De divinatione

De divinatione is a dialogue of Marcus Tullius Cicero. He treats the question is whether there is a 'real', grounded in the reality of divination or prophecy ( divinatio ) or not. Cicero defined with Chrysippus divinatio as the ability to recognize what the characters see and explain that would presented by the gods to man.

Structure and Formation

Cicero written in the autumn of 45 BC, to May 44 BC the three thematically related work De natura deorum, De divinatione and De fato on religion and theology. The book is designed as a conversation between Cicero and his brother Quintus on the estate at Tusculum. In the book of 1 Quintus champions the importance of divinatio with a variety of examples. In Book 2 of Cicero refutes these examples and brings fundamental objections to the conjecture.

Swell

For the treatment of the topic in the Etruscan, Greek and Roman environment Cicero must have been several sources available, but do not let yourself be sure about. Regarding the Etruscan examples, it is believed that he benefited from his friend and correspondent of Nigidius Figulus. Cicero mentions numerous names of Greek historians and philosophers, in particular, he cites Carneades. He may have found in Posidonius The Roman sign.

Content

Contents Book 1

Quintus Tullius Cicero addressed in his speech very different practices of divination by means of examples. The most important are the Roman auspices [ ua29 ], the Roman augurs [ua 105 ], entrails of Etruscan origin [ua 119 ], Roman [ et al 58, 59] and Greek [ et al 54 ] dreams, Greek oracles [ et al 37 ], Greek divination in frenzy [ et al 34 ].

Contents Book 2

Cicero begins book 2 with a list of books he has written since his forced withdrawal from political life. This he has found solace and a way to take advantage of their fellow citizens. Then he refuted the examples of his brother, which he attributes to them randomly and invention. He is partly sarcastic, speaks about the fact that ' the force ... as it evaporates as a result of old age ' or quoted Hannibal regarding the entrails: ' In fact, you dare prefer a piece of veal as an old General? '. Only the auspices (-) he can apply, because they are part of the Roman polity. But he describes it as meaningless. In the last sections Cicero strictly distinguishes between religion and superstition, which he largely maps the conjecture. While religion, sponsored by the bodies of the ancestors and the beauty and order of the universe is in the affirmative, the superstition had to be rejected.

Tradition and further work

Cicero is used by some ancient authors, including Valerius Maximus and Pliny the Elder. Copies of the work have been preserved to the present day: Vossianus Lat. Fol 84 and 86 (Leiden), 9th century, Vindobonensis Lat. 189 (Vienna), 9th century, Leidensis Lat. 118 (Leiden), 11th century and Florentinus Marcianus Lat. 257 (Florence), 9th century

Text edition and translation

• Marcus Tullius Cicero: On the divination, edited, translated and explained by Christoph Schäublin, Munich and Zurich, 1991.