Book 1, Chapter 19

36 “And the much-ridiculed birth of a mule’s foal: because offspring had appeared in a creature barren by nature, did not the haruspices pronounce it a portent of an unbelievable birth of evils? And Tiberius Gracchus, son of Publius, twice consul and also censor, a foremost augur as well as a wise man and an outstanding citizen: did he not, as his son Gaius Gracchus left on record, summon the haruspices when two snakes were caught in his house? They replied that, if he released the male, his wife must shortly die, and if he released the female, he himself must die. He judged it fairer that he, with his years behind him, should meet death rather than the youthful daughter of Publius Africanus. He released the female and died a few days later. Let us laugh at the haruspices, call them worthless and empty-headed, and despise men whose discipline has been vindicated by a supremely wise man and by the outcome and facts themselves! Let us condemn Babylon too, and those who watch the signs of heaven from the Caucasus, tracing the stars’ courses through their calculations and measurements. Let us condemn them, I say, as foolish, fraudulent, or shameless—men who preserve in their records, by their own account, four hundred seventy thousand years! Let us decide they are lying, with no fear of the judgment future ages will pass on them.

37 “Very well: foreigners are worthless cheats. Has Greek history lied as well? To turn to natural divination, who does not know the responses Apollo at Delphi gave to Croesus, to the Athenians, Spartans, Tegeans, Argives, and Corinthians? Chrysippus collected countless oracles, none without a trustworthy authority and witness. Since you know them, I pass them over. This one point I maintain: the oracle at Delphi would never have become so renowned and illustrious, nor been filled with such rich gifts from all peoples and kings, had not every age experienced the truth of its responses. ‘But it has long since ceased to do so.’

38 “Then just as it is less honored now because its responses are less strikingly true, it would not have enjoyed such great honor then without the highest truthfulness. The power in the earth that stirred the Pythia’s mind with divine inspiration may have faded with time, just as we see some rivers vanish and dry up, or twist and turn into a different course. But let the explanation be what you will—the question is a large one—provided this remains, which we cannot deny without overturning all history: for many centuries that oracle spoke the truth.

36 “What about this birth by a mule, which people laugh at? Because an animal naturally unable to breed had produced a young one, didn't the haruspices predict an unbelievable crop of evils? And what about Tiberius Gracchus, the son of Publius, who was twice consul and also censor, an eminent augur, a wise man, and an outstanding citizen? His son Gaius Gracchus wrote that, when two snakes were caught in his house, he called in the haruspices. They replied that if he let the male go, his wife would soon die; if he let the female go, he would die himself. He thought it fairer that he should meet death in his mature years than that the young daughter of Publius Africanus should die. He let the female go and died himself a few days later. Let's laugh at the haruspices and call them empty-headed frauds! Let's despise men whose methods were supported both by a very wise man and by the actual outcome! Let's also condemn Babylon and the people who watch the signs in the sky from the Caucasus and follow the paths of the stars by calculation and measurement. Let's condemn them, I say, for stupidity, falsehood, or shamelessness. They say they have records covering four hundred seventy thousand years. Let's judge that they are lying and have no fear of what all future generations will think of them!

37 “Very well: foreigners are foolish and dishonest. But has Greek history lied too? To speak now of natural divination, who does not know the answers Apollo at Delphi gave to Croesus, the Athenians, the Spartans, the Tegeans, the Argives, and the Corinthians? Chrysippus collected countless oracles, each backed by a substantial authority and witness. I will leave them aside because you know them. I defend just this one point. The oracle at Delphi would never have been so famous and renowned, or filled with such great gifts from every people and king, unless every age had experienced the truth of its answers. ‘It has not done that for a long time now.’

38 “Well, just as it is less famous now because its answers are less outstandingly true, so it would not have been so famous then without the highest degree of truth. The power in the earth that stirred the Pythia's mind with divine inspiration may have faded with age. We see that some rivers have disappeared and dried up, or twisted and turned into another course. But let that have happened however you like. It is a large question. Just let this stand: that oracle spoke the truth for many centuries. We cannot deny it without overturning all history.