Book 1, Chapter 42
Original Latin
93 Ac mihi quidem videntur e locis quoque ipsis, qui a quibusque incolebantur, divinationum oportunitates esse ductae. Etenim Aegyptii et Babylonii in camporum patentium aequoribus habitantes, cum ex terra nihil emineret, quod contemplationi caeli officere posset, omnem curam in siderum cognitione posuerunt, Etrusci autem, quod religione inbuti studiosius et crebrius hostias immolabant, extorum cognitioni se maxume dediderunt, quodque propter aëris crassitudinem de caelo apud eos multa fiebant, et quod ob eandem causam multa invisitata partim e caelo, alia ex terra oriebantur, quaedam etiam ex hominum pecudumve conceptu et satu, ostentorum exercitatissimi interpretes exstiterunt. Quorum quidem vim, ut tu soles dicere, verba ipsa prudenter a maioribus posita declarant. Quia enim ostendunt, portendunt, monstrant, praedicunt, ostenta, portenta, monstra, prodigia dicuntur.
94 Arabes autem et Phryges et Cilices, quod pastu pecudum maxume utuntur campos et montes hieme et aestate peragrantes, propterea facilius cantus avium et volatus notaverunt; eademque et Pisidiae causa fuit et huic nostrae Umbriae. Tum Caria tota praecipueque Telmesses, quos ante dixi, quod agros uberrumos maximeque fertiles incolunt, in quibus multa propter fecunditatem fingi gignique possunt, in ostentis animadvertendis diligentes fuerunt.
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.
93 “Indeed, I think opportunities for divination also arose from the very places each people inhabited. The Egyptians and Babylonians lived on broad, level plains, where nothing rose from the earth to obstruct their contemplation of the heavens, and so devoted all their attention to knowledge of the stars. The Etruscans, steeped in religion, sacrificed victims more zealously and more often, and thus applied themselves above all to understanding the entrails. And because the density of their atmosphere brought many events from the sky, and for the same reason many strange things arose—some from the sky, others from the earth, and still others in the conception and birth of humans and livestock—they became highly practiced interpreters of portents. As you often say, the very words our ancestors wisely chose reveal the force of these signs: ostenta, portenta, monstra, and prodigia are so called because they display, foreshadow, show, and foretell.
94 “The Arabs, Phrygians, and Cilicians, however, live chiefly by tending livestock, roaming plains and mountains in winter and summer, and therefore more readily observed the calls and flights of birds. The same explanation applies to Pisidia and to our own Umbria. Then all Caria, and especially the people of Telmessus whom I mentioned before, were diligent observers of portents, because they inhabited exceptionally rich and fertile lands, whose fertility could shape and bring forth many unusual things.
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.
93 “I think the places where people lived also gave them their opportunities for divination. The Egyptians and Babylonians lived on broad, level plains. Nothing rose above the ground to obstruct their view of the sky, so they devoted all their attention to understanding the stars. The Etruscans were deeply religious and sacrificed animals more eagerly and more often. So they concentrated on understanding entrails. Their thick atmosphere also brought them many occurrences of lightning. For the same reason, many unusual things appeared, some from the sky, others from the earth, and some through the conception and birth of people or livestock. So they became highly experienced interpreters of strange signs. Our ancestors' carefully chosen names tell us what these signs mean—you often make that point. They are called ostenta, portenta, monstra, and prodigia because they display, foreshadow, point out, and predict.
94 “The Arabs, Phrygians, and Cilicians live mainly by grazing livestock. As they roam the plains and mountains in winter and summer, they have found it easier to observe birds' calls and flights. This explains Pisidia's practice too, and that of our own Umbria. As for Caria, people there have carefully studied unusual signs; the inhabitants of Telmessus I mentioned earlier have been especially attentive. They live on very rich and fertile land, whose productivity allows many unusual forms to develop and be born.
About this section
Book 1, Chapter 42 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 42 of 130 in the work, which is kept in the Roman tradition.
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