Caesar's Comet
Comet Caesar ( C/-43 K1), known in antiquity as sidus Iulium and Caesaris astrum, the star of divinisierten Julius Caesar, was a comet that appeared in the year 44 BC for seven days at the northeastern sky. As the comet appeared at the Caesars adopted son Octavian between 20 and 30 July conducted games for the Venus as Victoria Caesaris, the people said to recognize the deified Caesar's soul in him. Octavian, who had already assumed the name Gaius Julius Caesar at this time and at first apparently intended, the sidus to refer to himself, let then install this comet at the statue of Divus Iulius on the forehead. Also on numerous coins appeared the sidus Iulium with the inscription Divus Iulius. The name of the comet as sidus Iulium goes back to an ode of the poet Horace from the year 24 BC.
Pliny says in his Natural History: " Only in a single place in the world, namely in Rome, a comet is worshiped in a temple because of Divus Augustus declared him to be a very good sign in itself. He stepped namely at the beginning of his reign in appearance during the Games, which he held in honor of Venus Genetrix shortly after the death of his father Caesar in the College still used by the latter. With these words he also expressed his joy: Especially on the days of my games a hair star was seen for seven days at the northern parts of the sky; he went on about the eleventh hour of the day, was very bright and visible in all countries. The people believed, this star by recording the soul of Caesar will appear under the immortal gods; for whose sake this zodiac sign was attached to the image of his head, which was later consecrated on the forum ' So he spoke out publicly. ; in his mind but he was convinced with joy from the fact that the star is risen for him, and that he rising with him -. namely, if we want to tell the truth, for the salvation of the world "
- 3.1 Primary Sources 3.1.1 Chinese sources
- 3.1.2 Graeco -Roman sources