John the Lydian, On Omens

at this time a thunderbolt should be cast down upon a temple, it threatens public damage to places; but nevertheless it is necessary for the overseers of such temples to perform rites in order to avert the threatened things. And if a thunderbolt should be cast down upon a private or royal house, it signifies shameless misfortunes to the owners. 49 Sun in Gemini. During this rising, if a thunderbolt should be cast down on a fruit-bearing tree, it will harm the farmers and the fruit-bearing trees, and not least the rivers and springs; and it will infect the water so as to destroy every age group. And if upon the sea, it threatens an attack of enemies; and the great part will be destroyed either by disease or will be handed over to enemies, so that very few are left behind. And if while the south wind is blowing a thunderbolt should be cast down on a public place, it threatens complete destruction to men; and two certain men will rise up against the kingdom, so that the council is divided against itself; and a little later each of them will be destroyed, and many will be in danger on account of them. And if at this time a thunderbolt should fall upon a wall, it signifies the same things; for there will be wars, but not fortunate for the enemies. And it is necessary to note from which region of the air the flame falls out; for in that one there is need of guard and security; for indeed from it there will be an attack of enemies. Sun in Cancer. If during the rising of Cancer a thunderbolt should be cast down on a forest, the heat of the season will be more moderate, and there will be a lack of water. And if it should be cast down on the sea, the region will be disturbed by enemy fleets and naval battles, but it will not persist for long, and affairs will be better, and the enemies will be defeated, and their fleet will be sunk. And if the fire should be cast down on a public place, crawling beasts will trouble the cattle, and not least the men; and the harm from them will be more violent, being heated by the heavy condition of the air. And if it should be cast down on a wall, it signifies conflagrations; and a war will be set in motion, not fortunate for affairs. And if the wall should be completely destroyed by the thunderbolt, conflagrations against the necessary parts of the city must be expected, and these will happen by deceits and plots, and a not insignificant war will follow, and harm will come to the places. 50 Sun in Leo. At this time if a thunderbolt should be cast down upon any kind of place or part or river or sea, it signifies destruction to the kings and to those in power; and there is no distinction concerning this. And reasonably common misfortunes will spring up for the public; for it is likely they will share danger with the kings. And there will be no victor among those fighting, but a universal destruction both of those in power and not least of those who stand up for them in the battles. And indeed the most cruel thing of all, the properties of the many will also be destroyed, and the cities will be burned with fire. Sun in Virgo. And with the sun going into Virgo if a thunderbolt should be cast down, it threatens destruction of chaste women, and a fall for both the queen herself and for her children. And there will be a reduction of the peoples, and the vine will fail; and for the virgins and women there will be misfortunes such as even to be captured by enemies. Sun in Libra. And if the sun should be in Libra, if it happens that a thunderbolt is cast down, all injustice and greed and love of power will overcome affairs, so that acts of hubris are brought even against divine things themselves. And the good men of the state will be cast off by the kings. And things given out by measure or weight will not be just. And more burdensome than all will be the diligence concerning public taxes, and the laws will be despised, and the people will be disturbed out of irrationality, and in every way the wrath of God will also be shown. 51 Sun in Scorpio. And when it is in Scorpio, if concerning

καιρὸν τοῦτον ἐπὶ ἱερὸν ὁ κεραυνὸς κατενεχθείη, χωρίων δημοσίας ζημίας ἀπειλεῖ· δεῖ δὲ ὅμως τοὺς ἐφόρους τῶν τοιούτων ἱερῶν θεραπεύειν εἰς τὸ ἀποστρέψαι τὰ ἀπειλούμενα. εἰ δὲ κατ' ἰδιωτικῆς ἢ βασιλικῆς οἰκίας κατενεχθείη κεραυνός, συμφορὰς ἀναισίους παραδηλοῖ τοῖς κεκτημένοις. 49 Ἥλιος ἐν διδύμοις. κατὰ τὴν ἐπιτολὴν ταύτην εἰ κεραυνὸς ἐπὶ δένδρου καρπίμου κατενεχθείη, βλάψει τοὺς γεωργικοὺς καὶ τὰ καρποφόρα δένδρα, οὐχ ἥκιστα δὲ ποταμοὺς καὶ πηγάς· λοιμώξει δὲ τὸ ὕδωρ ὡς πᾶσαν καταφθεῖραι ἡλικίαν. εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ θαλάσσης, πολεμίων ἔφοδον ἀπειλεῖ· τὸ δὲ πολὺ μέρος ἢ νόσῳ φθαρήσεται ἢ πολεμίοις παραδοθήσεται, ὡς σφόδρα μετρίους ἀπολειφθῆναι. εἰ δὲ νότου πνέοντος κατὰ δημοσίου χωρίου κατενεχθείη κεραυνός, παντελῆ φθορὰν ἀνθρώποις ἀπειλεῖ· δύο δέ τινες κατὰ τῆς βασιλείας ἐπαναστήσονται, ὡς μερισθῆναι τὴν βουλὴν καθ' ἑαυτήν· μικρὸν δὲ ὕστερον ἑκάτερος αὐτῶν ἀποφθαρήσεται, πολλοὶ δὲ χάριν ἐκείνων κινδυνεύσουσιν. εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ τείχους κατὰ τόδε καιροῦ σκηπτὸς ἐκπέσῃ, τὰ αὐτὰ σημαίνει· πόλεμοι γὰρ ἔσονται, ἀλλ' οὐκ εὐτυχεῖς τοῖς πολεμίοις. ἐπισημήνασθαι δὲ χρεὼν ἐκ ποίου κλίματος τοῦ ἀέρος ἐκπίπτοι ἡ φλόξ· ἐπ' ἐκείνου γὰρ φυλακῆς καὶ ἀσφαλείας δέον· καὶ γὰρ ἐξ αὐτοῦ πολεμίων ἔφοδος ἔσται. Ἥλιος ἐν καρκίνῳ. εἰ κατὰ τὴν ἐπιτολὴν τοῦ καρκίνου κεραυνὸς ἐπὶ ὕλην κατενεχθείη, μετριώτερον ἔσται τὸ καυσῶδες τοῦ καιροῦ, λειψυδρία δὲ ἔσται. εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ θαλάσσης κατενεχθείη, στόλοις πολεμίων καὶ ναυμαχίαις ταραχθήσεται τὸ κλίμα, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπι μενεῖ χρόνῳ, ἔσται δὲ κρείττονα τὰ πράγματα, καὶ οἱ πολέμιοι ἡττηθήσονται, καὶ ὁ στόλος αὐτῶν καταβυθισθήσεται. εἰ δὲ κατὰ δημοσίου τόπου κατενεχθείη τὸ πῦρ, θηρία ἑρπετὰ τοῖς κτήνεσιν ἐνοχλήσουσι, καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα ἀνθρώποις· βιαιοτέρα δὲ ἔσται ἡ ἐξ αὐτῶν βλάβη τῷ τοῦ ἀέρος βαρεῖ καταστήματι θερμαινομένη. εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ τείχους κατενεχθείη, ἐμπρησμοὺς σημαίνει· καὶ πόλεμος δὲ κινηθήσεται οὐκ εὐτυχὴς τοῖς πράγμασιν. εἰ δὲ παντελῶς καταφθαρείη τῷ σκηπτῷ τὸ τεῖχος, ἐμπρησμοὺς κατὰ τῶν ἀναγκαίων τῆς πόλεως μερῶν προσδοκητέον, δόλοις δὲ οὗτοι καὶ ἐπιβουλαῖς γενήσονται, ἕψεται δὲ καὶ πόλεμος οὐ μικρός, καὶ βλάβη γενήσεται τοῖς τόποις. 50 Ἥλιος ἐν λέοντι. κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν καιρὸν εἰ κατενεχθείη κεραυνὸς καθ' οἵου δήποτε τόπου ἢ μέρους ἢ ποταμοῦ ἢ θαλάσσης, ὄλεθρον τοῖς βασιλεῦσι καὶ τοῖς ἐν δυναστείαις σημαίνει· καὶ οὐκ ἔστι τις διαφορὰ περὶ τούτου. εἰκότως τε κοιναὶ συμφοραὶ τοῖς δημοσίοις βλαστήσουσι· συγκινδυνεύσειν γὰρ εἰκὸς αὐτοὺς τοῖς βασιλεῦσι. καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ νικῶν ἐν τοῖς μαχομένοις, ἀλλὰ καθολικὴ φθορὰ αὐτῶν τε τῶν ἐν δυνάμει καὶ οὐχ ἥκιστα τῶν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐνισταμένων ταῖς μάχαις. καὶ τὸ δὴ πάντων σχετλιώτερον, καταφθαρήσονται καὶ αἱ περιουσίαι τῶν πολλῶν, καὶ αἱ πόλεις πυρίφλεκτοι ἔσονται. Ἥλιος ἐν παρθένῳ. ἡλίου δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν παρθένον ἰόντος εἰ κατενεχθείη κεραυνός, φθορὰν γυναικῶν ἀπειλεῖ σωφρόνων, πτῶσιν δὲ καὶ αὐτῇ τῇ βασιλίδι καὶ τοῖς αὐτῆς τέκνοις. ἐλάττωσις δὲ ἔσται τῶν δήμων, ἀποτεύξεται δὲ καὶ ἡ ἄμπελος· ταῖς δὲ παρθένοις καὶ γυναιξὶ γενήσονται συμφοραὶ ὡς καὶ ὑπὸ πολεμίων ἁλῶναι. Ἥλιος ἐν ζυγῷ. ἐὰν δὲ ἐν ζυγῷ ὁ ἥλιος γένηται, εἰ συμβῇ κεραυνὸν καταβληθῆναι, πᾶσα ἀδικία καὶ ἀπληστία καὶ φιλαρχία κατακρατήσει τῶν πραγμάτων, ὡς καὶ περὶ τὰ θεῖα αὐτὰ τὰ τῆς ὕβρεως ἀνενεχθῆναι. ἀπορριφήσονται δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν βασιλέων οἱ χρηστοὶ τοῦ πολιτεύματος. τὰ δὲ μέτρῳ ἢ σταθμῷ ἀποδιδόμενα οὐχ ἕξει τὸ δίκαιον. πάντων δὲ βαρυτέρα ἔσται ἡ περὶ τὰ δημόσια τελέσματα σπουδή, οἵ τε νόμοι καταφρονηθήσονται, καὶ οἱ δῆμοι ἐξ ἀλογίας ταραχθήσονται, καὶ ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου καὶ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ δειχθήσεται ὀργή. 51 Ἥλιος ἐν σκορπίῳ. ὅταν δὲ ἐν σκορπίῳ γένηται, εἰ κατὰ