[31]
What ancient
chronicler fails to mention the fact that in the reign
of Tarquinius Priscus, long after the time of Romulus,
a quartering of the heavens was made with this
staff by Attus Navius? Because of poverty Attus
was a swineherd in his youth. As the story goes, he,
having lost one of his hogs, made a vow that if he
recovered it he would make an offering to the god
[p. 261]
of the largest bunch of grapes in his vineyard
Accordingly, after he had found the hog, he took
his stand, we are told, in the middle of the vineyard,
with his face to the south and divided the vineyard
into four parts. When the birds had shown three
of these parts to be unfavourable, he subdivided the
fourth and last part and then found, as we see it
recorded, a bunch of grapes of marvellous size.
"This occurrence having been noised abroad, all
his neighbours began to consult him about their
own affairs and thus greatly enhanced his name
and fame.
Cicero: De Senectute De Amicitia De Divinatione. With An English Translation. William Armistead Falconer. Cambridge. Harvard University Press; Cambridge, Mass., London, England. 1923.
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