The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 06 : $b the early Roman Empire
History
The historians' history of the world in twenty-five volumes, volume 06 : $b the early Roman Empire
World history
He neither slighted his own dreams, nor those of other people relating to
himself. At the battle of Philippi, though he had resolved not to stir
out of his tent, on account of being indisposed, yet, upon the occasion
of a dream which a friend of his had, he altered his resolution; and it
was fortunate for him that he did so; for the camp was taken, and his
couch, upon a supposition of his being in it, was pierced in several
parts, and cut to pieces. He had many frivolous silly dreams during
the spring; but in the other parts of the year, his dreams were less
frequent and more significative. Upon his frequently visiting a temple
in the Capitol, which he had dedicated to Thundering Jove, he dreamed
that Jupiter Capitolinus complained that his worshippers were taken from
him, and that upon this he replied he had only given him the Thunderer
for his porter. He therefore immediately hung the ceiling of the temple
round with little bells; because such commonly hung at the gates of great
houses. Upon occasion of a dream too, he always, on a certain day of the
year, begged an alms of the people, reaching out his hand to receive the
dole with which they presented him.
Some signs and omens he regarded as infallible. If in the morning his
shoe was put on wrong, or the left instead of the right, that was with
him a dismal presage. If, upon his setting out on a long journey by sea
or land, there happened to fall a mizzling rain he held it to be a good
sign of a speedy and happy return. He was much affected likewise with
anything out of the common course of nature. A palm tree, which chanced
to grow up betwixt some stones in the pavement before his house, he
transplanted into a court where the household gods were placed, and took
all possible care to make it thrive.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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