Here's an interesting one, if we ever think that those strange omens can't hold a shred of truth.
From RogueClassicism
(Click on the "Telegraph" link to get the full story.)
ATB
On the omens before Alexander's death
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athenas owl
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I saw that this morning.
Did you see the "ancient Elvis"?
http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassi ... 08283.html
Did you see the "ancient Elvis"?
http://www.atrium-media.com/rogueclassi ... 08283.html
Omens... This is the entry on the Babylonian Astronomical diaries the night before Gaugamela -
If on either the 13th or 14th Ulûlu the moon is dark; the watch passes and it is dark; his features are dark like lapis lazuli; he is obscured until his midpoint; the west quadrant - as it covered, the west wind blew; the sky is dark; his light is covered.
[the significance is:] The son of the king will become purified for the throne but will not take the throne. An intruder will come with the princes of the west; for eight years he will exercise kingship; he will conquer the enemy army; there will be abundance and riches on his path; he will continually pursue his enemies; and his luck will not run out.
[29th ahû tablet of Enûma Anu Enlil;
obv.59-61]
Got it from Livius.org.... Pretty accurate huh?
If on either the 13th or 14th Ulûlu the moon is dark; the watch passes and it is dark; his features are dark like lapis lazuli; he is obscured until his midpoint; the west quadrant - as it covered, the west wind blew; the sky is dark; his light is covered.
[the significance is:] The son of the king will become purified for the throne but will not take the throne. An intruder will come with the princes of the west; for eight years he will exercise kingship; he will conquer the enemy army; there will be abundance and riches on his path; he will continually pursue his enemies; and his luck will not run out.
[29th ahû tablet of Enûma Anu Enlil;
obv.59-61]
Got it from Livius.org.... Pretty accurate huh?
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Paralus
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Indeed. Which is not to discount the astronomical signs recorded prior to Gaugamela which, as Jona describes, will have been well recognised by those seers with the royal army.agesilaos wrote:Accurate enough to make it post eventum...
Doesn't do, though, to have Darius deserted by his troops.
Last edited by Paralus on Sat Jul 26, 2008 6:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Paralus
Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους;
Wicked men, you sin against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander.
Academia.edu
Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους;
Wicked men, you sin against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander.
Academia.edu
Chilling. The poor Persians living in Babylon at the time and reading that!Semiramis wrote:Omens... This is the entry on the Babylonian Astronomical diaries the night before Gaugamela -
If on either the 13th or 14th Ulûlu the moon is dark; the watch passes and it is dark; his features are dark like lapis lazuli; he is obscured until his midpoint; the west quadrant - as it covered, the west wind blew; the sky is dark; his light is covered.
[the significance is:] The son of the king will become purified for the throne but will not take the throne. An intruder will come with the princes of the west; for eight years he will exercise kingship; he will conquer the enemy army; there will be abundance and riches on his path; he will continually pursue his enemies; and his luck will not run out.
[29th ahû tablet of Enûma Anu Enlil;
obv.59-61]
Got it from Livius.org.... Pretty accurate huh?
First, be human.
But wait there's more!
That month, the equivalent for 1 shekel of silver was: barley [lacuna] kur; mustard, 3 kur, at the end of the month [lacuna]; sesame, 1 pân, 5 minas.
At that time, Jupiter was in Scorpio; Venus was in Leo, at the end of the month in Virgo; Saturn was in Pisces; Mercury and Mars, which had set, were not visible.
That month, the river level was [lacuna].
On the 11th of that month, panic occurred in the camp before the king. The Macedonians encamped in front of the king.
On the 24th [1 October], in the morning, the king of the world [Alexander] erected his standard and attacked. Opposite each other they fought and a heavy defeat of the troops of the king [Darius] he [Alexander] inflicted. The king [Darius], his troops deserted him and to their cities they went. They fled to the east.
Arrian tells us Darius apparently made extra sacrifices the night before the battle. I wonder how much the panic and the troop desertion had to do with this prophecy? Assuming that Darius' extra sacrifices did happen and they were indeed because of that prophecy. Sort of like a self-fulfilling prophecy almost?
That month, the equivalent for 1 shekel of silver was: barley [lacuna] kur; mustard, 3 kur, at the end of the month [lacuna]; sesame, 1 pân, 5 minas.
At that time, Jupiter was in Scorpio; Venus was in Leo, at the end of the month in Virgo; Saturn was in Pisces; Mercury and Mars, which had set, were not visible.
That month, the river level was [lacuna].
On the 11th of that month, panic occurred in the camp before the king. The Macedonians encamped in front of the king.
On the 24th [1 October], in the morning, the king of the world [Alexander] erected his standard and attacked. Opposite each other they fought and a heavy defeat of the troops of the king [Darius] he [Alexander] inflicted. The king [Darius], his troops deserted him and to their cities they went. They fled to the east.
Arrian tells us Darius apparently made extra sacrifices the night before the battle. I wonder how much the panic and the troop desertion had to do with this prophecy? Assuming that Darius' extra sacrifices did happen and they were indeed because of that prophecy. Sort of like a self-fulfilling prophecy almost?
They have explanations why why they made the prediction. It's all according to their rules.. Eclipse (bad for king), wind blowing from the West (direction of evil)... the month of the Eclipse (bad for King of Elam). I think if you make predictions for hundreds of years, perhaps thousands, you hit some just by chance. Also, these priests weren't exactly unaware of the political situation around them...agesilaos wrote:Accurate enough to make it post eventum; and that's the most accurate sort of 'prediction' I can think of!