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Diogenes on the Chaldean astrology (1)

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Topics (move over topic to see place in topic list)
Assyria and Assyrians in Greek, Latin and Jewish sources
12 Assyrian Identity
12.02 Assyrian identity in post-Empire times
12.02.03 Assyria and Assyrians in Greek, Latin and Jewish sources
Celestial omens (Enūma Anu Enlil)
05 Scientific knowledge and scholarly lore
05.02 Omen interpretation
05.02.01 Celestial omens (Enūma Anu Enlil)
Horoscopes
05 Scientific knowledge and scholarly lore
05.01 Astrological and astronomical knowledge and theories
05.01.10 Astronomical and astrological texts
05.01.10.11 Horoscopes

Keywords
astrology
Mesopotamia
omens

Period
1st century BCE
Roman Empire

Channel
Roman philosophers and scholars

Text
Cicero, De Divinatione 2.90-91:
However, Diogenes the Stoic makes some concessions to the Chaldeans. He says that they have the power of prophecy to the extent of being able to tell the disposition of any child and the calling for which he is best fitted. All their other claims he absolutely denies. He says, for example, that twins are alike in appearance, but that they are generally unlike in career and in fortune. Procles and Eurystheus, kings of the Lacedaemonians, were twin brothers. But they did not live the same number of years, for the life of Procles was shorter by a year than that of his brother, and his deeds were far more glorious.

Source (list of abbreviations) (source links will open in a new browser window)
Cicero, De Divinatione 2.90-91

Bibliography

Falconer 1964, 472-473

Falconer, W. A. Cicero, De senectute, De amicitia, De divinatione. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press, London: Heinemann 1964.

Amar Annus

URL for this entry: http://www.aakkl.helsinki.fi/melammu/database/gen_html/a0000089.php

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