THE SIBYLLINE BOOKS

RECONSTRUCTED THROUGH ancient near eastern TABLETS OF OMEN and egyptian sacred scriptures

The day to receive the Book of Orders. Life and death proceed from it : the Magic Book was incorporated in that day. This hidden book triumphs over enchantments, connects ligatures, prepares ties, destroys the lock. Life and death proceed from it. Come not beneath its influence. If any one falls in its power, he dies (as if killed by blows) forthwith. Go not cry far, for life and death are in it; the Scribe of . . .has made it in his name for the Treasure. This book is that which is therein. Those that dwell there are the Sun's Librarians. Make a crown of divine flowers round the neck of this god, take the shape of an eagle's wing; he makes a lock or tress of sheep's wool to go round this god's neck, lifting up of his hand the high place of the god he worships. Sacrifices he offers. The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. He makes this body protected, he watches over the King in his palace. The god is hidden in the divine mystery. By the hair of a cow, passing yesterday, carrying to day the blood of the mystic eye, the skin of the head of a urns serpent, the eye of a dwarf, Lord of the waters, rejoicing, raising and lowering the gate of heaven soul of souls, creation of creation, only one created in the South and in the North, very hidden in his members, hidden in his greatness, who lives by thy life. O ye wicked ones, the flames of Amun-Ra are in his members, they cannot be extinguished at all, ever devouring your bones. His shape is hidden, his type is hidden his name is unknown, he repels the children emanating from him he gives the flame to you, ye are consumed. A circle of a green herb, a drop of well-water. The following objects must be placed therein : the heart of a jackal, the nostril of a pig, the urine of an ape. This is followed by a plate of beaten gold wherein an eagle's wing is to be figured. A crocodile carrying a feather on its head, sitting on a particular shaped wheel ; inside the wheel is animus serpent ; a legend relative to a crocodile calls it The turner of destruction crocodile, that which nurtured by impurity, the great truth, burning its enemies by the entire revolution of the hole. 1 The burning brasier 2 The great fire-basin 3 Prepared by him who affrights 4 The overthrown; he that is headless 5 The place of death, 6 The place of life: 7 The great rock Throwing fire against the god of chaos and his companions 1 The fire coming from the mouth against the wicked ones (name of first ape) 2 The Mistress of flame burning the accusers (name of second ape) 3 Living off the blood of the overthrown (name of third ape) 4 Mistress of death who lives by seizing (name of fourth ape). 5 The one is made for the throat band.of him who hides his name. 6 The other is made for the throat band of the SUN 7 Another is made for the throat band of the god of destiny 1 Mistress of place of punishment, or mistress of fire, by which she prevails (name of first serpent). 2 Very terrible in battle (name of second serpent). Mistress of tears 3 Who lives off them (name of third serpent). 4 She whose sparks subdue (name of fourth serpent). They are the words of the books or chapters, to overthrow enemies. 5 The Book to place Enemies in the Fire, the one to Drive away the Foe 6 That to Destroy Enemies

The four brasiers are: 1 The mistress of theft living by it 2 She whose figure is red against the profane 3 The groaning figure 4 Living off the living. These are the titles of the four books : 1 The Old Book 2 The Book to Destroy Men 3 The Great Book 4 The Book to be as God. Very hidden, very reserved Chapter to Open the Gate of this House: I have opened heaven I have opened earth I enter. O ye Western and Eastern doors let me enter ; I am the wind pashing by you. Chapter to Open the Place of the Chapel of Seat of the tutelary deity: I am the seat of the tutelary deity, hidden in the hidden, concealed in the concealed, shut up in the shut up, unknown I am knowledge. I am the lion of the ape, I am the hidden in flame, which never ceases, heaven is closed, the waters are shut up ; where waters are terrible flame is quiet. I am the daily hidden genius who hides himself beneath life, burning in his hole, protected by the talisman which masters every foreigner, country South, North, West, East, who oppose dead or living ones subject to this god.

Dolphin with four feet and a tail ending in a serpent's head: San-iiu Hut-ur; " Plunger of the Sea," 1 The plunger of the Sea. 2 A jar of sand. 3 Divine incense. 4 Incense of Air and Rain. 5 A jar of wine for Amen-Ra. 6 Nile water mixed with a jar of wine. First Formula: In the place where one makes the image of the god of the dead, who dwells in the West, flowers of the sea water 4 jars ; 4 jars of sand or sea weed; 2 jars of essence of cedar oil; 2 jars of liquid shot, put in a mystic pot of earthenware firm in his hands, and 10 urai serpents shaped like the white crown on the head. Do not consider the work unknown. One grain of incense, one smoke or fumigation, 2 jars of bitumen, 2 wax candles, 2 jars of foam of (tas). Thou hast done all he has done, he will make the breath return, he embalms the work, he is unknown.

Second Formula: 2 grains of incense, 2 fumigations, 2 jars of cedar oil, 2 jars of tas, " jars of wine, 2 jars of liquid shot. At the place of thy heart, they embalm strongly. Thou art protected (against accidents) of life ; thou art protected against a violent death ; thou art protected against fire, thou escapest in heaven, and thou art not ruined on earth. He has been saved from (death) and has not been consumed by the gods.

1 The month of the second Elul. The first day. (The feast) of Anu and Bel. A festival." 2 When during the month the moon is seen, the Prince of many nations 3 (as) his offering a gazelle without blemish to the Moon 4 (shall offer) His offering 5 to the Sun the Lady of the world (and) to the Moon the mighty god he makes. 6 Sacrifices he offers. Raising his hand the high place of the god he wor.ships. 7 The 2nd day. (The feast) of the goddesses.' A festival. The King his altar 8 to the Sun, the Lady of the world (and) the Moon the mighty god makes. 9 Sacrifices he offers. l0 Raising his hand at the high place of the god he makes a present. 11 The 3rd day. A feast of Zeus (and) Hera. A festival. 12 In the night in the presence of Zeus and Aphrodite. 13 the King his offering makes. 14 Sacrifices he offers. 15 Raising his hand the high place of the god he worships. 16 The 4th day. A day of invocation to Apollo (and Artemis), a festival. 17 In the night in the presence of Apollo and Artemis. 18 the King his offering makes. 19 Sacrifices he offers. The lifting up of his hand (in) the high place of the god he presents. 20 The 5th day. (Dedicated) to Bel of the temple and Beltis of the temple. A festival. 21 In the night in the presence of Assur (and) Beltis 22 the King his offering makes. 23 Sacrifices he offers. (With) the lifting up of his hand the high place of the god he worships. 24 The 6th day. (Dedicated) to Rimmon - the god of thunder (and) Beltis. A festival. 25 The King (his) business does not perform. 26 In the night before the East wind to Rimmon the King his offering makes. 27 Sacrifices he offers. The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 28 The 7th day. A feast of Zeus and Hera. A festival. 29 A sabbath." The Prince' of many nations 30 the flesh of birds (and) cooked fruit eats not. 31 The garments of his body he changes not. White robes he puts not on. 32 Sacrifice he offers not. The King (in) his chariot rides not. 33 In royal fashion he legislates not. A place of garrison the General by word of mouth appoints not. 34 Medicine for his sickness of body he applies not. 35 To make a sacred spot it is suitable. 36 In the night in the presence of Zeus and Aphrodite 37 the King his offering makes. Sacrifices he offers. 38 Raising his hand the high place of the god he worships. 39 The 9th day. Day of invocation to Apollo. A festival. 40 In the night the Prince of many nations 41 his hand for the sacrifice of a sheep makes propitious.

42 To Apollo and Artemis the King his offering makes. 43 Sacrifices he offers. The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 44 The 9th day. (Dedicated) to Adar (and) Gula. A festival. 45 In the night in the presence of Adar (and) Gula the King his offering makes. 46 Sacrifices he offers. The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 47 The l0th day. (Dedicated) to Beltis of the temple and Davan. A festival. 48 In the night in the presence of the Milky-way and the star (called) the Son of the Moon 49 the King his offering makes. 50 Sacrifices he offers. 51 (With) the lifting up of his hand the high place of the god he worships. 1 The 11th day. The truce-day of Artemis and Hera. A festival. 2 When the moon shall lift up a halo of pale light 3 (and) the moon shall fail, the King in the night his offering to the Moon makes. 4 Sacrifices he offers. The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 5 The 12th day. Day of gifts to Bel (and) Beltis. A festival. 6 The King his offering to Bel and Beltis makes. 7 Sacrifices he offers. The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 8 The 13th day. (Dedicated) to the Moon, the mighty god. A festival. 9 (When) the moon a crown of pale light towards the country lifts up, 10 (on) that day firmly the King his offering 11 to the Sun the Lady of the world (and) to the Moon the mighty god, makes. 12 Sacrifices he offers. The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 13 The 14th day. (Dedicated) to Beltis (and) Ares. A festival. 14 A sabbath. The Prince of great nations 15 The flesh oi birds (and) cooked fruit eats not. 16 The garments of his body he changes not. White robes he wears not. 17 A sacrifice he offers not. The King his chariot drives not. 18 In royal fashion he does not legislate. A place of garrison the General by word of mouth appoints not. 19 Medicine to the sickness of his body he applies not. 20 To make a sacred spot it is suitable. In the night the King his offering to Beltis 21 (and) Ares makes. Sacrifices he offers. 22 The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 23 The 15th day. (Dedicated) to the Lady of the temple of Anu. The anniversary of the Moon the mighty god. 24 A festival. The King his offering to the Sun the Mistress of the world 25 (and) to the Moon the mighty god makes. Sacrifices he offers. 26 The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 27 The 16th day. The feast of Zeus and Hera. A festival. 28 The King his business does not perform. In the night in the presence of Zeus 29 (and) Aphrodite the King his offering makes. 30 Sacrifices he offers. The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 31 The 17th day. A day of invocation to Apollo and Artemis. A festival. 32 In the night in the presence of Apollo and Artemis 33 the King his offering makes. Sacrifices he offers. 34 The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 35 The 18th day. The jubilee of the Moon and the Sun. a festival. The King his offering 36 to the Sun the divine Mistress of the world (and) to the

Moon the mighty god 37 makes. Sacrifices he offers. 38 The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 39 The 19th day. The white (day) of Gula.' A festival. 40 A sabbath. The Prince of many nations 41 a mess of flesh-meat eats not. 42 The garments of his body he changes not. White robes he wears not. 43 A sacrifice he does not offer. The King a chariot drives not. 44 In royal fashion he does not legislate. A place of garrison the General 45 (by word of) mouth does not appoint. Medicine for the sickness of his body he does not apply. 46 To make a sacred spot it is suitable. The King his offering to Adar and Gula 47 makes. Sacrifices he offers. 48 The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 49 The 20th day. A day of light (and) gift-making to the Moon and Sun. A festival. 50 The King to the Sun, the divine Mistress of the world (and) to the Moon 51 the mighty god his offering makes. Sacrifices he offers. 52 The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 1 The 21 St day. The anniversary of the Moon and Sun. A festival. 2 A sabbath. The Prince of many nations 3 the flesh of birds (and) cooked fruit eats not. 4 The garments of his body he changes not. White robes he wears not. 5 A sacrifice he offers not. The King a chariot drives not. 6 In royal fashion he legislates not. A place of garrison the General (by word of) mouth appoints not. 7 Medicine for the sickness of his body he applies not. 8 To make a sacred spot it is suitable. At dawn the King his offering 9 to the Sun the divine Mistress of the world (and) to the Moon the mighty god 10 makes. A sacrifice he offers. 11 The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 12 The 22nd day. The anniversary of (the Moon and) Sun. The jubilee of the Lady of the temple. A festival. 13 The King his offering to the Sun the divine Mistress of the world (and to the Moon the mighty god) makes. 14 Sacrifices he offers. The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 15 The 23rd day. The jubilee of the Sun and of the Air-god. A festival. 16 The King his offering to the Sun and Rimmon makes. 17 A sacrifice he offers. The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 18 The 24th day. The jubilee of the Lord of the temple and of the Lady of the temple. A festival. 19 The King his offering to the Lord of the temple and the Lady of the temple 20 makes. A sacrifice he offers. 21 The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 22 The 25th day. The holiday of Bel (and) Beltis of Babylon. A festival. 23 In the night to Bel in the presence of the Star of the Foundation (and) to Beltis of Babylon 24 in the presence of the Milky-way the King his offering makes. 25 A sacrifice he offers. The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 26 The 26th day. The thanksgiving-day of Hea, the mighty god. 27 A festival. The King in the night his offering 28 to Hea the mighty god makes. A sacrifice he offers.

29 The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 30 The 27th day. The day-of-action of Ares. The jubilee of Zicum. A festival. 31 The King his offering to Nergal (and) Zicum makes. 32 A sacrifice he offers. (With) the lifting up of his hand the high place of the god he worships. 33 The 28th day. (Dedicated) to Hea. The rest-day of Ares. a festival. 34 A sabbath. The Prince of many nations 35 the flesh of birds (and) cooked fruit eats not. 36 The garments of his body he does not change. 37 White robes he does not wear. 38 A sacrifice he does not offer. The King a chariot does not drive. 39 In royal fashion he does not legislate. 40 A place of garrison the General (by word of) mouth does not appoint. 41 Medicine to the sickness of his body he does not apply. 42 To make a sacred spot it is suitable. 43 To Hea the mighty god (his offering the King) makes. 44 Sacrifices he offers. The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 45 The 29th day. The rest-day of the Moon. 46 The day (when) the spirits of heaven (and) the spirits of earth are invoked. 47 A festival. The King his offering to the Moon the mighty god makes. 48 Sacrifices he offers. The lifting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 1 The 30th day. (Dedicated) to Anu (and) Bel. A festival. 2 The King his offering to Anu and Bel makes. 3 Sacrifices he offers. The hfting up of his hand (at) the high place of the god he presents. 4 The month of the second Elul from the 1st day to the 30th day. 5 The King, if (for) his god or his goddess 6 or his gods the ruined rites he restores, that King has a divine colossus (as) a god 7 In the month of the second Elul the King of the country builds the edifice of a god's temple, 8 if he makes an altar 9 his heart is not good. 10 In the month of the second Elul the King a fortress restores. 11 The month Tisri (is dedicated) to the Sun-god, the warrior of the world 12 Sacrifices are burnt to Bel on the first day (which is dedicated) to Anu and Bel. 13 {Colophon.) The 8th tablet (beginning) "The Moon, the Lord of the month." 14 Country of Assur-bani-pal, the King of multitudes. King of Assyria. The month Nisan (dedicated) to Anu and Bel. The month lyyar (dedicated) to Hea the Lord of mankind. The month Sivan (dedicated) to the Moon-god, the eldest son of Bel. The month Tammuz (dedicated) to the warrior Adar. The month Ab (dedicated) to (Allat) the Mistress of the wood of the right hand. The month Elul (dedicated) to Istar, the Lady (of battle). The month Tisri (dedicated) to the Sun-god, the Warrior of the world. The month Marchesvan (dedicated) to the Lord, the Prince of the gods, Merodach. The month Chisleu (dedicated) to the Mighty hero Nergal. The month Tebet (dedicated) to Pap-succal, the Messenger of Anu and Istar. The month Sebat (dedicated) to Rimmon the Minister of heaven and earth. The month Adar (dedicated) to the Seven Great Gods. The month Ve-Adar (dedicated) to Assur the Father of the gods.

TABLE OF OMENS FURNISHED BY DOGS 1 (If a blue dog enters into a palace, that palace) is burned. 2 (If ) a yellow dog enters into the palace, exit from that palace will be baleful. 3 (If ) a spotted dog enters into the palace, that palace its peace to the enemy gives. 4 (If) a dog to the palace goes and no one kills, that palace its peace fails. 5 (If ) a dog to the palace goes and on a bed lies down, that palace none with his hand takes. 6 (If) a dog to the palace goes and on a throne lies down, that palace is burned. 7 (If ) a dog to the palace goes and on the royal parasol lies down, that palace its peace to the enemy gives. 8 (If ) a dog into a temple enters, the gods to the country grant no favour. 9 (If ) a white dog into a temple enters, the foundation of that temple (is) not stable. 10 (If ) a black dog into a temple enters, the foundation of that temple (is) not stable. 11 (If ) a blue dog into a temple enters, that temple sees plenty. 12 (If) a yellow dog into a temple enters, that temple sees plenty. 13 (If ) a spotted dog into a temple enters, that temple do its gods love. 14 (If) dogs crouch and into a temple enter, none this (temple) with his hand takes. 15 Seventeen statements altogether concerning the knowledge of omens. 16 (If) female dogs in the gates howl, the handmaids' conceive female seed. 17 (If) female dogs one litter bear, destruction to the city. 18 (If) female dogs bear a man, 3 that city makes many fortresses 19 (If female dogs) eat . . . . , that city sees famine.

TABLE OF BIRTH-PORTENTS

1 When a woman bears a child and it has the ears of a lion, a strong King is in the country. 2 When a woman bears a child and its right ear is wanting, the days of the Prince are long. 3 When a woman bears a child and both its ears are wanting, a (hostile) fortress is in the country and the country is made small. 4 When a woman bears a child and its right ear is small, the man's house is destroyed. 5 When a woman bears a child and its ears are small, the man's house is made of bricks. 6 When a woman bears a child and its right ear hangs down, an androgyne in the man's house is born. 7 When a woman bears a child and its ears hang down, its country is destroyed ; the prosperity of the enemy is seen. 8 When a woman bears a child and its right ear is round, an androgyne in the man's house is born. 9 When a woman bears a child and it right ear is formed in the lower part of its face, 2 the man's son (and) the man's house are destroyed. 10 When a woman bears a child and both its ears are on the right side and there is none on the left, the gods restore prosperity to the country and the champaign country abides at rest. 11 When a woman bears a child and both its ears are closed, a sacrifice is made. 12 When a woman bears a child and it has a bird's beak, that country is oppressed. 13 When a woman bears a child and it has no mouth, the mistress of the house dies. 14 When a woman bears a child and its right nostril is wanting, increase of the multitude. 15 When a woman bears a child and its nostrils are wanting, the country a (hostile) fortress seizes ; the man's house is destroyed. 16 When a woman bears a child and its jaws are wanting, the days of the Prince are long ; that house is destroyed. 17 When a woman bears a child and its lower jaw is wanting, the produce of the country for a year is not brought down. 18 When a woman bears a child and its knee is wanting, the man's house is destroyed. 19 When a woman bears a child and its knee is stiff, prosperity to the multitude. 20 When a woman bears a child and its .... is wanting, the country a (hostile) fortress seizes (and) the master of the house dies.

21 When a woman bears a child and its .... and its member are wanting, the army of the King is powerful ; peace possesses that country, and the men obedience possess Lilith before them is not. 22 When a woman bears a child and the upper lip overhangs the lower, prosperity to the multitude. 23 When a woman bears a child and its lips are wanting, the country a (hostile) fortress seizes (and) the man's house is destroyed. 24 When a woman bears a child and its knee is stiff, that man is spared. 25 When a woman bears a child and its right hand is wanting, that country goes to destruction. 26 When a woman bears a child and its hands are wanting, the city (has) no births, the country is solitary and destroyed. 27 When a woman bears a child and the fingers of its right hand are wanting, the Prince makes no parleyings with his enemy. 28 When a woman bears a child and (it has) 6 fingers on the right hand, a persistent seizure seizes the house of the man. 29 When a woman bears a child and it has 6 toes on each foot, the children go not to school. 30 When a woman bears a child and it has 6 toes on its right foot, increase of the multitude. 31 When a woman bears a child and its heart is open and it has no skin, the country sees privation. 32 When a woman bears a child and its member is wanting, the master of the house enriches himself by the crop of the field. 33 When a woman bears a child and its member and navel are wanting, the whole country sees misfortune; the women of it see hardship ; its men (in) the palace are destroyed. 34 When a woman bears a child and it has no sex, priva- tion and invasion seize the country ; the master of the house is unprosperous. 35 When a woman bears a child and its anus is closed, the country sees privation. 36 When a woman bears a child and its right fundament is wanting, the country of the Prince is devastated. 37 When a woman bears a child and its right foot is wanting, that house goes to destruction ; the man's house falls. 38 When a woman bears a child and its feet are wanting, the roads of the country are cut ; that house is destroyed. 39 When a woman bears a child and its right foot is like the tail of a fish, the booty of thecountry .... 40 When a woman bears a child and its feet and hands are like the tail of a fish, the Prince eats the produce of his country.

41 When a woman bears a child and its feet move them- selves through his overpowering hunger, that house . . . is destroyed. 1 When a woman bears a child and its foot is attached to the tendons of its body, there is pestilence in the country. 2 When a woman bears a child and it has three feet, two attached to the body (and) one to the two others, 1 there is pestilence in the country. 3 When a woman bears a child and its legs are male and female, the whole country sees misfortune ; the master 4 When a woman bears a child and its right heel is wanting, the country of the Prince is devastated. 5 When a woman bears a child and it has a lion's ear ... 6 When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth its head is full of white-hairs, the days of the Prince are long. 7 When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth it is full of . . . . , the master of the house dies and that house is destroyed. 8 When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth it is full of pieces of fat, (as for) that house prosperity goes before it 9 When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth it is full of spots, misfortune over it ensues ; the King of its city dies. 10 When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth it is full of unclean swellings, the King estranges his Princes. 11 When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth it is full of hanging pieces of flesh, the forces of the whole country see misfortune. 12 When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth it is full of flakes of flesh, 4 the forces of the whole country see misfortune ; that house is destroyed. 13 When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth fingers are formed, the days of the Prince are long (and) extended (his) reign. 14 When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth it is perfect, its King is in the country. 15 When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth its body is full-grown, the master of the house is not prosperous. 16 When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth its teeth are cut, the days of the Prince are long, a strong country is seen; against the country (there are) campaigns ; that house is destroyed. 17 When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth its beard is grown, floods are in the country. 18 When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth it has a hare-lip, a strong country is conquered.

19 When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth its mouth is open and speaks, there is pestilence in the country ; the Air-god inundates the crops of the country : injury in the country is caused. 20 When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth its right ear (is) thick, the father shaves the head ; the sons of the army for a year are numerous. 21 When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth its ears are long and thick, the troops of a mighty squadron exist. 22 When a woman bears a child and its mouth is horned, an ambassador . 23 When a sheep bears a lion, the forces march multitudi- nously : the King has not a rival. 24 Seventeen statements, from "When a woman bears a child and at the time of birth its head is covered with white hair,"

OMENS FROM THE MOON

When the Moon at its appearance is fiercely bright, the month will bring harm. When the Moon at its appearance is dim and one cannot define (?) it, rain will fall. When the Moon appears on the thirtieth day, there will be cold (or) there will be the clamour of the enemy in the land. When the Moon at its appearance appears low, the submission of a distant land will come to the all-powerful king When at the Moon's appearance a north wind blows, during that month a flood will come When the Moon at its appearance is dark, the land will see plenty ; the land will eat plentiful . . . When the Moon at its appearance is dark and its left horn is bent, its right horn being straight, thou wilt overcome (?) the land of the enemy. When at the Moon's appearance a west wind blows, during that month there will be sickness . . . it is evil. When the Moon is fiercely bright, the month will bring harm. When the Moon out of its calculation delays and does not appear, there will be the invasion of a powerful city. When the Moon is not seen with the Sun on the fourteenth or fifteenth of Elul, lions (?) will die and traffic will be hindered. When the Moon disappears, evil will befall the land. When the Moon disappears out of its reckoning, an eclipse will take place.(The Moon disappeared on the twenty-fourth day.) When a halo surrounds the Sun on the day of the Moon's disappearance,

an eclipse of the left side of the Moon will take place. When the Moon is full on a cloudy day, the Moon will smite the foe. When the Moon out of its calculated time tarries and is not seen, there will be an invasion of a mighty city. When Mars stands opposite a planet, corn will be valuable. When a comet reaches the path of the Sun, Gan-ba will be diminished ; an uproar will happen twice. OMENS FROM HALOS When the Sun stands within the halo of the Moon, in all lands they will speak the truth, the son will speak the truth with his father. When a river surrounds the Moon, there will be great inundations and rains. When a halo surrounds the Moon and Jupiter {Uinunpauddu) stands within it, there will be an invasion. When Jupiter grows very bright, that land will eat abundance. When a halo surrounds the Moon and Jupiter stands within it, the king will be besieged. When a halo surrounds the Moon and Scorpio stands in it, it will cause men to marry princesses (or) lions will die and the traffic of the land will be hindered. When a halo surrounds the Moon and Regulus stands within it, women will bear male children. When a dark halo surrounds the Moon, the month will bring rain (or) will gather clouds. When a halo surrounds the Moon and Mars stands within it, there will be a destruction of cattle. When a halo surrounds the Moon and Mars stands within it, there will be a destruction of cattle in all lands ; the planting of dates will not prosper. When a halo surrounds the Moon and two stars stand within it, there will be a long reign. When Mars and a planet stand facing one another, there will be an invasion. When a halo surrounds the Moon and Saturn stands within it, they will speak the truth in the land : the son will speak the truth with his father. Welfare of multitudes. When a halo surrounds the Moon and a planet stands within it, the king his troops will be besieged. When a halo surrounds the Moon and Dilgan-after-which-is-Mulmul stands within it, the herds of the land will prosper. When a halo surrounds the Moon and a planet stands within it, robbers will rage. When Jupiter {Sagmigar) draws near to Taurus, the good fortune of the land passes away (or) the generation of cattle and sheep is not prosperous. When Mars {Apin) reaches the path of the Sun, there will be a famine of cattle, there will be want. When a planet and Mars stand facing one another, there will be an invasion of the enemy.

When a halo surrounds the Moon and Mars {Sudun) stands within it, a king will die and his land be diminished. When a halo surrounds the Moon and Cancer (Allul) stands within it, the king will prolong life : showers will fall. When Venus draws near Scorpio, evil winds will come to the land. When the greater halo surrounds the Moon, that land will be enlarged, destructions will surround men. When it surrounds and Cancer {Alhil) stands within it, the king will prolong life. When Regulus stands within it, women will bear male children. When the greater halo surrounds the Moon and is thin, there will be a giving of years to the king. When the Moon and Sun are seen with one another out of their expected time, a strong enemy will overcome the land : the king will accomplish the defeat of his foe. When the Moon and Sun are seen with one another on the thirteenth day, there will not be silence : there will be unsuccessful traffic in the land : the enemy will seize on the land. When a north wind prevails and blows, prosperity will come to all fruit trees. The Igigi gods will be at peace with the land : the land will see abundance. This year dates and grapes will prosper. When the Sun reaches the zenith and the sky is dark, years of prosperity, the king will grow strong. When the Moon reaches the Sun and with it fades out of sight, its horns being dim, there will be truth in the land, and the son will speak the truth with his father. When the Moon and the Sun are invisible, the king will increase wisdom ; the king of the land, the foundation of his throne will be secure. When the Moon and Sun are seen with one another on the fourteenth, there will be silence, the land will be satisfied ; the gods intend Akkad for happiness, Joy in the heart of the people. The cattle will lie down securely in the pasture. When a dark halo surrounds the Moon, it gathers clouds, that month will bring rain. When its horns are dim, a flood will come. When at the Moon's appearance a south wind blows, there will be a slaughter. When the Moon does not wait for the Sun and disappears, there will be a raging of lions and wolves. When at the Moon's appearance a south wind blows, in that month a south wind will prevail. When Jupiter becomes bright, the weapons of the king will prevail over those of his foe. Regulus stands either on the right or left of Jupiter. When Mercury disappears at sunset it will rain as it disappears. When Scorpio is dark in the centre, there will be obedience. when a covering reaches the Moon and Mercury, the fifteenth day a man should consecrate to Nirgal, he should raise a willow-branch in his hand ; he will be safe in his journeys or travels : the sixteenth day, the seventeenth day he should sacrifice an ox before Nebo, an ox should be smitten in the presence of Nebo ; the eighteenth day the god should be apparelled, the night of the nineteenth a censer.

When the Moon stops in its course, the market will be low. When a halo surrounds the Moon and Spica (Pan) stands within it, brigands will be rampant and there will be much robbery in the land. When Jupiter goes with Venus, the prayer of the land will reach the heart of the gods. Merodach and Sarpanitum will hear the prayer of thy people and will have mercy on thy people. When Mercury appears, there will be corpses. When Cancer {Alhil) is dark, a destructive demon will seize on the land and there will be corpses. When the Moon and Sun are seen with one another on the sixteenth day, king to king will send hostility. The king will be besieged in his palace for the space of a month. The feet of the enemy will be against the land ; the enemy will march triumphantly in his land. When the Moon on the fourteenth or fifteenth of Tammuz is not seen with the Sun, the king will be besieged in his palace. When the Moon on the fourteenth or fifteenth of Nisan is not seen with the Sun, the troops the expedition of the foe it will be plundered and the land . . . . : there will be a revolt in the land. When the Moon on the fourteenth or fifteenth of Sebat is not seen with the Sun, a copious flood will come and the crops will be diminished. When the Moon on the fourteenth of Adar is not seen with the Sun, there will be a devastation of Ur. When a planet changes the stars of heaven, the king of countries will make an end. When a halo surrounds the Sun, rain will fall. When a halo surrounds the Moon and the Sun in the East stands in it, the troops will fight a strange land. When the Sun enters the Moon, all lands will speak the truth. Welfare of all the world. When a planet changes colour opposite the Moon and enters the Moon, lions will die and the traffic of the land (will be hindered) (or) cattle will be slain. When the Sun stands in the place of the Moon, the king of the land will be secure on his throne. When the Sun stands above or below the Moon, the foundation of the throne will be secure ; the king will stand in his justice. When the Sun and Moon are invisible, the king of the land will increase wisdom. When the Sun stands above the Moon (or) below the Moon, the foundation of the king's throne will be secure. When the Sun stands in the place of the Moon, there will be justice in the land. When the Sun reaches its zenith and goes forward, the reign of the All-powerful king will be long. When a halo surrounds the Sun in the morning in Adar, in that month a flood will come, (or) heaven will rain. When a halo surrounds the Sun, and its opening points to the south, a south wind will blow. When a south wind blows on the day of the Moon's disappearance, heaven will rain. When a dark halo surrounds the Moon, the month will bring rain (or) will collect clouds. When Regulus is dark, the king will grow angry and his rule .... he will turn and will not slay.

When the Sun reaches its zenith and is dark, the unrighteousness of that land will come to nought. When the Sun reaches its zenith and is dark, prosperity of people (or) there will be war in the land, (or) revolt (or) disasters to the king of all lands. When the Sun is dark with a dark light at its zenith, an eclipse happens and Ramman will inundate. (During the morning watch for Elam at the Sun's zenith this happened). When it thunders in lyyar, wheat and vegetables will not be prosperous. When a parhelion stands in the path of the Sun, the gods will take counsel for the good of the land. When four parhelia stand, there will be destruction of oxen and wild beasts. When a parhelion goes forth at the Sun's zenith, rain and flood will come. When the Sun reaches its zenith, in its path a parhelion stands, the willow trees of the land will be thrown down. When a bright star appears in the ecliptic, there will be a slaughter of Elam with the sword. When the Sun reaches its zenith in a parhelion, the king will grow angry and raise the sword. When Jupiter passes to sunset, the land will dwell peacefully. When Jupiter appears at the beginning of the year, in that year its corn will be prosperous.(Mercury has appeared in Nisan.) When a planet (or Mercury) approaches Li, the king will die. When Mars {Samimma) approaches Aries, the people will be widespreading, the land will be satisfied. When Jupiter stands fast in the morning, hostile kings will be fortunate. (When) Gam assumes a brilliance, the foundation of the throne will be secure. When Regulus assumes a brilliance, the king will effect completion. When Jupiter appears in the ecliptic, there will be a flood and the crops of the land will prosper. When Jupiter grows bright, the king will go to pre-eminence. When Jupiter grows bright, there will be floods and rains. When Jupiter culminates, the gods will give peace, troubles will be cleared up, and complications will be unravelled. Rains and floods will come ; the amount of crops, with regard to the cold, will be out of all proportions to the amount of cold on the crops. The lands will dwell securely. Hostile kings will be at peace, the gods will receive prayers and hear supplications ; the omens of the magician shall be made apparent. When Jupiter passes to the place of sunset, there will be a dwelling securely, kindly peace will descend on the land. When Jupiter assumes a brilliance in the tropic of Cancer and (becomes) Nibiru Akkad will overflow with plenty, the king of will grow powerful. When a great star like fire rises from sunrise and disappears at sunset, the troops of the enemy in battle (or) the troops of the enemy in slaughter will be slain. When Jupiter appears in Elul the land will eat good food. When Jupiter appears in Marcheswan, king to king will send hostility. When Jupiter stands in the Brilliance of Pabilsag, there will be destructions in the land. When the same star approaches Indubanna, the market will go up. When the Moon occults Jupiter, that year a king will die (or) an eclipse of the Moon and Sun will take place. A great king will die. When Jupiter enters the midst of the Moon, there will be want. The king will be slain with the sword. When Jupiter enters the midst of the Moon, the market of the land will be low. When Jupiter goes out from behind the Moon, there will be hostility in the land. When the Moon darkens Jupiter, the king of kings, his hand will overpower his enemies.

When Jupiter passes to the right of Venus, a strong one will conquer with the sword. When Jupiter stands in front of Mars, there will be corn and men will be slain, (or) a great army will be slain. When Jupiter and Mars . . . the god will devour (or) rains will be given upon the land. When Mars approaches Jupiter, there will be a great devastation in the land. When Jupiter and a planet, their stars face, evil will befall the land. When Mars {Lubad-dir) and Jupiter (Rabu) approach, there will be a slaughter of cattle. When Mars {Sanamma) approaches Jupiter, in that year the king will die and the crops of that land will be prosperous. When Regulus approaches in front of the Moon and stands, the king will live many days ; the land will not be prosperous. When a star shines and its brilliance is as bright as the light of day, in its shining it takes a tail like a scorpion, it is a fortunate omen, not for the master of the house, but for the whole land. When there is binnu in all lands, violence will pass away, there will be justice, abundance will be plentifully produced ; ruin for the master of that house (or) that king will stand in his justice. There will be obedience and goodwill in the land. When Intina massig mulluh at its rising, prosperity of crops, the market will be steady. This concerns Mercury. OMENS FROM STARS After two hours of the night had passed, a great star shone from north to south. Its omens are propitious for the king's desire. The king will accomplish his mission. When a great star shines from east to west and disappears and dulls its brilliance, the army of the enemy will be destroyed in battle. When a star like a light (or) like a torch shine, from east to west and disappears, the army of the enemy will be slain in its onslaught.

When Venus disappears at sunrise in Nisan from the first to the thirtieth day, there will be desolation. When a halo surrounds the Moon and Sibzianna stands within it, the king will work mightily, his land will have abundance. When Venus changes .... (There will be) a hostile expedition : insurrection (or) treason. When Venus fixes its position, the days of the prince will be long, there will be justice in the land. When a halo surrounds the Moon and the Pleiades (Sugi) stand within it, in that year there will be a slaughter of men : sheep will not approach oxen. When Venus appears in Siwan, there will be a slaughter of the enemy. When Venus appears in the Tropic of Cancer, the king will have no rival. When Venus approaches Allul, there will be obedience and welfare in the land : the gods will have mercy on the land. Empty . . (?) will be full and the crops of the land will prosper ; the sick in the land will recover. Pregnant women will perfect their offspring. The great gods will show favour to the sanctuaries of the land, the houses of the great gods will be renewed. When Venus grows dim and disappears in Ab, there will be a slaughter. When Venus appears in Ab from the first to the thirtieth day, there will be rains, the crops of the land will be prosperous.

When Sarur and Sargaz of the tail of Scorpio are brilliant, the weapons will make an onslaught. When Venus (Istar) puts on the diadem of the Moon divided, there will be desolations. (when) Venus (puts on) a dark crown the New Moon occults her. When Venus in Kislew from the first to the thirtieth day disappears at sunrise, there will be famine of corn and straw in the land. When Venus appears in Sebal, the crops of the land will prosper : . . . will be prosperous : mercy and welfare will be in the land. When Venus appears in Virgo, rains in heaven, floods on (earth), the crops will prosper; fallen ruins will be inhabited. When Scorpio approaches the front of the Moon and stands, the reign of the king will be long ; the enemy will come, but his defeat will be accomplished. When Scorpio stands within the Moon's halo, it is for rains and floods. (The king shall see its omen ; it will rain.) When in lyyar the fifteenth day to la . . . , in the evening watch he will turn his peace into glory. When Leo is obscured, for three years lions and jackals . . . and kill men. The traffic of the land will be hindered. When a planet culminates in Ab, the bed of warriors will be wide. When Mercury appears for a month, floods and rain. When Mercury appears for a month, rain and floods. When Mercury appears either in lyyar or Siwan, a flood will come and benefit the fields and meadow lands. When Mercury stands in the east, there will be an invasion against the land. When Mercury is seen in lyyar, a flood will come and benefit the fields and meadow lands. When Jupiter reaches Mars, it will rain.

When Mercury culminates in Tammuz, there will be corpses. When Leo is dark, the heart of the land will not be happy. Long live the lord of kings. When Mercury culminates in Elul, there will be a heightening of the market, an increase of cereals. When Mercury {Nunu) approaches Spica {Pan), the crops of the land will prosper, the cattle will be numerous in the fields, the king will grow strong and will overcome his enemies. Sesame and dates will prosper. When Mercury culminates in Elul, there will be a heightening (of the market), an increase of cereals. When Mercury appears in Elul, there will be a heightening of the market, an increase of cereals. When Leo makes its stars to shine, let the king wherever he goes (guard himself). When Leo {Urgula) is dark, lions and jackals will rage and the traffic will be hindered. When Mercury culminates in Marchcswan, the crops of the land will prosper. When Scorpio is dim in the centre, there will be obedience in the land. When in the flaming light of Scorpio its breast is bright, its tail is dark, its horns are brilliant, rains and floods will be dry in the land : locusts will come and devour the land ; devastation of oxen and men : (the weapon is raised and the land of the foe) is captured.

When Mercury is visible in Kislew, there will be robbers in the land. When Mercury approaches the Star of the Tigris there will be rains and floods. When Jupiter appears at the beginning of the year, in that year its crops will prosper. When Leo is dim, the heart of the land will not be happy. When Regulus is dim, the director of the palace will die. When Spica {Pan) stands within the Moon's halo, lawless men will rage and there will be robbery in the land. It will not change to evil. The halo of Virgo is for rain and flood ; it is turning cold. When Mars is visible in Tammuz, the bed of warriors will be wide. When Mercury stands in the north, there will be corpses, there will be an invasion of the king against a foreign land. When Mars approaches Gemini, a king will die and there will be hostility. When Mars culminates indistinctly and becomes brilliant, the king will die. When Nirgal in its disappearing grows smaller, like the stars of heaven is very indistinct, he will have mercy. The forces of my troops will go and slay the army of the enemy, an audacious land they will overcome. The troops of the foe will not be able to stand against my troops. The cattle will lie down securely in the fields : sesame and dates will prosper. When Mercury approaches Mars (Nabii), horses will die. When Mars is dim, it is lucky ; when bright, unlucky. When Mars follows Jupiter, that year will be lucky. When Mars approaches the Moon and stands, the Moon will cause evil to inhabit the land. When a planet stands at the left horn of the Moon, the king will act mightily. When a star stands at the left front of the Moon, the king will act mightily. When a star stands at the left rear of the Moon, the king will work mightily. When Virgo (Dilgati) stands at its left horn, in that year the vegetables will prosper. When Virgo (Dilgan) stands above it, in that year the crops of the land will prosper. When a star stands at the left horn of the Moon, a hostile land will see evil. When a star stands at its left horn, there will be an eclipse of the king. The Gan-ba of that land will be diminished ; it will rain. When a star stands at its left horn, an eclipse of the king will take place. When at its left horn a star (stands) Rammanu will devour in a hostile land (or) an eclipse will take place, (or) an eclipse of the king: his land will be diminished. When Mars approaches Allul, the prince (will die), when it stands and waits ... it is evil. When a planet (appears) in a blast of wind, let not the king lay it to heart. When it thunders, the day is dark, the heaven rains, lightning lightens, floods will be poured in the channels. When it thunders on a cloudless day, there will be darkness (or) there will be famine in the land. When Mars {Apin) approaches Scorpio, the prince will die by a scorpion's sting, and his son after him will take the throne ; the dwelling of the land . . the land another lord . . the boundary line of the land will not be secure. When Mars is darkened over the Moon and stands, the king will act mightily, his land will be enlarged. When Mars enters the Moon and goes forth northward, the heart of the land will be happy : the king will grow powerful and will have no rival. When at the beginning of the year Mars stands in the nasu of Venus, the enemy or a flood will spoil the crops.

When the Pleiades over the Moon are darkened and stand, (and) enter the Moon, the king will stand in his might, will dwell, and will enlarge his land, and to his land will be good : there will be justice and truth in the land. When the Pleiades, their circle is bright . . . the house (against) its master will revolt. When Libra . . . before the Moon, the reign of the king will be long. When the Moon occults Kilba, there will be an eclipse. When Spica is darkened over the Moon and enters the Moon, the days of the prince will be long. The Moon for one year is long. Let the king give heed, let him not pass it by, let him guard himself, let not the king go into the street on an evil day until the time of the omen has passed. When a star stands in front of the Moon . . . the king will act mightily. When Mars approaches the Moon and waits, the Moon will cause evil to dwell in the land. When a star stands on the left of the Moon, the land of the foe will see evil. When a star turns back and appears, the king will prolong life. When the day of the Moon's disappearance in one month three times (occurs), an echpse will take place, and the gods for three days in heaven will .... When the Moon appears on the thirtieth of Elul, there will be a devastation of the land. . . .

OMENS FROM STORMS AND THUNDER

When a storm comes upon the land, the crops will be increased, the market will be steady. When a storm prevails in the land, the reign of the land will rule great power. When a storm bursts in Sebat, an eclipse of Kassi will take place. When there is a storm in the land, prosperity of people. When a storm prevails in the land, the reign of the land will rule great power. When the Uruk-god divides over a city, the city, the king and its princes will be happy. When it thunders on the day of the Moon's disappearance, the crops will prosper and the market will be steady. When it rains on the day of the Moon's disappearance, it will bring on the crops and the market will be steady. If Rammanu should thunder in the midst of the Sun, there will be mercy upon the land. When Rammanu thunders in the midst of the star Li, the king's hand will overcome a land other than this. When Rammanu thunders in the great gate of the Moon, there will be a slaying of troops with the sword : the goods of that land will be gathered into another land. When it thunders on a cloudless day, there will be famine. When lightning lightens on a cloudless day, Rammanu will inundate.

When it thunders on a cloudless day, there will be darkness (or) famine in the land. When a storm wind comes from the west, there will be a destruction. When it thunders twice, the land which sent thee hostility will send thee peace. When it thunders in Tisri, the day is dark, heaven rains, the rainbow is divided, lightning lightens, the gods will have mercy on the land.

OMENS FROM EARTHQUAKES

When the earth quakes through the whole day, there will be a destruction of the land. When it quakes continually, there will be an invasion of the enemy. When the earth quakes continually there will be an invasion of the enemy. When the earth quakes in the night, harm will come to the land (or) devastation to the land .... When the earth quakes during the night, harm will come to the land, or devastation to the land. When the earth quakes in Sebat, the corn its weight will weigh ; there will be expeditions of the enemy. When the earth quakes in Sebat, another prince will sit in the palace. When the earth quakes in Tisri, the crops will prosper, there will be hostility in the land. When the earth quakes in Tammuz, the prince will be magnified in the land of his foe.

OMENS FROM ECLIPSES

When there is an eclipse of the Sun on the twenty-eighth of lyyar, the king's days will be long, . . the land will eat an abundant market. When the Sun at its zenith is like a crescent and becomes full like the Moon, the king will conquer the land of his enemy, the land will overcome its evil and see happiness. When the Sun is eclipsed on the twenty-ninth of lyyar, the shadow beginning in the north and remaining on the south, its left horn being pointed and its right horn long, the gods of the four regions will be troubled, a great . . will speak by the mouth of the god ; the invasion of a . . king will come, the throne until the fifth year he will hold: there will be a revolt: son will slay his father, brother will slay his brother, sick princes . . . that king a dog will destroy : the enemy will capture a fenced city, that king will die and there will be fighting in the temple of Bel. There will be corpses on the first day. When an eclipse happens and a north wind blows, the gods will have mercy on the land. When the Moon rises darkly, there will be a darkening of . . . When the Moon rises darkly . . . . , destruction of all lands. When the Moon rises darkly and becomes like . . . the king will devastate countries in defeat, (or) the gods will devastate countries in defeat. When the Moon is dark in Siwan, Rammanu

after a year will inundate the crops of the land. When an eclipse happens in Siwan in the evening watch, inrush of fish and locusts. When an eclipse happens on the fourteenth of Siwan, the king has the completing of the year, dies, and his son, who has no title to the kingdom, seizes the throne and there will be hostilities. When from the first to the thirtieth of Siwan an eclipse happens, an eclipse of the king... of might will be, and Rammanu will inundate the crops of the land. A great army (or) an army will be slain. Though for prosperity the king, city, and people work mightily and they are successful, there will be no springing up of produce in that year. When on the . . day an eclipse happens, and the god in his shadow .... until the middle watch, the end, and the north part of the Moon comes into thy hand, to Ur and the king of Ur a decision will be given ; the land of Ur will see famine : corpses will be numerous. The king of Ur, his son injures him, and the son who injures his father overcomes him, and in the pain of his father he will die: the son who has no title to the kingdom takes the throne. An eclipse of the evening watch is for corpses. When the day is fine in the evening watch, it is for three months and ten days. When an eclipse happens in the morning watch and it completes the watch, a north wind blowing, the sick will recover. When an eclipse begins on the first side and stands on the second, there will be a slaughter. When an eclipse happens and stands on the second side, the gods will have mercy on the land. When the Moon is dark in Siwan, after a year Rammanu will inundate. When the Moon is eclipsed in Siwan, there will be flood and the product of the waters of the land will be abundant. When in Siwan an eclipse of the morning watch happens, the temples of the land will be smitten. When an eclipse happens in Siwan out of its time, an all-powerful king will die, and Ramman will inundate ; a flood will come and Ramman will diminish the crops of the land; he that goes before the army will be slain. When Nirgal stands in Pabilsag, a strong enemy will raise (his weapons in) the land, Bel will give his weapons to the enemy ; the wide forces of the enemy will slay troops. When Scorpio is dark, the kings of all lands will cause hostility (or) the kings of all lands will rival. When Scorpio assumes a darkness, the food of men will be evil. When Libra is dark, the third year locusts will come and devour the crops of the land (or) locusts will devour the land . . . will devour the standing crops. When Mars approaches Scorpio, the prince will die by a scorpion's sting (or) will be captured in his palace. When Jupiter has culminated and passed Regulus and brightened it, the back part of Regulus (which Jupiter had passed and brightened) reaches and passes Jupiter, and it (Jupiter) then goes to its disappearance, there will be war, and the enemy will come and seize the throne, the land will be ravaged twice. When in Adar from the first to the thirtieth day an eclipse happens, the reign of the king will be long, hostility . . . When for peace the king, the city and its people work and are at peace ... a flood will come and the great waters will burst forth. When the eclipse happens, let the king, my lord, send and for the king the great waters. . . and burst forth, someone shall hear of it.

OMENS OF MAN

Brothers are mean, the friends of today do not love. Hearts are greedy,everyone robs his cornrade's goods. Kindness has perished, insolence assaults everyone, one is content with evil, goodness is cast to the ground everywhere. He who should enrage men by his crimes - he makes everyone laugh at his evildoing. Men plunder, (...). The criminal is one's intimate, the brother with whom one dealt is a foe. The past is not remembered, now one does not help hirn who helped. (...) One goes to strangers for affection. Faces are blank, everyone turns his face from his brother. (...) No man's heart can be relied on. None are righteous. the land is left to evildoers. (...) No one is cheerful. He with whom one walked is no more. I am burdened with grief for lack of an intimate. Wrong roams the earth, and ends not. I show you the land in tumoil, what should not be has come to pass. Men will seize weapons of warfare, the land will live in uproar. Men will make arrows of copper, will crave blood for bread, will laugh aloud at distress. None will weep over death, none will wake fasting for death, each man's heart is for himself. Mourning is not done today, hearts have quite abandoned it. A man sits with his back turned. while one slays another. I show you the son as enemy, the brother as foe, a man slaying his father. I show you the master in need, the outsider sated. the lazy stuffs himself, the active is needy. One gives only with hatred. to silence the mouth that speaks; to answer a speech the am thrusts a stick. one speaks by killing him. speech falls on the heart like fire, one cannot endure the word of mouth. l show you the land in turmoil: the weakarmed is strong-armed, one salutes him who saluted. I show you the undermost uppemost. what was turned on the back turns the belly. Men will live in the graveyard. the beggar will gain riches, the great [will rob] ta live. the poor will eat bread, the slaves will be exalted. What was made has been unmade, Re should begin to recreate! The Sun disc, covered, shines not for people to see, one cannot live when clouds conceal, al1 are numb from lack of it. Dry is the river of Egypt, one crosses the water on foot; one seeks water for ships to sail on, its course having turned into shore land. Shore land will turn into water, watercourse back into shore land. South wind will combat north wind, sky will lack the single wind. Re will withdraw from mankind: though he will rise at his hour, one will not know when noon has come; no one will discern his shadow, no face will be dazzled by seeing [him], no eyes will moisten with water. He will be in the sky like the moon, his nightly course unchanged, his rays on the face as before. And then shall Egypt be made to flourish. when the king who has reigned beneficently for fifty-five years cornes from the sun-god as a bestower of blessings, established by the greatest goddess Isis, so that those who survive will pray that the people who have previously died will rise (from the dead) in order to share their blessings. A time will come when it will be seen that in vain the Egyptians served the deity with piety and assiduous service, and all their holy worship will be found fruitless and to no profit. For the deity will retire from earth to heaven, and Egypt will be forsaken; and the land which was the home of religion will be left desolate, bereft of the presence of its gods. Foreigners will fill this country, and not only will the observances be neglected, but even more terrible, it will be made compulsory by so-called laws, under pain of prescribed punishments, to abstain from al1 religious practices, from any act of piety towards the gods. This most holy land. country of sanctuaries and temples, will be covered with sepulchres and corpses. The Scythian or the lndian or some such barbarian neighbor will settle on the land; ... for the deity is now returning up to heaven. Men, thus abandoned, will al1 die, and without either gods or men Egypt will be no more than a desert. It is you that I address, very holy river, it is to you that I announce the things to come : Floods of blood will swell you up to

the banks and you will overflow them, and not only will your divine waters be polluted by this blood, but it will make them come out frorn their bed, and it will be much more dead than living; as for the one who will survive, it is only by his language that we will recognize him as an Egyptian: in his manners of behavior he will appear as a man from another race. Why crying, Asclepius? Egypt itself will let itself carried along to much more than that and rnuch worse: it will be tarnished with much graver crimes. [Egypt] who taught men the holiness and the piety will give the example of the most atrocious cruelty. At this hour, tired of living, men will not regard the world as the worthy object of their admiration and reverence For darkness will be preferred to light, one will judge it more useful to die than to live; no one will raise his glances towards the sky; the pious man will be held for the insane, the impious for the sage; the frantic will be considered brave, the worst criminal a good man. Gods separate from men: a deplorable divorce! Only the harmful angels remain, those who mix with men, and constrain them, the unfortunate, by violence to al1 the excesses of a criminal boldness, engage them in wars, brigandages, frauds, and in everything that is opposite to the nature of the soul. The earth then will lose its balance, the sea will no more be navigable, the sky will no more be furrowed with stars. the stars will stop their course in the sky; the divine voice will be forced to silence and will be silent; the fruits of the earth will rot, the soil will no longer be fertile, the air itself will grow sluggish in a gloomy torpor. Here is then what will be the aging of the world: non religion, disorder, confusion of al1 good things. When al1 these things will be accomplished, O Asclepius, then the Lord, the Father, the first God, in power and demiurge of god one, after considering these vices and selfwilled crimes, tried by his will, which is the divine kindness to obstruct the way to the vices and the universal corruption and to rectify the error, will destroy al1 the malice, either that he obliterate it by a flood, or consume it by fire or demolish it by pestilential illnesses spread in various places; then he will bring back the world to its first beauty, in order that this world itself appear again worthy of reverence and admiration, and that God also, creator and restorer of such a great work, will be glorified, by men who will live then, in continuous hymns of praise and benediction. Here is what will be in fact this rebirth of the world: a renewal of good things, a holy and fully solemn restoration of nature itself. .. I am Shu (...) if the inhabitant of the water opens its mouth or if it shakes with its amis. I will cause the earth to go down into the primeval water, South will become North and Earth will be overturned. You shall be for millions on millions of years, a lifetime of millions of years. I will dispatch the Elders and destroy all that I have made; the earth shall return to the Abyss, to the surging flood, as in its original state. But I will remain with Osiris, I will transform myself into something else, namely a serpent, without men knowing or the gods seeing.

Hittite dreams
First dream-appearance of Ishtar And while I was still a child, I was only a groom, "he-with-the-donkey-halter". My lady Ishtar sent my brother Muwatalli to my father Murshili in a dream with the message; "There are only few years to live for Hattushili; he is not one to live long; give him to me, he shall be my priest! Then he shall stay alive." My father took me, a mere child, and gave me to the goddess for her service. Second dream-appearance of Ishtar Now, while my Lady Ishtar had even before this been promising me the kingship, at that time, my Lady Ishtar appeared to my wife in a dream saying; "I shall assist your husband, and all Hattusha will be turned to the side of your husband. Ever since I brought him up, I did not, at any time, abandon him to an evil judgment or a hostile deity. Now, I will exalt him and make him the priest of the Sun-goddess of the town Arinna. And you too, make me your parassi (patron deity)!" And my Lady Ishtar stood behind me, and whatever she promised me occurred. Another dream of Hattushili Puduhepa, however, was a maid-servant of the Ishtar of the town Lawazantia and the daughter of Pentipsarri, the priest of Ishtar. And I did not marry her out of my own will, I took her upon the command of the goddess, the goddess entrusted her to me in a dream.

Assyrian dream-book Column one

If a man turns into a lion; losses and... ^ and... against... humiliation of the man If a man turns into a dog and... and the countries will... against him; the palace will see distress and his crime/punishment will be heavy. If a man is... with a bull; his house will become prosperous. If a man has to do with a bull and is... the bull; he will aquire whatever the gods give to mankind to own. If a man carries a sprout in his lap and kisses it repeatedly; this man will aquire barley and silver. But if it grows out of his lap: whatever he owns will be lost. If the feet of a man are lame; downfall of his ill-wisher. If the eyes of a man do not see; for an important person this means more importance, for a poor person, more poverty, also an important person will be removed. If a man is clad in the hide of a goat; an important person will be removed and will die. If a man is clad in a... garment and... the hand of the man... will not reach him.

^ black garment; losses If the garment of a man is not...; for the... If the mouth of a man is...; for a rich man; more riches, for a sick person; he will die. If the curls of a man...? If a man enters into the door and either the house or...

Column two
If a man carries...; he will become rich. ^...;^ poor If a man carries a small child; he will become poor. If a man enters a ditch and does... into this ditch; his wife will commit adultery, they will sleep repeatedly with his wife. If the house of a man...; the palace will take away his possessions. If a man...; the palace will find the hidden treasure. If the hand of a man... and he carries it in his hands; for the If the head of a man is cut off; his enemy will place his evil in front of him. If... his days will be long.

Column three
If a man...; spell and evil will... If a man goes to a wild animal; his house will become prosperous. ^ goes to his daughter; losses ^ mother in law;... If the belly of a man is open and his intestines entangled; his... will be excessive. If his intestines are not entangled; evil. If a man flies repeatedly; whatever he owns will be lost. If a man takes off and flies once; for a subject it means; loss of good things, for a poor man; loss of poverty, he will see his good wishes fulfilled. If a man flies from the place he is standing on and rises towards the sky; to this man one will restore

what he has lost. If the penis of a man is long; he will have no rival. ^ abnormally long; whatever he owns will be lost. If a man kisses his penis; whatever he orders will be obeyed; nothing he desires one will withhold. If a man travels repeatedly within the country; distress will follow distress. ^ beyond the borders of the country; he will become important. If a man carries repeatedly milhu; the god of the man will... If a man walks repeatedly through light water; he will experience either an easy lawsuit or a light disease. ^ heavy water; ^ a difficult lawsuit or a dangerous disease. If a man crosses either a river or a swamp and sinks down... If a man sinks into a river...

Column four
If a man in his dream ascends to heaven and the gods bless him; this man will die. ^ curse him; this man will live long. If a man in his dream descends to the netherworld; for the rich it means more riches, for the poor, more poverty. ^ and the dead bless him; this man will die and will not be buried in his country. ^ rejoice over him; for the rich it means..., for the subject; sorrow. ^ curse him; upon... will be the one who blesses him. If a man kisses a dead person; he will stand up in court against his adversary. If a dead person kisses a man; one near to him will die. If a dead person... the man; obtaining of property. If a man kisses a dead and his lip...

Fragments Tablet three

If a man in his dream makes a door; the evil-demon will head for him. If he makes a chair; evil demon heads for him. ^ a bed; ^ ^ table; ^ ^ stool; ^ ^ boat; ^ If he does the work of a night...; his personal god will strip him of his wealth. ^ leather-worker; his riches will vanish, becomes poor. ^: the god Shamash has a claim for a vow which was neglected against him. If he does the work of a purkullu seal cutter; his son will die. ^ washer/fuller; for the poor it means his misfortunes will leave him. ^ carpenter; confusion of soul, decrease is in store for him. ^ sailor; the god Enlil has a claim for a vow which was neglected against him. If he in his dream sits on a stool; he will... the king... If he sits on a papannu; oppression. ^ an AB.GI.NA.; he will stand in triumph. If he sits on reed;... his good luck will leave him. ^ the ground; honors are in store for him. ^ an elevation; ^ in a depression ^ in a swamp ^ in the assembly ^ in the square before his town; good luck. If he plows with his plow in the center of a city; confusion. If he plants in the center of a city onions, sikil-onions and...; shortage of food.

Tablet seven
If his urine expands in front of his penis and... the wall; he will nto have sons. ^ the wall, the street; he will have sons. If his urine expands in front of his penis and fills all the streets; his property will be robbed and given to the city. If his urine expands in front of his penis and he does obeisance in front of his urine; he will beget a son and he (the son) will be king. If in his dream he urinates on a wall and over...; he will have sons. If he urinates over small reeds; he will not have sons. If he... his urine with his foot; his eldest son will die. If he washes his hands in his urine; he will enojy little. If he sprinkles himself with his urine; his sheep-fold will expand. ^ and wipes himself clean; disease called Hand-of-Ishtar. If he directs his urine towards the sky; the son of this man whom he will thereafter beget will become important but his own days will be short. If he pours his urine into a river; his harvest will be bountiful. ^ into a well; he will lsoe his property. ^ an irrigation-canal; Adad (the weather god) will flood his harvest. If he pours his urine to his personal god or to his personal goddess; he will find his lost property. If he spatters himself with his own urine; he will forget what he has said. If he drinks the urine of his wife; this man will enjoy (eat) abundance. If a man in his dream greets the king or the god; he will quarrel. If in his dream he eats; decrease; his... will be wasting away; his health will be bad. If he eats many...: he will eat sweet food; his... will be wasting away.

Tablet nine
If a man in his dream enters the gate of his city; wherever he turns, he will not attain his desire. If he goes out of the gate of the city; wherever he turns, he will not attain his desire. If he ascends to heaven; his days will be short.

If he descends to the netherworld; his days will be long. If he... to the country of no return; his days will be long. If he in his dream visits the temple; good news. If he visits the temple; his prayers will be listened to. If he visists the temple of the god UR.SAG; he will go forth from his present state of uncleanliness. If he visits the temple of the "Divine Seven"; he will be well. If he in his dream goes to Nippur; sorrow, wellbeing for one year. If he goes to Babylon; sighs, wellbeing for one year. If he goes to...; he will experience hardship. ^; he will build a lordly house. ^ the town Hit; his old age will be long, his possessions will expand. ^ and submerges in the sacred river; he will build a proud house, his days will be long. ^ the town Dur-Marduk- TILA; he will stand up in court against his adversary. If he goes to Girsu; there will be joy, no iniquity. ^ Lagash; he will be robbed. If he goes to the country Iamutbal; he will be imprisoned. If he goes to...; utterance of... ^; wellbeing for one year or; he will be saved in a difficult situation of his town. ^; hardship, he will experience need. ^; decrease. ^; the crime of his father will seize him. I he goes to Tiha; he will become strong. ^ Islan; wrath of the deity. ^ Kalati; he will utter something which should not be said. ^ Parsa; disease, the god will strike among his neighbors. ^ Laban; he will build a house.

^ Opis; his cattlefold will be dispersed. ^ Laban; he will make a great name for himself. ^ Lubda; imprisonment will seize him. If he goes to the house of a joyful man; he will see days of sadness. If he in his dream goes to an orchard; somebody will pronounce his release. ^ vegetablegarden; his work will get worse, or he will be free of hardship. If he goes to set a woodpile afire; he will see days of sadness. ^ plant a field; he wil be free of hardship. ^ hunt in the desert; he will become sad. ^ a fold for big cattle; he will... the help of the deity. ^ a fold for sheeps; he will become a chieftain. ^ a fold for goats; he will... the mercy of the deity. ^ into a cane-break, cuts reeds and makes them into bundles; he will recover from a dangerous disease. ^ to Wineland; sesame, wool of all kinds... ^ to the sea or the seacountry; what was thought to be lost, what he has squandered he will gather again. ^ the town Aran; his crime will be removed. ^ Iamutbal; he will see misery. ^ Tupliash; there will be pardon of the god.

miscellaneous
If he eats the meat of a bearded goat;... ^ a hyena; evil seizure. ^ some wild animal; ^, there will be cases of death in his family ^ some foreign wild animal; his bad luck will be removed. If he eats the head of an animal; he will have barley ^ innards of an animal; peace of mind.

If he slaughters the animal and eats its meat; no peace of mind. If he eats the base of the entrails; peace of mind. If he eats...; obtaining of his desire or quick sorrow. ^ meat of a dog; rebellion, not obtaining of his desire. ^ beaver; rebellion ^ gazelle; stabbing pain/disease ^ wild bull; his days will be long. ^ of a fox; an attack of stabbing pain/ resentment/anger - for an unfortunate person; good luck. If he eats the meat of a...: deliverance from evil. ^ of a monkey; he will make aquisitions by force. If he eats meat he knows; peace of mind. ^ does not know; no ^. If he eats human meat; he will have great riches. ^ from a dead man; somebody will take away what he owns, his mind will not be in peace. ^ from a corpse; ^ ^ his own entrails; his possessions will... ^ own flesh; his property will... with a disturbed mind he will live. ^ flesh of a friend; he will enjoy a large share. If his friend eats his face; ^ If he eats the eye of his friend; his bad luck is straightened out, his property will prosper. ^ flesh of his hand; his daughter will die. If he eats the flesh of the hand of his friend; something he does not know yet is lost, imprisonment will seize him. ^ flesh of his foot; eldest son will die. ^ the foot of his friend; among those near him... If he eats his penis; his son will die. ^ penis of friend; he will have a son.

If he eats a.... bird; to watch out is said for him, he shall not leave the house. ^ a duck; he will have food in abundance. ^ KURGI-bird; attack of the enemy or attack of the evil. ^ kurukku-bird: attack of the enemy. ^ a raven; income will come. ^ turtle-dove;... If he in his dream eats an apple; he will acquire what his heart wants. ^ a fig; he will eat sweet food. ^ a single grape; joy, or also; heart-break. ^ bunch of grapes; his heart... ^ a raisin; he will experience bitterness. ^ a pear; he will be hungry. If he eats...; his possessions will expand. ^...; imprisonment and the judge will seize him. ^ kiln-fired brick; his mind will be in peace. If he eats earth; confusion, he will become decrepit. ^ loose earth; he will be in confusion and suffer hunger. ^ earth as bread; he will be removed from his position. ^ a brick as bread; this man will be removed from his place. ^ eats dust; he will become decrepit... he will suffer want, alienation of his god is in store for him, perplexity. ^ dust from a corner of the wall;... he will suffer want, his mind will be at peace. ^ the scales of a leper;... he will suffer want. If he eats sand:... If in his dream he eats the faeces of his friend; his property will prosper, he will have good luck, he will say of his riches; "where shall I put it?". ^ of wild animals; he will have riches.

If he kills a man in his dream and eats his flesh; his property will... ^ his brother and eats his flesh; somebody will... his possessions. ^ his son and ^; ^ If he eats the fruit of the NAMTAR-plant; hardship, he will prevail over his enemy in court; conscription caused by alarming news. If he eats the seeds of the sarbatu-tree; his evil will be removed. ^ eats the fruit of the sarbatu-tree; a rival. If he eats a known plant; peace of mind. ^ a plant he does not know; income will come in. ^ eats bitumen; imprisonment will seize him, no peace of mind. ^ eats dry asphalt; he will have sorrow. ^ eats naphtha; a troubled mind. ^ mattress-stuffing made of fibres of the date palm; he will be removed from his position. ^ sweepings; he will enjoy ample food, his mind will be at peace. ^ slime; a troubled mind, he will become decrepit. ^ stalks;... ^ barley;... ^ Lamassu-demon;... ^ stars;... ^ flies; he will have barley and silver; hardships... ^ ants; his possessions will constantly keep him busy. ^ worms; obtaining of a triumph. ^ geckos; whatever he owns will vanish. ^ dung-beetles; he will acquire grain. If he vomits and eats his vomit; he will enjoy... will leave him. ^ the vomit of...; he will experience... will leave him. If he vomits repeatedly what he has eaten...

If he drinks water with urine;... ^ his own urine; peace of mind, the deity...

new topic (unknown)

... meets a horse; he will have a rescuer. ... and meets a donkey; he will have sons. ... meets a ram; he will own barley. ....and meets a dog; pleasantness for all future. ... and meets a pig; he will have sons, his mind will be at peace. ... and meets a fox: ^ ... and meets a mouse; he will have always enough food; an important person will carry off his possessions. ... and meets a bird; something lost will return to him.

Cylinder-seals
If in his dream one gives him a seal; he will have a son. ^ of lapis lazuli; the gods... ^ of red stone; he will have sons and daughters. ^ a mounted seal; he will have neither sons nor daughters. ^ seal of ivory; he will attain his hearts desire. ^ seal of musgiarru-stone; he will not attain his hearts desire. ^ an inscribed seal; he will have either a name or a son; a legitimate son. ^ a seal with figures; he will have sons, peace of mind. ^ a royal seal; there will be a protective god and a goddess for him, or also;... ^ an old seal; a legitimate son or; he will receive a sign. ^ a perforated seal; he will have a legitimate son. ^ an unperforated seal; he will have a deaf son. If he wears a seal and one takes it away; either his son or daughter will die. If one gives him a seal with his own name on it; he will have a name and offspring.

^ with the name of... on it; for an important person; poverty, for a person of low status; riches. If he wears a seal with his name and one takes it away; his son will die. If one gives him a seal with the name of...: an important person will come to shame, a person of low station will acquire riches. ^ name of...; will fall sick either of dropsy or of leprosy. ^; he will obtain his hearts desire. ^; he will prosper, he will stand up in court against his adversary. ^; his son will die. ^ with the name of his father; loss of his fathers estate, his head... If one gives him boxwood; he will be happy. ^ mesu-wood; he will have daughters. ^ terebinth; the deity will present him with life and health. ^ cedar; either his father or his first born son will die. ^ cypress; he will come to an end in his prime. ^ juniper; he will experience a pleasant year. ^ mihru-wood; he will have no rival. ^ poplar; he will get a wife. ^ fir; his house will be happy. ^ some wood he knows; long days. ^ wood he does not know; the king will take away his possessions, end of his days. ^ aromatic matter he knows; he will find something lost. ^ aromatic matter he does not know; the king will take away his possessions. ^ gives him the characteristic tool of the carpenter; he will own the house of his adversary. ^ tool of the leather-worker; there will be constant expenses for him, he will have expenses. ^ tool of the smith; an evil spell will seize him. ^ tool of the stone-cutter; his possessions will prosper. ^ tool of the potter; a mighty king will seize his riches.

^ tool of the reed-worker; joy of heart will follow him. ^ tool of the copper-smith; poverty and want will seize him. ^ tool of...; he will have barley and silver. If one gives him...; he will have slaves. ^: losses will.. ^; he will have a helper, he will see again his lost property. ^; ... will go out to the man; or also; a... will be upon him. ^; he will have slaves; or also; calumniation will fall upon him. ^; silly accusations will fall upon him. ^; he will see again his lost property. If one gives him gazelle meat; a share... ^ human meat; making of... ^ dog meat; his sukussu-field will be productive. ^ pork meat; bad health. ^ donkey meat; he will find something which does not belong to him. ^ horse meat; he will come to shame in court. ^ wild donkey meat; want of barley. ^ dried meat; an evil spell will seize him. If one gives him tallow;... he will obtain in hardship. ^ beef tallow; he will grow old. ^ mutton tallow; seizure of the eyes. ^ lion tallow; he will have no rival. ^ wolf tallow; his personal god is angry with him. ^ dog tallow; evil seizure. ^ tallow from a known wild animal; terror will seize him. ^ tallow from an unknown wild animal;...

If one gives him the head of a pick-axe; his head will be cut off. ^ him a chariot;... ^ a silver coated chariot; he will obtain something which does nto belong to him. ^ gives him a wheel; he will have twins. ^ a wagon; he will obtain his desire. ^ gives him some other part of a chariot; income will come. ^ gives him the reins; his days will be long. ^ a leather shield; he will get out of his distress. ^ a goad; this man will have no equal. ^ a door; he will grow old. ^ a bar; he will receive what his heart wishes. ^ a bolt; the secret word will not leak out. ^ a stylus; he will have a helper. ^ a reed; he will obtain his desires. ^ a reed; he will reach top-rank, his days will be... If one gives him a spoon;... ^ a stool;... ^ a small spoon; the sesame will not prosper. ^ a scoop; the sesame will prosper. ^ an empty goblet; the poor will become poorer. ^ full goblet; he will have a name and offspring. ^ wine; a friendly word; his days will be long. ^ beer; his personal god will remove his heart from him; they will speak to him but he will forget. ^ unknown kind of beer; he will worry. ^ honey; in his family there will be cases of death. ^ mountain-honey; he will obtain his hearts desire.

^ oil; sweet words, friendliness. ^ scented oil; ^ ^ beef oil; profits are in store for him. ^ mutton oil; prosperity of his term of office. ^ bird oil; they will shout; "watch out, watch out!" ^ fish oil; there will be steady expenses for him. ^ lion oil; he will reach perfection. ^ wolf oil; horrible disease. ^ dog oil; he will be imprisoned. ^ donkey oil; he will be happy ^ horse oil; god and king will catch him. ^ mule oil; his name will not prosper. ^ wild donkey oil; he will die outside of the city. ^ stag oil; the bed will seize him for one year. ^ ibex oil; the rabisu-spirit will seize him. ^ doe oil; his daughter will die. ^ gazelle oil; ^ ^ panther oil; he will be happy. ^ ...oil; there will be death in the house. If one gives him meat-broth; bad health. ^ an infusion of imhur-esra plants; his possessions will flourish. ^ an infusion of the fruits of the sunu-tree; they will claim of him what he has left, evil seizure. ^ vinegar; he will have brothers. ^ a water-measurer (Hydrometra); his possessions will be lost. ^ linen: the hand of the god will be placed upon him. ^ linen garment; he will stand up against his rival.

^ new garment;... days ^ old garment;... ^ ...garment; he will have daughters. If one gives him water; his days will be long. ^ beer; they will speak to him but he will forget. ^ wine; his days will be short. ^ water from a river; his profit will be large. ^ water from a well; riches will... ^ water from an oil-well; he will experience confusion. ^ water from a ditch; quarrels. ^ water from a canal; the storm-god will flood his harvest. ^ water...; confusion. broken lines; he will fall through a curse, he will find something, he will make a lordly utterance, hunger will seize him. If he seizes the garment of an important person; important. ^ the crescent; in an unknown place... ^ clothing of a small child; a small child has...him. ^ a lion; "same". ^ a wolf; "same". ^ a fox; he will catch a protecting angel. ^ seizes a fox and he escapes; he will have a protective angel but it will go away. ^ a cat; obtaining of wishes, he will have a protecting angel. ^ a snake; protective angel. ^ a he-goat; an evil spirit will seize him. ^ a ram; the court will seize him. ^ a female dog; he will catch a protective angel, upon the command of the deity...him. ^ a god or a king; the... of the god or king will catch him.

If a man in his dream chews barley; accusers will accuse him. If a man in his dream ascends to heaven and the gods...; there will be... and sin. ^ and the moon and the sun;... ^ and the constellation "yoke";... ^ seizes the stars;... ^ eats the stars;... ^ and comes down and eats faeces;.. ^ enters the temple of his personal god;... If he hears in heaven repeatedly rumors of accusations; he will have worries. If he descends into the netherworld; he will die but not be buried in the ground, his foundation will not be secure. ^ and the dead appear; short days...in his family there will be cases of death. ^ ; an evil spirit will seize this man; the man has received in the dream a reminder of the gods concerning impending doom. ^ sees a dead person; upsurge of evil. ^ the dead curse him; there is blessing for him upon the command of the deity, long days. ^ dead bless him; he will not be buried in the ground. ^ the dead rejoice over him; the rich will become poor, the poor will become rich; this man will die but he will not be buried where he was born. ^ the dead person prostrates himself before him; he will die but will not lie undisturbed in the ground. ^ dead person blesses him; he will die through the collapse of a wall. ^ dead person kisses him; he will die a death caused by a cold. ^ and bites the dead person; he will die through a falling roof-beam. If a star urinates his urine upon the man; ... will die or also...will die. If the stars fall from the sky upon the man;... ^ stars fall upon the man; calumniation will befall the man. ^ stars falls upon the house of the man; unfounded accusations will be heard.

If the spirits give water to his hands; one of his eyes will be destroyed. ^ come down from heaven and give^; they will tear out his eyes, or also; he will receive the water of his pupils on his hands. ^ water to the hands of the man; they will tear out his eye, or also; calumniation will befall the man. If he hears repeatedly in the sky rumors of accusations; this man will have worries, his possessions will become important. If it rains from the heavens upon the man; this man will fall in the desert. If a star turns into a plant; divine wrath against the man. ^ dust-fly; his possessions will... ^ turns into clay; he will experience business losses. ^ turns into faeces/flour; the owner of the house will become poor. If he cuts the twigs of a date-palm; his misfortune will be removed from him. If he climbs a date-palm and eats dates; he will worry... from the palace. If the thorn of the date-palm is pointed; a destiny of life. If he cuts down a poplar; peace of mind. ^ tamarisk; no ^ ^ fir; peace of mind. ^ fig-tree; joy of heart... ^ apple-tree; he will... the legal decision. ^ a vine; joy of heart... ^ pomegranate-tree; ^ ^ salluru-tree; ^ ^ cedar;... ^ cypress;... If he carries a seal-cylinder; he will be seized in prison. ^ a wagon; he will obtain his hearts desire. ^ a basket of the god; he will be relieved of the evil spell.

If he plays with a bow; conducting of a lawsuit. If he repeatedly takes aim with a bow; he will conquer by his own strength. If he carries a bow and shoots repeatedly; he will have losses by his own fault. If he carries a bow and breaks it; he will not obtain his hearts desire. If he balances before throwing a throwing-stick; he will conquer by his own strength. If he carries an arrow; this man will walk safely through the streets of his town. If he has wings and flies to and fro; his foundation is not solid, for an important person; his bad luck...his good luck will leave him, for a commoner; he is striving for his own misfortune, his rival will despise him. ^ to and fro and alights but is not able to take off again; his foundation is not solid, in the positive case his foundation is solid. If he takes off and flies once; for an important person; his good luck, for a commoner; his bad luck will leave him; if he is thrown in jail; he will leave the jail, he will become free, if he is sick; he will become well again. If he flies to and fro; his riches will leave the rich, his bad luck the commoner... ^ but does not reach the... of heaven and earth; the gods will persecute him with losses, his rival will despise him. If he flies to and fro and disappears but reappears; sorrow. ^ disappears but does not reappear; he will remember... ^ fro and his hands are...; his foundation is not solid. If he falls into a river and... the river enters his mouth; he will become important. If he sinks into a river and emerges again; this man will have riches. ^ river in his clothes; the foundation of this man is solid. If he falls into a river and drifts upstream; he will ask something from a person who is not friendly to him and he will give it to him; in the palace... ^ downstream; ^ friendly to him and he will give it not to him;... ^ If he walks constantly in light waters; ... ^ dark waters; a difficult lawsuit, they will summon him to testify. If he washes himself in a river; losses. If he sinks into a river and comes up again; prison...

^; he will have worries. If he crosses a river; he will experience confusion. If he goes down to the river and comes up again; he will stand up in court against his adversary. If he comes form the river; good news. If he washes himself in the river then comes up again; he will experience losses in business. If he dams up the river; he will see hard times. If he seizes a turtle in the river; in sorrow... ^ snake ^; he will have riches ^ fish ^; he will obtain his hearts desire. If he brings up clay from the river; he will build a house. If he eats in a river the... of reed; they will burn him. If he eats in a river the... of rushes; ^ If he dips into a river; his sorrows will not reach him. If he dips repeatedly into a river and reaches eventually firm ground; calumniation. If he falls into a river and...; sickness will seize him. If he... in a river...: he will ahev worries. If he crosses a river till...; in whatever he plans he will not succeed. If he touches...; he will have a famous name. If he dams up...; his possessions he will carry off. If he urinates into...; peace of mind, he will have luck. If he sees...; he will die through his sin. If he goes down to the river and sees...; good news. ^ and a... approaches and attacks him; in whatever he plans he will not succeed. ^ and sees a snake; he will ahve an outstanding son. If he sees...; this man will die. If he...and sinks down in...; this man will die.

If he carries...: his sin will be removed; the god will be filled with wrath against him. If he carries a grown-up person; full measure of wrath. ^ a child; ^. ^ the crescent; ^. ^ sun-disk; ^. ^ divine scepter; he will experience losses. If he carries dates on his head; sorrow. If he carries a mountain on his head; he will have no rival. ^ salt on his head; the builder of his house he will lead in shame around the town. ^ salt(petre) from the foundation-walls of his house;... he will be buried in the town. ^ carries salt; his teeth will hurt him. ^ carries meat in the street; his health will not be good. ^ barley ^; he will stand up in court against his adversary. ^ beer ^; peace of mind. ^ beer-wort ^; to grieve is in store for him. ^ water ^; his misfortune will depart. ^ a table ^; he will die through the wrath caused by his own words. If a man rides upon an unknown animal; he will have riches. If he cuts to pieces his ZAG-garment; disease.

Index of prodigies
Date/prodigy and expiation
Tullius Hostilius/ Rain of stones - Novemdiale sacrum - / girl with teeth - Suessa Pometia Tarquinius Superbus/ Miscarriages or pestilence - Ludi Taurei ^/ human head in the foundation of the Capitol - Olenus Calenus Etruscan augur declared Rome will be the capital of Italy. 504bc/ misscarriages - games to Apollo and Pluto 496/ famine -Cerialia 464/ blazing sky- Feriae 463/ pestilence - First supplicatio 458/ wolves in city- Lustratio 436/ earthquake - Obsecratio 433/ pestilence - Temple to Apollo 399/ pestilence - first Lectisternium 398/ Old man of Veii prophecy; if the Romans drain the Alban Lake they will gain victory in the Veii war. The lake was flooded. 364/ pestilence- third Lectisternium - Ludi scaenici 363/ Lacus Curtius- Oracle says perils of Rome will be overcome if they throw into the chasm what is most dear to them, and so they sacrificed a young roman Marcus Curtius and his horse to the abyss. 348/ pestilence - fourth Lectisternium - Ludi Tarentini? 344/ rain of stones and eclipse - Supplicatio 340/ interpretation of dreams - Devotio of Decius 326/ pestilence- fifth Lectisternium 296/ prodigies and prophecies - Supplicationes 295/ first lightning prodigy 293/ pestilence- Aesculapius introduced to Rome

278/ lightning strikes - temple of Summanus 278-250/ lightning strikes - Statue of Horatius 266/ pestilence- Restoration of shrines 249/ lightning war disease - Ludi Saeculares (centennial festival) 238/ dearth - Floralia 292-219/ prodigies - Impudicitia - temple to Venus Verticordia 228/ lightning strikes - Temple to Apollo by command of the Sibylline Books 218/ twelve prodigies - numerous expiations 217/ twenty prodigies - ^ - Saturnalia 217/ Flaminius sacriledge - Ver Sacrum 216/ incestum of Vestals - human sacrifice - Mission to Delphi 214/ eighteen prodigies - sacrifice 212/ six ^ - Supplicatio 212/ Carmina Marciana - Ludi Apollinares 211/ six prodigies - standard expiations 210/ seven ^ - supplicatio at Capena 209/ ten ^ Alban mount & Lake, first androgyne - sacrifice - supplicatio 208/ six ^ bees - Supplicatio 208/ pestilence and bees - Ludi Apollinares fixed 207/ eight prodigies, androgynes, Juno Regina struck by lightning - first full androgynous expiation 206/ twelve ^, extinction of fire (Vestal), monstrum and bees 205/ rains of stones - Magna Mater 204/ seven prodigies - std. expiations 203/ eight ^ -sacrifice 200/ ^ , two androgynes - expiation for androgynes 199/ ^ including laurel on a ship - sacrifice, supplicatio 198/ ^ - supplicatio

197/ six ^ - no details 196/ four ^ - sacrifice 194/ seven ^ - Novemdiale Sacrum 193/ frequent earthquakes - supplicationes 193/ seven prodigies - std. expiations 192/ consuls cow spoke, four other prodigies - cow nurtured 191/ oxen climb stairs, ordered to be burned alive, four prodigies - Ieiunium Cereri and other expiations 190/ six prodigies - supplicatio with ten boys and girls 188/ eclipse, rain of stones - std. expiations 187/ pestilence - supplicatio 186/ four prodigies including androgyne - various expiations 183/ rain of blood in area Volcani, emergence of island near Sicily - supplicationes 182/ destructive storm, two other prodigies - sacrifice, supplicatio 181/ spears of Mars move, pestilence and two other prodigies - supplicatio per totam Italian 180/ pestilence - supplicatio, vows 179/ four prodigies - std. expiations 179/ disturbance at lectisternium - instauratio of Ludi Romani 178/ temple of Venus burns, fire of vesta goes out 177/ six prodigies - std. expiations 177/ talking cow and two other prodigies - supplicatio, cow nurtured 176/ five prodigies, mysterious death of pontifex - no details 174/ ten ^, pestilence - supplicatio, vows 174/ earthquake - supp. to Ceres 173/ five prodigies - std. expiations 172/ lightning strikes columna rostrata, four other prodigies - Decemvirate and haruspices respond; supp. and feriae 171/ sex change - child deported to island

169/ eight prodigies - sacrifice and supp. 169/ two rains of stones - novemdiale sacrum 167/ five prodigies - supp. sacrifice, lustratio 166/ eleven ^ - Lustration 165/ three ^ - public prayers, Lustration 163/ eighteen ^ 162/156/154/ 4/4/3 ^ 152/ wind blows over statue, two other prodigies - Haruspices force all magistrates to abdicate supp. 147/ five prodigies 143/ Claudius defeated by the Salassi - two decemvirates sacrifice on the borders of Gaul 143/ Sibylline opposition to Aqua Marcia - no details 142/ pestilence androgyne - supp. androgyne expiation 140/ two prodigies - sacrifice 137/ seven ^ - no details 136/ four ^, monstrous child - cremated 135/ five ^, owl seen on the Capitol - cremated 134/ six ^, talking cow - publicly nurtured 133/ nine ^, incl; androgyne - androgyne expiation, decemviral sacrifice to Ceres at Enna 130/ eight ^ , incl; Apollo at Cumae weeping - haruspicial prophecy and conflict with elders of Cumae 129/ three ^ - prophecy of civil war 126/ explosion of Etna and pestilence in Liparis - prophecy, senatorial deputation 125/ five prodigies, androgyne - androgyne expiation 124/ three ^ 122/ five ^ including androgyne 121/ prodigies at Junonia 119/ androgyne

118/ five prodigies including bees 117/ ^ androgyne and spears of Mars moving 115/ temple of Juno struck by lightning 114/ Helvia struck by lightning - execution of Vestals, human sacrifice 113/ five prodigies 111/ two ^ - sacrifice 108/ five ^ including avis incendiaria and cannibalism - decemviral sacrifice at Cimolia 106/ ten ^ 105/ three ^ - Lustration of Capitol, hymn to the gods by matrons 104-3/ eighteen ^, androgyne - haruspicial responsum and androgyne expiation 102/ ten ^ - joint lustration of city by decemvirate and haruspices 101/ three ^ -Lustration of city 100/ 3-5 ^ - foundation of Eporedia (Roman colony) by Sibylline Books 99/ seven ^, androgyne 99/ spears of Mars move in Regia - reported by pontiffs expiated by order of Senate 98/ seven prodigies including androgyne and spears of Mars moving 97/ three ^, androgyne - androgyne expiation 96/ six ^ - Lustration of city 95/ ten ^, androgyne, spears of Mars 94/ nine ^, rain of stones - Novem. sacrum 93/ fourteen ^ - Novem. sacrum, lustration 92/ twelve ^, androgyne 91/ nine ^, earthquake at Mutina 90/ five ^ - haruspicial interpretation 90/ sex change - monstrum burned alive 90-88/ seismic disturbance in Liparis - senatorial deputation

90/ flames from the earth - haruspicial prophecy to Sulla 88/ six prodigies, including trumpet blast from sky - haruspices prophesy end of saeculum 87/ private prodigies - publications of Sibylline oracle about Cinna 86/ soldier in Sullas army struck by lightning - haruspicial prophecy 84/ lightning strikes temples of Luna and Ceres - comitia postponed 83/ five prodigies including woman bearing a snake - thrown into river 78/ talking chicken 76/ earthquake and fremitus 65/ lightning strikes Capitol - haruspices predict civil discord 63/ six prodigies 60/ four ^ 56/ lightning strikes Jupiter on Alban mount - Sibylline oracle about Ptolemy 56/ strepitus in ager Latiniensis and other prodigies - haruspicial responsum 56-52/ infant speaks - haruspices predict destruction 54/ Tiber flood - publication of Sibylline oracle concerning Gabinius 54/ rain of iron in Lucania - haruspicial interpretation 53/ four prodigies - Lustration of city 52/ five ^ 50/ three ^ - haruspicial type prediction of civil discord 50/ sinking tree - Sibylline Books predict death of men 48/ bees on the Capitol - haruspicial order to destroy the precincts of Isis and Serapis 47/ five prodigies including monstrous births - haruspicial interpretation 46/ two ^ 44/ seventeen ^ - sacrifice of a bull in temple of Vesta 43/ nine ^ - oldest haruspex predicts return of kingship and commits suicide 42/ fourteen ^ plus three nonpublic in Casius camp

38/ three ^ - statue of Virtus purified 37/ statue of Avernus sweats - piacularia ordered 17/ three prodigies - Augustan saecular games 16/ four ^ - prayers offered for Augustus safety ANNO DOMINI 43AD/ owl enters Capitoline temple - city lustrated 45/ sex change at Antioch - altar to Zeus Alexikakos of the Capitol 51/ four prodigies - Claudius orders expiations 54/ five ^, bees and monstrum 64/ great fire - supplications to Vulcan, Ceres, Prosperina and Juno 64/ four prodigies, monstra - haruspicial interpretation 69/ five or more ^ 112/ monstrous birth - thrown into Tiber 241/ great earthquakes - sacrifices 262/ four prodigies including pestilence - sacrifice to Juppiter Salus 363/ soldier struck by lightning - haruspicial interpretation

Interpretation or expiations involving positioning or orientation

1. The Capitoline head - the haruspex traces quadrants on the ground in order to locate the prodigy for the purpose of capturing the omen. 2. 278-250BC - the statue of Horatius is relocated with respect to elevation and sunlight. 3. 278BC - Summanus head is located in the Tiber presumably through the ability of the haruspices to chart the direction of the lightning bolt. 4. 86BC - an haruspex in Sullas army predicts his capture of Athens from the orientation of a dead soldier struck by lightning. 5. 65BC - a statue of Jupiter struck by lightning is relocated with respect to elevation and the direction of the sunrise.

Allegorical interpretation - favorable

1. Capitoline head - Rome will be the "head" of Italy. 2. 296BC - statue facing direction of Gaul means victory, blood from altar of Jupiter means victory because of sacrificial spoils of war. 3. 172BC - columna rostrata struck by lightning means victory for the Romans because of its history as Greek warbooty. 4. 130BC - statue of Apollo at Cumae weeping portends success for Rome because Cumae was a Greek colony. 5. 90BC - flame from earth to heaven means a handsome man will take charge of government (Sulla).

Allegorical interpretation - unfavorable

1. 296BC - honey flowing from altar portends disease since invalids crave it; milk from altar portends famine since Romans will have to search for food of spontaneous origin. 2. 114BC - Helvia and her horse struck by lightning portends infamia for the Virgins and the equestrian order. 3. 88BC - a sparrow carrying a grasshopper into the temple of Bellona portends dissension between landowners and city populance since the latter are noisy like the grasshopper and the former haunt the fields like the sparrow. 4. 65BC - lightning striking the statues of Jupiter and Romulus and the tablets of the laws portends bloodshed, fire, the downfall of the laws, civil war, and the fall of the city and the empire unless the gods are placated. 5. 54BC - lumps of iron, wounds from above. 6. 47BC - the births of infants holding their left hands to their heads portends an uprising of inferiors against superiors. 7. 64AD - a calf born near the roadside with its head attached to its leg portends that a new head is being prepared for the human race, but it will not be strong or secret because it was repressed in the womb and issued by a road. 8. 363AD - the death of a soldier and war-horses by lightning means that a military expedition must be abandoned.

Nonallegorical - unfavorable
1. 152BC - a column with a golden statue in front of the temple of Jupiter thrown down by a wind portends death to all priests and magistrates, avoided by abdication. 2. 126BC - an explosion of Mount Etna with accompanying dead fish and pestilence portends sedition.

3. 102BC - lightning striking a temple of Jupiter portends destruction to the haruspices and their children. 4. 90BC - shields at Lanuvium gnawed by mice is considered tristissimum. 5. 88BC - the sound of a trumpet from the sky portends the advent of a new saeculum. 6. 56BC - a strepitus cum fremitu in the ages Latiniensis signals the anger of Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Tellus, and the Di Caelestes because of certain acts of neglect and sacrilege; if they are not placated, then the prodigy portends civil discord, defeat, revolution, etc. 7. 56/52BC - a fortynine day old infant speaking portends destruction. 8. 43BC - a collection of nine prodigies is interpreted by the oldest haruspex to mean that kingly rule is returning and all will be slaves except himself (commits suicide). 9. undated (early) - the birth of a baby girl with a full set of teeth portends destruction to whatever town she is banished to.

Haruspicial interpretations
Palm tree growing on altar of Jupiter portends victory and triumphal processions. Two black snakes in the cella of Minerva portends civil bloodshed. Sound of fremitus rising from earth to sky portends scarcity and famine. Fremitus and collapse of wall portends civil discord. Mule giving birth portends death of respectable citizen, change in the laws, and shameful offspring of the matrons.

Explanation of expiations
Novemdiale sacrum. NS describes a Roman rite of purification, which was probably performed on the ninth and last day of a period of nine days of festivities. Such feriae had no fixed position in the calendar, but were announced according to need. They always took place when the prodigium of a rain of stones had happened Suessa Pometia - ancient city of Latium LUDI TAURII were of a similar nature, and due to a somewhat similar origin as the Ludi Saeculares. They were instituted to the gods of the lower world, according to Festus in the reign of Tarquinius Superbus, when a great pestilence fell on pregnant women, owing to the sale of bulls' flesh among the people. Other interpretations of the name are that it is from taura or taurea, a barren cow, which was sacrificed to Proserpina, or that the games were instituted by the Sabines that a pestilence which had attacked them might be turned on the bulls which they sacrificed. At these games there was a chariot-race in the circus. We hear of their being celebrated religionis causa for two days in 186BC.

Ceralia. Ceres was the ancient Roman goddess of grain and of harvests, often identified with the Greek goddess Demeter. People held festivals in her honor in various locations, but the Cerealia originated in Rome, where she was worshipped at her temple on the Aventine Hill along with two other deities, Liber (a fertility god) and Libera, his female counterpart. The temple became a center of activity for the plebeians, or common people, who usually suffered when there was a grain shortage. The festival known as Cerealia was observed at various locations only by Roman matrons, who, for several days preceding the festival, abstained from wine and other carnal pleasures. People who were in mourning were not allowed to appear at the celebration. For this reason, the Cerealia was not observed after the Battle of Cannae, when 50,000 Roman troops were killed by Hannibal. There is a theory that APRIL FOOLS' DAY is a relic of the ancient Roman Cerealia, also held in April. According to legend, when Ceres's daughter Proserpine was carried off to the underworld by Pluto, Ceres heard the echo of her screams and tried to follow her voice. But it was a fool's errand, for it was impossible to locate the echo's source. Feriae The Latin word for holiday; grammatically plural, it is often used as if in the singular. Its ancient form is fesiae (cf. the etymologically related festus). Dies feriatus is frequently used as a synonym. Offerings and prescribed rituals could form a regular part of certain holidays. Generally, the main characteristic of feriae was the cessation of all profane activities. Supplicatio in ancient Rome was a solemn thanksgiving or supplication to the gods decreed by the senate: all the temples were opened, and the statues of the gods placed in public upon couches (pulvinaria) to which the people offered up their thanksgivings and prayers. A Supplicatio was decreed for two different reasons: As a thanksgiving, when a great victory had been gained: it was usually decreed as soon as official intelligence of the victory had been received by a letter from the general in command. The number of days during which it was to last was proportioned to the importance of the victory. Sometimes it was decreed for only one day but more commonly for three or five days. A supplication of ten days was first decreed in honour of Pompey at the conclusion of the war with Mithridates and one of fifteen days after the victory over the Belgae by Caesar, an honour which Caesar himself says had never been granted to any one before. Subsequently a supplicatio of twenty days was decreed after his conquest of Vercingetorix. From this time the senate seems to have frequently increased the number of days out of mere compliment to the general. We thus find mention of thanksgivings for forty days, fifty days and even sixty. A supplicatio was usually regarded as a prelude to a triumph but it was not always followed by one, as Cato reminds Cicero, to whose honour a supplicatio had been decreed. This honour was conferred upon Cicero on account of his suppression of the conspiracy of Catiline, which had never been decreed to any one before in a civil capacity (togatus) as he frequently takes occasion to mention. A Supplicatio, a solemn supplication and humiliation, was also decreed in times of public danger and distress and on account of prodigies to avert the anger of the gods. LUSTRATIO was originally a purification by ablution in water. But the lustrations, of which we possess direct knowledge, are always connected with sacrifices and other religious rites, and consisted in the sprinkling of water by means of a branch of laurel or olive, and at Rome sometimes by means of the aspergillum, and in the burning of certain materials, the smoke of which was thought to have a purifying effect. Whenever sacrifices were offered, it seems to have been customary to carry them around the person or the thing to be purified. Lustrations were made in ancient Greece, and probably at Rome also, by private individuals when they had polluted themselves with any criminal action. Whole cities and states also sometimes underwent purifications to expiate the crime or crimes committed by a member of the community. The most

celebrated purification of this kind was that of Athens, performed by Epimenides of Crete, after the Cylonian massacre. Purifications also took place when a sacred spot had been unhallowed by profane use, as by burying dead bodies in it, such as was the case with the island of Delos The Romans performed lustrations on many occasions, on which the Greeks did not think of them; and the object of most Roman lustrations was not to atone for the commission of crime, but to obtain the blessing of the gods upon the persons or things which were lustrated. Thus fields were purified after the business of sowing was over, and before the sickle was put to the corn. The manner in which sheep were lustrated every year at the festival of the Palilia, is described by Ovid. The shepherd towards evening sprinkled his flock with water, adorned the fold with branches and foliage, burnt pure sulphur and various herbs, and offered sacrifices to Pales. The object of this lustration was to preserve the flock from disease, contagion, and other evils. All Roman armies before they took the field were lustrated, and as this solemnity was probably always connected with a review of the troops, the word lustratio is also used in the sense of the modern review. The rites customary on such occasions are not mentioned, but they probably resembled those with which a fleet was lustrated before it set sail, and which are described by Appian. Altars were erected on the shore, and the vessels manned with their troops assembled in order close to the coast. Every body kept profound silence, and priests standing close by the water killed the victims, and carried the purifying sacrifices in small boats three times around the fleet. On these rounds they were accompanied by the generals, what prayed to the gods to preserve the armament from all dangers. Hereupon the priests divided the sacrifices into two parts, one of which was thrown into the sea, and the other burnt upon the altars, while the multitude around prayed to the gods. When a Macedonian army was lustrated, a dog was cut in two pieces in the place where the army was to assemble, and one half of the dog was thrown at a distance on the right and the other to the left. The army then assembled in the place between the spots where the pieces had fallen. But to return to the Romans. The establishment of a new colony was always preceded by a lustratio with solemn sacrifices. The city of Rome itself, as well as other towns within its dominion, always underwent a lustratio, after they had been visited by some great calamity, such as civil bloodshed, awful prodigies, and the like. A regular and general lustratio of the whole Roman people took place after the completion of every lustrum, when the censor had finished his census and before he laid down his office. The lustratio (also called lustrum) was conducted by one of the censors, and held with sacrifices called Suovetaurilia, because the sacrifices consisted of a pig (or ram), a sheep, and an ox. This lustratio, which continued to be observed in the days of Dionysius, took place in the Campus Martius, where the people assembled for the purpose. The sacrifices were carried three times around the assembled multitude. Another regular lustration which was observed every year in the month of February, was said to have been instituted because the god Februus was believed to be potens lustrationum, and because in this month the solemnities in honour of the dii manes took place. Obsecratio. Public act of prayer. Lectisternium, (from Latin lectum sternere, to spread a couch), ancient Greek and Roman rite in which a meal was offered to gods and goddesses whose representations were laid upon a couch positioned in the open street. On the first occasion of the rite, which originated in Greece, couches were prepared for three pairs of gods: Apollo and Latona, Hercules and Diana, Mercury and Neptune. The feast, lasting for seven or eight days, was also celebrated by private individuals; the citizens kept open house, debtors and prisoners were released, and everything was done to banish sorrow Ludi scaenici, (Latin: stage games), in ancient Rome, theatrical performances associated with the celebration of public games (ludi publici), in which Greek dramatic forms were first used by the Romans. Although originally performed at the Ludi Romani (for which Livius Andronicus wrote the first Latin tragedy and the first Latin comedy in 240 bc), the ludi scaenici became the characteristic

feature of the Megalensia, or Megalesia, the festival of the goddess Cybele (established in 204 bc). They originally included serious dramas but later, under the Roman Empire, were almost wholly devoted to farces and pantomime. The Ludi Saeculares (Secular Games) were celebrated only once in a century. Ludi Terentini/Ludi Saeculares. The "Secular Games" arose from some gentile sacrifices of the Valerian family, which were offered to the gods beneath the earth at the Terentum (or Tarentum), a spot in the Campus Martius where a volcanic fire smouldered. The first celebration of the Ludi Terentini of which there is actual evidence took place 249 B.C., by the direction of the Sibylline books, in honour of Dis and Proserpine. Owing to the vow then made, to repeat them at the beginning of every saeculum, or period of one hundred years, they were called the "Secular Games." Like all cults prescribed by the Sibylline books, they are of non-Roman origin, being, in fact, borrowed from the Etruscans, who at the conclusion of a mean period of 100 years, reckoned according to the longest human life in a generation, used to present an expiatory offering on behalf of the new generation to the gods beneath the earth. The games seem to have been next held, not in 149, but in 146; the one following was omitted on account of the Civil Wars, and the games were not held again until the time of Augustus, in 17 B.C. [It was for this occasion that Horace wrote his Carmen Saeculare.] The date was fixed by a reckoning different from that hitherto followed, by taking 110 years as the normal standard of the saeculum. In later times sometimes the new reckoning was adopted, sometimes the old; as early as Claudius we have a return to the old, and in 47 A.D. that emperor celebrated with secular games the 800th year of Rome. Similarly the years 900 and 1000 of the city were celebrated. The ritual order of the games, which Augustus only altered by the introduction of Apollo, Diana, and Latona among the deities worshipped, was as follows: At the beginning of the season of harvest, heralds invited the people to the festival, which none had ever seen, nor would see again; and the commission of fifteen, which was charged with the due celebration of all festivals enjoined by the Sibylline books, distributed the means of expiation, consisting of torches, sulphur, and pitch, to all free persons on the Capitol and in the Palatine temple of Apollo. At the same time in the temple of the Capitoline Jupiter, in that of the Palatine Apollo, and in that of Diana on the Aventine, wheat, barley, and beans were handed to the people for an offering of firstfruits. At the feast proper, which lasted three days and three nights, the emperor upon the first night sacrificed to the Parcae three rams, which were completely burnt up, upon three altars at the Terentum. This was accompanied by the burning of torches and the chanting of a hymn. At the same place, and on the same or the following day, a black hog and a young pig were offered to Tellus, and dark-coloured victims to Dis and Proserpine. On the first day white bulls were sacrificed to Jupiter, and a white cow to Juno on the Capitol, after which scenic games were held in honour of Apollo. On the second day the matrons prayed to Juno on the Capitol; on the third, a sacrifice of white oxen took place in the Palatine temple of Apollo, while twenty-seven boys and the same number of maidens sang the carmen saeculare in Greek and in Latin. Devotio of Decius. The most famous devotio in Roman history is probably that of the consul Publius Decius Mus, who was fighting a battle against a formidable coalition of Samnites and Gauls at Sentinum in 295 BCE. According to Livy (History of Rome since its Foundation, 10.17ff), he dedicated himself to the gods of the Underworld and rode, on horseback, to his enemies, who killed him. The wrath of the gods now was upon the Gauls, who were soundly defeated, after which it was easy to break Samnite resistance too.Of course Livy's story may be propaganda - the man was killed in action and it was later claimed that this was not just bad luck, which might demoralize the soldiers, but a pious and inspiring act of patriotism. However, there are too many stories about devotio to deny that it was a ritual that had some sort of reality, even when it did not belong to the most important cult practices of ancient Rome. Livy claims that Decius Mus' father devoted himself before the battle of the Vesuvius in 340bc. His account (includes the prayer that was spoken, although is is probably not the authentic version: "I devote the army and auxilaries of the enemy and myself to the Di Manes and Tellus". The son of the man who died at Sentium was also killed

after a devotio, according to Cicero, in the battle of Ausculum, in which king Pyrrhus of Epirus was ultimately victorious. Aesculapius. Greek god of medicine and healing. The temple of Summanus was dedicated during the Pyrrhic War c. 278 BC on June 20. It stood at the west of the Circus Maximus, perhaps on the slope of the Aventine. It seems the temple had been dedicated because the statue of the god which stood on the roof of the temple of Iupiter Capitolinus had been struck by a lightningbolt. Every June 20, the day before the summer solstice, round cakes called summanalia, made of flour, milk and honey and shaped as wheels, were offered to him as a token of propitiation: the wheel might be a solar symbol. Summanus also received a sacrifice of two black oxen or wethers. Saint Augustine records that in earlier times Summanus had been more exalted than Jupiter, but with the construction of a temple that was more magnificent than that of Summanus, Jupiter became more honored. Cicero recounts that the clay statue of the god which stood on the roof of the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus was struck by a lightningbolt: its head was nowhere to be seen. The haruspices announced that it had been hurled into the Tiber River, where indeed it was found on the very spot indicated by them. The Floralia, also known as the "Florifertum," was an ancient Roman festival dedicated to Flora, the goddess of flowers and vegetation. It was held on the IV Calends of May, April 27 to May 3, and symbolized the renewal of the cycle of life, marked with dancing, drinking, and flowers. These days were considered by the prostitutes of Rome to be their own. While flowers decked the temples, Roman citizens wore colorful clothing instead of the usual white, and offerings were made of milk and honey to Flora. Impudicitia. Shamelessness Saturnalia was an ancient Roman festival in honor of the deity Saturn originally held December 17 and later expanded with unofficial festivities through December 23. The holiday was celebrated with a sacrifice at the Temple of Saturn in the Roman Forum and a public banquet, followed by private gift-giving, continual partying, and a carnival atmosphere that overturned Roman social norms: gambling was permitted, and masters provided table service for their slaves. The poet Catullus called it "the best of days. Ver sacrum. The practice consisted in a vow (votum) to the god Mars of the generation of offspring born in the spring of the following year to humans or cattle. Among the Sabines, this was the period from March 1 to April 30. The practise is related to that of devotio in Roman religion. It was customary to resort to it at times of particular danger or strife for the community. Some scholars believe that in earlier times devoted or vowed children were actually sacrificed, but later expulsion was substituted. Dionysius of Halicarnassus states the practise of child sacrifice was one of the causes that brought about the fall of the Pelasgians in Italy. The human children who had been devoted were required to leave the community in early adulthood, at 20 or 21 years of age. They were entrusted to a god for protection, and led to the border with a veiled face. Often they were led by an animal under the auspices of the god. As a group, the youth were called sacrani and were supposed to enjoy the protection of Mars until they had reached their destination, expelled the inhabitants or forced them into submission, and founded their own settlement. Ludi Apollinares "Games of Apollo". These games were first held in 212 BCE to celebrate Apollo as a god of healing (especially during war), and lasted for a single day (July 13). They were gradually expanded to eight days, with two days reserved for theatre performances, two days for games in the circus, and the remaining days for markets and fairs. Apollo was given sacrifices during the Ludi Apollinares, and all participants were expected to wear garlands while attending the

events. Ieiunium Cereris (October 4) "Fast of Ceres". This fast was held to honor Ceres. It was originally held every five years, but was held every year by the time of the Empire. Ludi Romani "Roman Games" or "Great Games". The Ludi Romani were held in honor of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. They were originally held only on September 13, but were gradually expanded until they were held over 16 days by the time of the Empire. The Ludi Romani began with a solemn procession from Jupiter's temple on the Capitoline to the Circus Maximus. Sacrifices were made to Jupiter, and circus performances were given. Piacularia, piacular sacrifice. Making expiation or atonement for a sacrilege.