Book 2, Chapter 33
Original Latin
70 Satis multa de ostentis; auspicia restant et sortes eae, quae ducuntur, non illae, quae vaticinatione funduntur, quae oracla verius dicimus; de quibus tum dicemus, cum ad naturalem divinationem venerimus. Restat etiam de Chaldaeis; sed primum auspicia videamus. Difficilis auguri locus ad contra dicendum. Marso fortasse, sed Romano facillumus. Non enim sumus ii nos augures, qui avium reliquorumve signorum observatione futura dicamus. Et tamen credo Romulum, qui urbem auspicato condidit, habuisse opinionem esse in providendis rebus augurandi scientiam (errabat enim multis in rebus antiquitas), quam vel usu iam vel doctrina vel vetustate immutatam videmus; retinetur autem et ad opinionem vulgi et ad magnas utilitates rei publicae mos, religio, disciplina, ius augurium, collegii auctoritas.
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.
70 “Enough about portents. Auspices remain, and those lots that are drawn—not the pronouncements poured forth in prophecy, which we more properly call oracles. We shall discuss those when we reach natural divination. The Chaldeans also remain; but first let us examine auspices. A difficult subject for an augur to argue against! For a Marsian augur, perhaps, but for a Roman a very easy one. We Roman augurs are not men who predict the future by observing birds and other signs. Still, I believe that Romulus, who founded the city under auspices, thought augury offered knowledge for foreseeing events. Antiquity was mistaken in many things. That belief, we see, has now been changed by experience, learning, or the passage of time. Yet custom, religious observance, discipline, augural law, and the authority of our college are maintained both out of regard for popular opinion and for the great advantages they bring the republic.
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.
70 “Enough about portents. We still have auspices and the drawing of lots to discuss—not the responses poured out in prophecy, which we more properly call oracles. I will discuss those when we come to natural divination. The Chaldeans remain too. First, though, consider auspices. How can an augur easily speak against those? Perhaps for a Marsian augur, but very easy for a Roman one. We Roman augurs are not people who predict the future by watching birds and other signs. Still, I believe Romulus, who founded the city after taking the auspices, thought augury included knowledge of the future. Ancient people were mistaken about many things. We see that this belief has now changed through experience, learning, or the passage of time. But the custom, religious practice, teaching, and law of augury, and the authority of the college, are kept both out of regard for popular opinion and because they are very useful to the state.
About this section
Book 2, Chapter 33 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 91 of 130 in the work, which is kept in the Roman tradition.
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