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those lingering in citadels or forts to be out of harm's way; and there will be great death, and especially in Egypt. But when, rising, it looks towards the west, it foretells thunderbolts for the land, and a fall for the cattle, and there will be severe conflagrations. 15t This star is of Jupiter, and it is so notable that from it all other portentous stars are called comets. And when this one darts its bright and silver-like tresses towards the east, with Jupiter being in Cancer or Scorpio or Pisces, it foretells great good things for the Persians. For they will rise up and, pouring out upon the Roman domains, they will take both cities and forts, and having taken an infinite multitude of captives and much wealth, they will withdraw as victors to their own land, with no one daring to engage with them at all. But when this comet rises averted, it brings failures upon those from whom it turns away. And if it should look towards the south, the Nile will rise more abundantly, and there will be peace and a good year in Egypt, and for all, concord and sincere tranquility. But if, turning away and having the east at its back, it looks toward the west, there will be infinite prosperity for the Romans; for they will vanquish the Persians, and the king of the Persians himself will be slain; and there will be an abundance of all good things together for the Roman state; and abundant spectacles and lavish gifts and more zealous horse-races will be held for the entertainment of the populace, and to speak simply, there will be a universal cheerfulness in affairs. But if it should look toward the north, leaving the south at its back, those from Europe will overrun Libya by the law of war, and not least those from the northeast against the southwest. But upon the southerners toward the east and Egypt, the soldiers stationed for the aid and guarding of the borders will bring the worst things. The one called the discus-thrower, as has been said on p. 31, 11, was so named from its shape, so that being circular it is not clear toward which part of the cosmos it seems to look. But rising, it foretells common evils for all; and it is not dedicated to any of the planets, but comes into being from the reflection of the sun. It threatens, therefore, universal disturbances and wars from the north and the destruction of great persons and the success of the base and ignoble, and it brings danger even to the first fortunes themselves. And the Roman armies will be diminished everywhere, so as to come near to complete destruction. THE COMET TYPHON This one comes into being from the reflection of the air; and it is sickle-shaped, slow, smoky, grim. And wherever it may look, there will be universal evils, both foreign and grievous civil wars, and popular seditions and a lack of necessities. And glorious leaders will be slain in wars, and especially if it should appear for three or four days. But if it should appear for longer, it threatens the destruction and overthrow of everything, and an end to the evils nowhere. And very many from the Roman army will perish in war, and both encampments and forts belonging to the Romans will be taken; and the people, rising in sedition, will attack the rulers themselves. And there will be plague, and no one praying will be heard; and fitting successions of rulers will come about from the folly of those in power. And especially violent and murderous conflagrations reducing whole cities to ashes will occur. And the terrors will be universal and irresistible everywhere, but worse for those in the west. For a powerful war from the east will fall upon them, and with those moving from the east being of two minds, the greater part of the army will be destroyed; and seditions will arise in the armies and against each other the

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τοῖς ἄκροις ἢ φρουρίοις διατρίβοντας ἔξω τῆς βλάβης γενέσθαι· θάνατός τε πολὺς ἔσται, καὶ μάλιστα ἐπὶ τῆς Αἰγύπτου. ὅταν δὲ ἀνίσχων πρὸς δυσμὰς ὁρᾷ, κεραυνοὺς μὲν τῇ χώρᾳ, πτῶσιν δὲ τοῖς βοσκήμασι μαντεύεται, ἐμπρησμοί τε ἔσονται βαρεῖς. 15t Οὗτος ὁ ἀστὴρ ∆ιὸς μέν ἐστιν, οὕτω δέ ἐστιν ἐπίσημος, ὡς ἐξ αὐτοῦ πάντας τοὺς ἄλλους διοσημειακοὺς ἀστέρας κομήτας προσαγορεύεσθαι. οὗτος δὲ ἡνίκα λαμπροὺς καὶ ἀργυροειδεῖς τοὺς πλοκάμους ἐπὶ τὴν ἀνατολὴν ἀκοντίσῃ, ∆ιὸς ἐν καρκίνῳ ἢ σκορπίῳ ἢ ἰχθύσιν ὄντος, Πέρσαις ἀγαθὰ μεγάλα μαντεύεται. ἀναστήσονται γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ Ῥωμαίων ἐκχυθέντες πόλεις τε καὶ φρούρια καθέξουσιν, αἰχμαλώτων τε ἄπειρον πλῆθος καὶ πλοῦτον πολὺν λαβόντες νικηταὶ εἰς τὴν ἑαυτῶν χώραν ἀναζεύξουσι, μηδὲ συμβαλεῖν ὅλως τινὸς θαρροῦντος αὐτοῖς. ὅταν δὲ ἀποστρόφως ἀνίσχῃ ὁ κομήτης οὗτος, τοῖς καθ' ὧν ἀποστρέφεται, τὰς ἀστοχίας ἐπιφέρει. εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν νότον ἴδοι, ἐπιδώσει ὁ Νεῖλος ἀφθονώτερον, εἰρήνη τε καὶ εὐετηρία ἔσται ἐπὶ τῆς Αἰγύπτου, ὁμόνοιά τε καὶ εἰλικρινὴς τοῖς πᾶσιν ἡσυχία. εἰ δὲ ἀποστρεφόμενος καὶ κατὰ νῶτα ἔχων τὴν ἀνατολὴν ἐπὶ τὴν δύσιν ὁρᾷ, ἄπειρος ἔσται τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις εὐδαιμονία· Πέρσας τε γὰρ καταπολεμήσουσι καὶ αὐτοῦ ἀναιρουμένου τοῦ Περσῶν βασιλέως· πάντων τε ὁμοῦ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀφθονία τῇ Ῥωμαίων πολιτείᾳ ἔσται· θέαι τε ἄφθονοι καὶ δωρεαὶ φιλότιμοι καὶ ἱππικοὶ ἀγῶνες σπουδαιότεροι μετὰ ψυχαγωγίας τοῦ πλήθους ἐπιτελεσθήσονται καὶ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν τοῖς πράγμασι καθολικὴ ἔσται ἱλαρία. εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἄρκτον ἴδοι κατὰ νῶτα τὸν νότον ἀφείς, καταδραμοῦνται Λιβύην οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς Εὐρώπης νόμῳ πολέμου καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα οἱ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνατολικοῦ βορείου κατὰ τῶν δυτικῶν νοτίων. τοῖς δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀνατολὴν καὶ Αἴγυπτον νοτίοις οἱ πρὸς βοήθειαν καὶ φυλακὴν τῶν ὅρων ἐνιδρύμενοι στρατιῶται τὰ χείριστα ἐπάξουσιν. ὁ λεγόμενος δισκεὺς, ὡς εἴρηται ̣p. 31, 11 ̣, ἀπὸ τοῦ σχήματος οὕτω προσηγορεύθη, ὥστε κυκλοτερὴς ὢν οὐκ ἔστι δῆλος ἐπὶ ποῖον μέρος τοῦ κόσμου δοκεῖ ἀφορᾶν. ἀνίσχων δὲ κοινὰ πᾶσι μαντεύεται κακά· καὶ οὐδενὶ τῶν πλανητῶν ἀνάκειται, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀνταυγείας τοῦ ἡλίου γίνεται. ἀπειλεῖ τοίνυν θορύβους καθολικοὺς καὶ πολέμους ἀπὸ τῆς ἄρκτου καὶ μεγάλων προσώπων ἀπώλειαν καὶ εὐτελῶν καὶ ἀγενῶν εὐπραγίαν, κίνδυνον δὲ καὶ αὐταῖς ταῖς πρώταις τύχαις ἐπάγει. ἐλαττωθήσεται δὲ πανταχοῦ τὰ Ῥωμαίων στρατεύματα, ὡς ἐγγὺς παντελοῦς ἀπωλείας ἐλθεῖν. ΚΟΜΗΤΗΣ ΤΥΦΩΝ οὗτος γίνεται μὲν ἐξ ἀντανακλάσεως τοῦ ἀέρος· ἔστι δὲ δρεπανοειδής, ἀργός, καπνώδης, στυγνός. ὅπου δ' ἂν βλέπῃ, καθολικὰ ἔσται κακὰ, πόλεμοί τε ἐξωτικοὶ καὶ ἐμφύλιοι βαρεῖς καὶ στάσεις δημοτικαὶ καὶ ἔνδεια τῶν ἀναγκαίων. ἀναιρεθήσονται δὲ καὶ ἡγεμόνες ἔνδοξοι ἐν πολέμοις καὶ μάλιστα εἰ ἐπὶ τρεῖς ἢ τέσσαρας ἡμέρας φαίνοιτο. Εἰ δὲ πλέον φανῇ, τοῦ παντὸς ἀπώλειαν καὶ ἀνατροπὴν ἀπειλεῖ καὶ πέρας τῶν κακῶν οὐδαμοῦ. ἀπολοῦνται δὲ πλεῖστοι ἐκ τοῦ Ῥωμαϊκοῦ στρατεύματος ἐν πολέμῳ, ληφθήσονται δὲ καὶ παρεμβολαὶ καὶ φρούρια Ῥωμαίοις προσήκοντα· καὶ αὐτοῖς δὲ τοῖς ἄρχουσι στασιάζων ὁ δῆμος ἐπελεύσεται. καὶ λοιμὸς ἔσται καὶ οὐδεὶς εὐχόμενος ἀκουσθήσεται· καὶ διαδοχαὶ κατάλληλοι τῶν ἀρχόντων ἐξ ἀβελτηρίας τῶν κρατούντων ἔσονται. ἔμπρησμοι δὲ διαφερόντως κάρτα βίαιοι καὶ φονικοὶ ὅλας πόλεις ἀποτεφροῦντες συμβήσονται. καὶ καθολικὰ μὲν ἔσται καὶ ἀνυπόστατα πανταχοῦ τὰ δεινά, τοῖς δὲ δυτικοῖς χείρονα. πόλεμος γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐκ τῆς ἀνατολῆς δυνατὸς ἐπιπεσεῖται, διχονοούντων δὲ τῶν κινουμένων ἐκ τῆς ἀνατολῆς τὸ πλεῖστον τῆς στρατιᾶς ἀποφθαρήσεται· καὶ στάσεις ἐγερθήσονται τοῖς στρατεύμασι καὶ ἀλλήλοις τὰς