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The dissemination of divination in roman republican times

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12 year old hermaphrodite discovered Umbria<br />

*Obs.3 has temple <strong>of</strong> Jupiter <strong>in</strong>stead<br />

183 Liv.39.46.5, Obs.4<br />

Ra<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> blood for two days (Area Vulcani) Roma<br />

Liv.39.56.6, Obs.4, Oros.4.20.30<br />

Ra<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> blood for two days (Area Concordia) Roma<br />

Island appeared Sicilia<br />

Note: the ra<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> blood <strong>in</strong> Liv.39.56.6 is not counted as a separate prodigy because it must be<br />

the same as the one <strong>in</strong> Liv.39.46.5: the Area Vulcani and Area Concordia are the same<br />

(Platner & Ashby 1929: 248f). Furthermore the parallel passage <strong>in</strong> Obsequens has only one<br />

ra<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> blood for two days.<br />

182 Liv.40.2.1-4,<br />

Storm Roma<br />

Mule born with three legs Reate<br />

Temple <strong>of</strong> Apollo struck by lightn<strong>in</strong>g Formiae<br />

181 Liv.40.19. 1-5, Obs.6<br />

Ra<strong>in</strong> <strong>of</strong> blood (Area Vulcani) Roma<br />

<strong>The</strong> lances had moved by themselves<br />

<strong>The</strong> statue <strong>of</strong> Juno Sospita cried Lanuvium<br />

Plague<br />

Note: It is doubtful whether the plague is a prodigy, but there is no compell<strong>in</strong>g reason to<br />

exclude it.<br />

Obs.6.<br />

6 months <strong>of</strong> drought<br />

180 Liv.40.37.1-3<br />

<strong>The</strong> praetor and consul died/plague Roma<br />

Note: It is a very atypical prodigy. It seems more like a case where a ritual fault has been<br />

committed. This is supported by the fact that the pontifex maximus <strong>in</strong>vestigates the pontifical<br />

records to f<strong>in</strong>d the right piacula. This form <strong>of</strong> ritual is usually performed as a response to a<br />

ritual fault. <strong>The</strong> deaths are however explicitly described as be<strong>in</strong>g taken as a prodigy:<br />

Postremo prodigii loco ea clades haberi coepta est (Liv.40.37.1) “F<strong>in</strong>ally the disaster came<br />

251

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