Book 1, Chapter 17

30 “Ateius’ announcement, then, did not manufacture the cause of the disaster; by bringing a sign to Crassus’ notice, it warned him what would happen unless he took care. Either that announcement meant nothing, or, if it meant something as Appius judges, its meaning was to fasten the guilt not on the man who gave the warning but on the man who refused to obey.

“And your lituus, the most celebrated emblem of the augurate—where did it come from? Surely it was the instrument with which Romulus marked out the regions of the sky when he founded the city. That very staff of Romulus, a little rod curved and slightly bent at the tip, named from its likeness to the trumpet called a lituus, was kept in the meeting hall of the Salii on the Palatine. When the hall burned down, it was found unharmed.

31 “And many years after Romulus, in the reign of Tarquinius Priscus, what ancient writer fails to tell of Attus Navius’ division of the sky into regions with his staff? As a boy, poverty had made him a swineherd. One of his pigs went missing, and he is said to have vowed that, if he found it, he would offer the god the largest bunch of grapes in the vineyard. When the pig was found, he stood, we are told, in the middle of the vineyard facing south and divided it into four parts. The birds rejected three. He then divided the remaining fourth part into regions and discovered, as the record tells us, a bunch of grapes of marvelous size. When this became known, all his neighbors brought their affairs to him for consultation, and he won great fame and honor.

32 “This led King Priscus to summon him. To test his knowledge of augury, the king said he had something in mind, and asked whether it could be done. Attus took the augury and replied that it could. Tarquinius then said he had been thinking that a whetstone could be cut through with a razor. Attus told him to try it. A whetstone was brought into the assembly place and cut through with a razor before the eyes of king and people. From then on, Tarquinius employed Attus Navius as his augur, and the people consulted him about their own affairs.

33 “We are told that the whetstone and razor were buried in the assembly place, and a wellhead set above them. Let us deny everything, burn the annals, call these stories inventions—anything, in short, rather than admit that the gods concern themselves with human affairs! But what of the account of Tiberius Gracchus in your own writings? Does it not confirm the discipline of both augurs and haruspices? He held the assembly to elect consuls after unknowingly pitching his augural tent in violation of the ritual: he had crossed the sacred city boundary without taking the auspices. The story is well known, and you yourself have put it on record. Tiberius Gracchus, himself an augur, confirmed the authority of the auspices by admitting his error; and great authority accrued to the discipline of the haruspices, who were brought before the Senate just after the elections and declared that the man who had presided over them was not ritually qualified to do so.

30 “So Ateius' announcement did not create a cause of disaster. The sign it presented told Crassus what to expect if he failed to take precautions. Either the announcement was powerless, or, if it had force as Appius thinks, its force places the fault on the man who disobeyed, not the man who gave the warning.

“And where did you get that curved staff of yours, the most famous badge of the augur's office? At the founding of the city, Romulus used it to divide the sky into regions, did he not? Romulus' staff was a small stick, curved and slightly bent at the top. It took its name, lituus, from its resemblance to the trumpet of that name. The Salii had it in their council hall on the Palatine; after fire destroyed the hall, people found the staff intact.

31 “What ancient author fails to describe how Attus Navius used his staff to divide up regions long after Romulus, while Tarquinius Priscus was king? As a boy he was poor and kept pigs. He is said to have lost one and vowed that, if he recovered it, his gift to the god would be whichever bunch of grapes was biggest in the vineyard. After finding the pig, he is said to have stood in the middle of the vineyard facing south. He divided the vineyard into four parts. The birds ruled out three of them. He divided the remaining fourth into regions and, as we read in the record, found a bunch of grapes of amazing size. When this became known, all his neighbors consulted him about their affairs, and he became very famous and highly respected.

32 “As a result, King Priscus sent for him. The king tested his knowledge of augury by asking if an idea he had in mind was possible. After taking the auspices, Attus said yes. Tarquinius explained that his idea was to slice a whetstone in two with a razor. Attus told him to try it. So a whetstone was brought to the assembly ground and cut in two with a razor, while the king and people watched. After that, Attus Navius served as augur to Tarquinius, while people brought their own concerns to him for advice.

33 “The account says they buried the whetstone together with the razor in the assembly ground and covered the spot with a wellhead. Let's deny everything! Let's burn the records and say these things are inventions! Anything at all, rather than admit that the gods care about human affairs! But doesn't the story you yourself recorded about Tiberius Gracchus support the methods of both augurs and haruspices? He unknowingly chose a site for his augural tent incorrectly, because he had crossed the city's sacred boundary without taking the auspices. He then held the assembly to elect consuls. The story is well known, and you yourself put it on record. Gracchus was himself an augur, and by admitting his mistake he confirmed the authority of the auspices. The methods of the haruspices also gained great authority. Brought before the senate just after the election, they declared that the man who had presided over it had not been properly qualified.