Book 1, Chapter 15

25 “It may sometimes be mistaken, but most often it points toward the truth. For it reaches back through all eternity, in which the same events followed the same preceding signs almost countless times; an art arose from repeatedly observing and recording the same conjunctions.

“And how dependable your auspices are! Though nowadays—with your leave I say it—the Roman augurs know nothing of them, the Cilicians, Pamphylians, Pisidians, and Lycians preserve their knowledge.

26 “Need I mention our guest-friend King Deiotarus, a man of the highest distinction and integrity, who never does anything without taking the auspices? Once, warned by an eagle’s flight, he turned back from a journey he had planned and settled on. The room where he would have stayed, had he continued, collapsed the following night.

27 “And so, as he himself told me, he has very often turned back after already traveling a distance of many days. What is most admirable is that, even after Caesar deprived him of his tetrarchy, his kingdom, and his money, he says he does not regret the auspices that favored his departure to join Pompey. His arms, he says, defended the authority of the Senate, the freedom of the Roman people, and the dignity of their empire. Those birds had advised him well: on their counsel he had followed duty and kept faith, for glory had mattered more to him than his possessions. He, I think, truly practices augury. Our magistrates, by contrast, use forced auspices. When a piece of food is thrown down and a chicken feeds, a morsel must fall from its beak;

25 “This kind of divination may sometimes be mistaken, but it still points to the truth very often. It reaches back through all past time. During that time, the same events followed the same signs on almost countless occasions. A skill was built up by repeatedly noticing and recording the same things.

“And how reliable your auspices are! With your permission, I will say that Roman augurs no longer understand them. The Cilicians, Pamphylians, Pisidians, and Lycians do.

26 “Need I mention our friend and host, King Deiotarus, a very distinguished and excellent man? He never does anything without taking the auspices. He once abandoned a journey he had planned and firmly decided on, turning back because of a warning from an eagle's flight. The room he would have stayed in if he had gone on collapsed the very next night.

27 “He told me himself that he had very often turned back from journeys after already traveling for many days. This is especially admirable about him. Caesar punished him by taking away his tetrarchy, kingdom, and money. Even so, he has no regrets, he says, about the favorable auspices he received before setting out to join Pompey. He had used his troops to defend the senate's authority and the Roman people's freedom, as well as the dignity of their empire. The birds on whose advice he had followed duty and loyalty had served him well. His honor mattered more to him than his possessions. I would call his way of reading signs true augury. Our magistrates make their auspices happen by force. Give a chicken a lump of food: as it eats, a piece has to fall out of its beak;