Book 2, Chapter 37
Original Latin
78 Quid est aliud nolle moneri a Iove nisi efficere, ut aut ne fieri possit auspicium aut, si fiat, videri?
Nam illud admodum ridiculum, quod negas Deiotarum auspiciorum, quae sibi ad Pompeium proficiscenti facta sint, paenitere, quod fidem secutus amicitiamque populi Romani functus sit officio; antiquiorem enim sibi fuisse laudem et gloriam quam regnum et possessiones suas. Credo equidem, sed hoc nihil ad auspicia; nec enim ei cornix canere potuit recte eum facere, quod populi Romani libertatem defendere pararet; ipse hoc sentiebat, sicuti sensit.
79 Aves eventus significant aut adversos aut secundos; virtutis auspiciis video esse usum Deiotarum, quae vetat spectare fortunam, dum praestetur fides. Aves vero <si> prosperos eventus ostenderunt, certe fefellerunt. Fugit e proelio cum Pompeio; grave tempus! Discessit ab eo; luctuosa res! Caesarem eodem tempore hostem et hospitem vidit; quid hoc tristius? Is cum ei Trocmorum tetrarchian eripuisset et adseculae suo Pergameno nescio cui dedisset eidemque detraxisset Armeniam a senatu datam, cumque ab eo magnificentissumo hospitio acceptus esset, spoliatum reliquit et hospitem et regem. Sed labor longius; ad propositum revertar. Si eventa quaerimus, quae exquiruntur avibus, nullo modo prospera Deiotaro; sin officia, a virtute ipsius, non ab auspiciis petita sunt.
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.
78 “What does refusing Jupiter’s warning amount to, except arranging either that an auspice cannot occur or that, if it does, it cannot be seen?
“Then there is your utterly ridiculous claim that Deiotarus feels no regret for the auspices he received when he was setting out to join Pompey, because he followed his allegiance and friendship with the Roman people and did his duty: honor and glory, he said, came before his kingdom and possessions. I readily believe it; but it has nothing to do with auspices. A crow could not have sung to him that he was acting rightly in preparing to defend the liberty of the Roman people. That was his own conviction, as indeed it proved to be.
79 “Birds signify favorable or unfavorable outcomes. Deiotarus, I see, took his auspices from virtue, which forbids us to look to fortune so long as we remain faithful. But if the birds promised favorable outcomes, they certainly deceived him. He fled the battlefield with Pompey: a bitter hour! He parted from him: a sorrowful business! He saw Caesar as enemy and guest at once: what could be more painful? Caesar stripped him of the tetrarchy of the Trocmi and gave it to some Pergamene hanger-on of his, and took from him as well the Armenia the senate had granted him. After receiving the most magnificent hospitality at his hands, Caesar left his host, a king, despoiled. But I am straying too far; let me return to the point. If we ask about outcomes, which is what we consult birds for, Deiotarus’s were in no way favorable; if we ask about duties, he learned them from his own virtue, not from auspices.
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.
78 “What does refusing a warning from Jupiter mean, except making sure that an auspice either cannot occur or, if it does, cannot be seen?
“You say something quite laughable about Deiotarus. He does not regret the auspices he received when setting out to join Pompey, you say. He did his duty by staying loyal to his friendship with the Roman people. Praise and glory mattered more to him than his kingdom and property. I certainly believe that. That has no bearing on auspices: no crow's call could have told him that he was right to prepare to defend the Roman people's freedom. That was his own judgment, and it was right.
79 “Birds indicate outcomes, either bad or good. I see that Deiotarus followed the auspices of courage and goodness. These tell us not to look at our luck, as long as we keep our word. But if the birds showed him a good outcome, they certainly lied. He fled the battlefield with Pompey—a terrible time! He left Pompey—a painful parting! He saw Caesar as both his enemy and his guest. What could be sadder? Caesar took away his rule as tetrarch over the Trocmi and gave it to some follower of his from Pergamum. He also stripped him of the Armenia the senate had given him. Though Deiotarus had entertained him with the greatest generosity, Caesar left the man who was both his host and a king robbed of his possessions. But I am straying too far. Let me get back to my subject. Judged by results, which are what we seek from birds, Deiotarus did not fare well at all. If we ask about duties, he learned those from his own goodness, not from auspices.
About this section
Book 2, Chapter 37 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 95 of 130 in the work, which is kept in the Roman tradition.
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