Motif
augural bird-sign prompting battle
augural_bird_sign_prompting_battle
A motif of the Prophecy and Systematic Divination family, within the sub-family Animal and Bird Omens. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.
1 occurrences
1 traditions
roman
-
The Aeneid of Virgil BOOK ELEVENTH / THE COUNCIL OF THE LATINS, AND THE LIFE AND DEATH OF CAMILLA / BOOK TWELFTH / THE SLAYING OF TURNUS; lines 8040-8120 confidence: high
Juturna shows a sign: Jove's tawny bird pursues shore birds, seizes a swan from the water, is attacked by the flock, drops the prey into the river, and flies into the clouds.
A bird event in the sky is described as a potent sign; Tolumnius the augur interprets it as divine and uses it to urge armed action.
read in the book →