Book 1, Chapter 33

72 “But those forms of divination that are explained by interpretation, or have been observed and recorded through their outcomes, are called, as I said above, not natural but artificial. Among their practitioners are haruspices, augurs, and interpreters of signs. The Peripatetics reject these arts; the Stoics defend them. Some are established in records and systematic teaching, as the Etruscan books on haruspicy, lightning, and ritual show, along with your own books on augury. Other signs are interpreted on the spur of the moment: Homer has Calchas predict the number of years of the Trojan War from the number of sparrows. Again, we read in Sulla's history of something you witnessed. As he was sacrificing before his headquarters in the territory of Nola, a snake suddenly emerged from the foot of the altar. Gaius Postumius the haruspex begged him to lead his army out on an expedition. Sulla did so, and captured the Samnites' powerfully equipped camp outside the town of Nola.

73 “A sign was also interpreted in the case of Dionysius, shortly before he began to reign. Traveling through the territory of Leontini, he led his horse down into a river himself; the horse sank in the whirlpools and did not surface. Despite tremendous efforts he could not drag it out, and went away in distress, as Philistus relates. But when he had gone some distance, he suddenly heard a neigh. He looked back and was delighted to see his horse, full of life, with a swarm of bees settled in its mane. This portent meant that Dionysius would begin to reign a few days later, as he did.

72 “But the kinds of divination explained by interpretation, or observed and recorded from their results, are called artificial rather than natural, as I said above. This category covers the haruspex's work, augury, and the interpretation of signs. The Stoics support it; the Peripatetics do not. Some depend on records and systematic teaching. The Etruscan books on inspecting entrails, on lightning, and on rituals show this, as do your own books on augury. Others involve an interpretation made on the spot. For example, Homer's Calchas used the sparrow count to predict how many years the war at Troy would last. There is also an incident recorded in Sulla's history which happened while you were watching. While he was sacrificing in the territory of Nola, in front of his headquarters, a snake suddenly came out from the bottom of the altar. The haruspex Gaius Postumius begged Sulla to take the army on campaign. Following this advice, Sulla captured the heavily manned Samnite camp outside the town of Nola.

73 “An interpretation was also made in the case of Dionysius, shortly before he became ruler. On a journey across Leontini's territory, he himself took his horse down into the river. The horse sank in the swirling water and did not come up. Despite his greatest efforts he could not pull it out. He went away distressed, as Philistus tells us. Some way farther on, a sudden neigh reached him. Turning around, he joyfully found the horse lively again; bees had gathered in a swarm on its mane. The sign meant that Dionysius would become ruler a few days later, as he did.