Book 1, Chapter 53
Original Latin
120 Eademque efficit in avibus divina mens, ut tum huc, tum illuc volent alites, tum in hac, tum in illa parte se occultent, tum a dextra, tum a sinistra parte canant oscines. Nam si animal omne, ut vult, ita utitur motu sui corporis, prono, obliquo, supino, membraque, quocumque vult, flectit, contorquet, porrigit, contrahit eaque ante efficit paene, quam cogitat, quanto id deo est facilius, cuius numini parent omnia!
121 Idemque mittit et signa nobis eius generis, qualia permulta historia tradidit, quale scriptum illud videmus: si luna paulo ante solis ortum defecisset in signo Leonis, fore ut [armis] Dareus et Persae ab Alexandro et Macedonibus proelio vincerentur Dareusque moreretur, et, si puella nata biceps esset, seditionem in populo fore, corruptelam et adulterium domi, et, si mulier leonem peperisse visa esset, fore ut ab exteris gentibus vinceretur ea res publica, in qua id contigisset. Eiusdem generis etiam illud est, quod scribit Herodotus, Croesi filium, cum esset infans, locutum; quo ostento regnum patris et domum funditus concidisse. Caput arsisse Servio Tullio dormienti quae historia non prodidit? Ut igitur, qui se tradidit quieti praeparato animo cum bonis cogitationibus, tum rebus ad tranquillitatem adcommodatis, certa et vera cernit in somnis, sic castus animus purusque vigilantis et ad astrorum et ad avium reliquorumque signorum et ad extorum veritatem est paratior.
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.
120 “The same divine mind causes birds to do the same: birds whose flight gives omens fly now this way, now that, or hide themselves now in one quarter, now in another, while birds whose calls give omens sing now on the right, now on the left. For every animal moves its body as it wishes—face down, sideways, or face up—and bends, twists, extends, and draws in its limbs wherever it wishes, doing these things almost before it thinks. How much easier, then, for a god, whose will all things obey!
121 “He also sends us signs of the kind history has handed down in such abundance. For instance, we find it written that if the moon were eclipsed in the sign of Leo shortly before sunrise, Darius and the Persians would be defeated in battle by Alexander and the Macedonians, and Darius would die; that if a girl were born with two heads, there would be sedition among the people, corruption and adultery in the home; and that if a woman were seen to have given birth to a lion, the state in which it happened would be conquered by foreign nations. The same kind of sign appears in Herodotus' account of Croesus' son, who had been unable to speak, speaking: the portent foretold the utter collapse of his father's kingdom and household. What history has failed to relate that the head of Servius Tullius blazed as he slept? Just as someone who goes to rest with his mind prepared by good thoughts and his circumstances arranged for tranquility sees certain and truthful things in dreams, so a chaste and pure soul when awake is better prepared to perceive the truth in stars, birds, other signs, and entrails.
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.
120 “The same divine mind acts on birds. It makes birds whose flight gives signs fly now here, now there, or hide on one side or another. It makes birds whose calls give signs sing now on the right, now on the left. Every animal moves its body as it wishes—bending forward, sideways, or backward. It bends, twists, stretches, and draws in its limbs wherever it wants, doing so almost before it thinks. How much easier this is for a god, whose will everything obeys!
121 “The god also sends signs of the kind recorded so often in history. For example, we find this prediction written down: if a lunar eclipse occurred in Leo just before sunrise, Alexander and the Macedonians would defeat Darius and the Persians in battle; Darius himself would die. The birth of a two-headed girl would mean civil unrest, with corruption and adultery within the home. If a woman were seen to give birth to a lion, the state where this happened would be defeated by foreign nations. Another case of the same kind is Herodotus' account of Croesus' son, previously unable to speak, finding his voice. This omen meant utter ruin for his father's kingdom and household. Does any history leave out the story of Servius Tullius' head burning as he slept? Someone who goes to sleep with a prepared mind—with good thoughts and with circumstances suited to peace of mind—sees reliable and true things in dreams. In the same way, an innocent, pure mind is better prepared when awake to recognize the truth conveyed by stars, birds, other signs, and entrails.
About this section
Book 1, Chapter 53 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 53 of 130 in the work, which is kept in the Roman tradition.
Open the work page for the full contents, every edition, and the download links, or go back to Explore to browse other complete works in the Roman tradition. The reader keeps your place when you are signed in and lets you compare the original with each translation, one edition at a time.