Book 1, Chapter 10
Original Latin
16 Ne hoc quidem quaero, cur haec arbor una ter floreat aut cur arandi maturitatem ad signum floris accommodet; hoc sum contentus, quod, etiamsi, cur quidque fiat, ignorem, quid fiat, intellego. Pro omni igitur divinatione idem, quod pro rebus iis, quas commemoravi, respondebo. Quid scammoneae radix ad purgandum, quid aristolochia ad morsus serpentium possit, quae nomen ex inventore repperit, rem ipsam inventor ex somnio, video, quod satis est; cur possit, nescio. Sic ventorum et imbrium signa, quae dixi, rationem quam habeant, non satis perspicio; vim et eventum agnosco, scio, adprobo. Similiter, quid fissum in extis, quid fibra valeat, accipio; quae causa sit, nescio. Atque horum quidem plena vita est; extis enim omnes fere utuntur. Quid? de fulgurum vi dubitare num possumus? Nonne cum multa alia mirabilia, tum illud in primis: Cum Summanus in fastigio Iovis optumi maxumi, qui tum erat fictilis, e caelo ictus esset nec usquam eius simulacri caput inveniretur, haruspices in Tiberim id depulsum esse dixerunt, idque inventum est eo loco, qui est ab haruspicibus demonstratus.
Musean translation
Complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Latin in separate source-only tasks and reviewed throughout against it. Both books, all 130 chapters and 282 numbered sections; no historical English translation used. Latin transcription credited to the Perseus Project under CC BY-SA 4.0, Müller’s 1915 Teubner edition.
16 “Here too I do not ask why this tree alone flowers three times, or why it makes the right season for plowing coincide with the sign of its blossom. I am content that, even if I do not know why each thing happens, I understand what happens. I will therefore make the same answer for divination as a whole that I made for the things I have mentioned. I see the power of scammony root to purge, and of aristolochia against snakebites—a plant that took its name from its discoverer, while the discoverer learned its virtue from a dream. Seeing that is enough; I do not know why they have that power. In the same way, I do not fully grasp the explanation of the signs of wind and rain I described; I recognize, know, and accept their force and outcome. Likewise I accept the significance of a cleft or a lobe in the entrails; its cause I do not know. Life is full of such practices: nearly everyone consults entrails. And can we doubt the significance of lightning? Among its many marvels, is this not outstanding? When the statue of Summanus, then made of clay, was struck from heaven on the pediment of the temple of Jupiter Best and Greatest, and its head could nowhere be found, the haruspices declared that it had been hurled into the Tiber. It was found in the very place they indicated.
Plain English translation
Complete machine-assisted Plain English translation, made independently and directly from the Latin, never from the Musean edition. Both books and every numbered section; a separate Latin-source model review covered the entire text. No human specialist review is claimed.
16 “Why this tree alone blooms three times, and why it uses its flowers to mark the right plowing season, are questions I leave aside too. It is enough for me to know what happens, even if I do not know why each thing happens. So I will give the same answer in defense of every kind of divination as I gave about the things I have mentioned. I see what scammony root can do as a purgative, and what aristolochia, or birthwort, can do for snakebites. The latter got its name from its discoverer, who discovered the remedy itself through a dream. Seeing what they do is enough. I do not know why they can do it. Likewise, I do not fully understand the reason for the signs of wind and rain I mentioned. But I recognize, know, and accept their power and their results. In the same way, I accept what a cleft in a sacrificial organ or a lobe of the liver means. I do not know the cause. Life is full of such things. Almost everyone uses sacrificial organs for divination. And can we doubt the power of lightning? Among many other amazing cases, isn't this one especially striking? When the terracotta statue of Summanus on the roof of the temple of Jupiter Best and Greatest was struck from the sky, its head could not be found anywhere. The haruspices said it had been knocked into the Tiber. It was found at the very place they pointed out.
About this section
Book 1, Chapter 10 is part of On Divination by Marcus Tullius Cicero. This page sets the Latin original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is chapter 10 of 130 in the work, which is kept in the Roman tradition.
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