτης ἱστορίας λαβεῖν ὡς ἥλιοί τε πλείους κατὰ ταὐτὸν καὶ σελῆναι πεφήνασι, γινομένου ἐξ ἀνακλάσεως τούτου. τοιγαροῦν οὐχ ὑπὲρ τὸν ἥλιον ἢ τὴν σελήνην, ἀλλ' ἐκ πλαγίου τὴν λεγομένην ἀντιδίσκωσιν θεωρεῖσθαι συμβαίνει, ἢ ἀνισχόντων αὐτῶν ἢ δυομένων. βασιλέων δὲ τοῦτο δυνατῶν κατ' ἀλλήλων ἐπαναστάσεις σημαίνει, ὡς ἐκ τῆς Καμβύσου κατ' Αἰγυπτίων ἐφόδου λαβεῖν ἔστι, καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ Νέρωνος καταστροφῇ, καθ' ἣν ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς Ἰουδαίας διάγων Οὐεσπασιανὸς πρὸς τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν ἀνεφέρετο, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἑσπέραν Βιτέλλιος, Γάλβας τε καὶ Ὄθων ἑτέρωθεν ἀντανίσταντο. Ἀπουλήιος δὲ περὶ τῶν τοιούτων γράφων καὶ ὑπὸ Κλαυδίῳ Καίσαρι τρεῖς ἡλίους ὀφθῆναί φησιν, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ σελήνας τοσαύτας ἐπὶ Γαίου Ἀννίου καὶ Γναίου ∆ομιτίου τῶν ὑπάτων· ᾧ ἄντικρυς ἐδηλοῦτο Γάλλους τε καὶ Σαυρομάτας τὰ Ῥωμαίων δῃώσειν· τὸ δὲ ................ .............θῆναι. Πολλάκις δὲ καὶ διάπυρος ἀστήρ, ἀσπίδος ἀπομιμούμενος τύπον, ἐκ τῆς ἑῴας ἐπὶ τὴν δύσιν σπινθῆρας ἐκπέμπων διατρέχει, τῶν Παρθυαίων ἔφοδον μαντευόμενος. καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐκ τῶν πρωτοτύπων κέντρων, ἀνατολὴν λέγω καὶ δύσιν. οὕτως ἔστι λαβεῖν· ἀπὸ δέ γε ἄρκτου καὶ μεσημβρίας, οὐκέτι ἐφόδους βαρβαρικὰς ταῦτα ἡμῖν προδηλοῖ, ἀλλὰ βιαιοτέρας ἀνέμων ἐκρήξεις. καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐξ ἄρκτου διᾴττων ἐκτρέχει αὔλακάς τε πυρὸς ἐπὶ τὸν ἀέρα ποιεῖ, βροντώδεις λέγει διοσημείας, συστροφὴν ἀέρος καὶ βορρᾶν βιαιότερον ἀναστήσεσθαι, ἐκ δὲ τοῦ ἐναντίου φερόμενος νότον ἐπάγει. τῶν γὰρ πνευμάτων ἐκ τῶν ἐσχάτων τοῦ κόσμου μερῶν διανισταμένων καὶ τὸν ἀέρα πρῶτον πληττόντων, μηδενὸς σώματος ἀντιτυποῦντος, εἰκός ἐστι τοὺς ἐκ τῶν ἀστέρων τούτων ἀφορίζεσθαι σπινθῆρας. 5 Ὁμοίως ἔστιν ἑτέρους ἀστέρας εὑρεῖν ποτὲ μὲν ἐν γῇ, ποτὲ δὲ ἐν θαλάττῃ τὰς ἰδίας ἐνεργείας δεικνύντας· ἐπί τε γὰρ στρατιωτικῶν ἀκοντίων πολλάκις ὤφθησαν ἐφιζάνοντες ἐπί τε τῶν ἱστῶν τῶν νεῶν, καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις δὲ μέρεσι, λιγυρόν τι σύριγμα προσηχοῦντες καὶ ὀρνέων δίκην εἰς τόπον ἐκ τόπου τῆς νεὼς μεθιστάμενοι, ὡς ἂν καταδύσωσι ταύτην. ὅθεν καὶ τοῖς ξηροτέροις τῆς νεὼς ἐμπίπτουσι μέρεσιν, ἐξ ὧν συντομωτέραν εἰκὸς γενέσθαι τὴν ἐκπύρωσιν. τὸ δὲ τοιοῦτον σχῆμα ἤτοι κατάστημα οἱ τὴν θάλατταν πλέοντες Ἑλένην καλοῦσιν. ἀλλὰ κἀνταῦθα τὰ ἐξ αὑτῆς ἡ πρόνοια δείκνυσι· δύο γὰρ ἀστέρες εὐθὺς κατασκήπτουσι τῆς τοιαύτης φορᾶς, οὓς Κάστορα καὶ Πολυδεύκην καλοῦσιν, οἳ παραχρῆμα πρὸς φυγὴν τὴν λεγομένην Ἑλένην ἐλαύνουσι. Τὰ δὲ τῶν ἱστοριῶν μὴ καὶ περιττὸν ἐν ὑμῖν ᾖ λέγειν, ὡς ἐπὶ κεφαλῆς πολλάκις ἀνθρώπων διοσημεῖαι γεγόνασιν, ἐπί τε τῆς Ἀσκανίου καὶ Σερβίου Τύλλου τοῦ ῥηγὸς καὶ Κωνσταντίνου τοῦ τὴν μεγάλην ταύτην συστησαμένου πόλιν. οἷς ἅπασι τὸ μὲν τῆς βασιλείας ἐντεῦθεν κατεμηνύετο κράτος, οὐ μὴν εἰρηνικὸν οὐδὲ ἥσυχον, ἀλλὰ μυρίων γέμον κακῶν αὐτοῖς τε ἐκείνοις καὶ τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοὺς ἐσομένοις, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πλέον ἐκείνοις, ὅσῳ καὶ ἐλάττοσι τύχαις παρὰ τοὺς βασιλεύοντας τὸ ὑπήκοον χρῆται· Ἀσκάνιος μὲν γὰρ ἐν Ἄλβῃ τὴν μητρυιὰν .............σεν, ἡ δὲ ἐκαινοτόμησε περὶ τὸ Τρωικὸν .......... καὶ τὴν προσηγορίαν δὲ ὁ.....λ..... Τύλλος οὕτω πολέμων τὴν πόλιν ἐπλήρωσεν ὥστε μὴ δυνηθῆναι τῆς ὑπὸ Νουμᾶ κατασταθείσης εἰρήνης Ῥωμαίους ἀπολαῦσαι· περὶ δὲ Κωνσταντίνου μακρηγορεῖν οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον, ἐν βιβλίοις τὴν μνήμην τῶν περὶ αὐτὸν συμβεβηκότων ἐχόντων ὑμῶν. 6 Πολλάκις δὲ καὶ σπινθὴρ βραχὺς ἐκ μετεώρων καταφέρεσθαι δόξας ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, εἶτα ἐξ ἐπιδόσεως εἰς κύκλον τινὰ σελήνης ὅμοιον ὤφθη δισκωθείς· τοῦτο, ὅπερ ἔναγχος γέγονεν, οὐ μετρίων προδοσιῶν τε καὶ