Book 2, Chapter 7
How We Should Use Divination
Through an unreasonable regard to divination many of us omit many duties. For what more can the diviner see than death or danger or disease, or generally things of that kind? If then I must expose myself to danger for a friend, and if it is my duty even to die for him, what need have I then for divination? Have I not within me a diviner who has told me the nature of good and of evil, and has explained to me the signs (or marks) of both? What need have I then to consult the viscera of victims or the flight of birds, and why do I submit when he says, It is for your interest? For does he know what is for my interest, does he know what is good; and as he has learned the signs of the viscera, has he also learned the signs of good and evil? For if he knows the signs of these, he knows the signs both of the beautiful and of the ugly, and of the just and of the unjust. Do you tell me, man, what is the thing which is signified for me: is it life or death, poverty or wealth? But whether these things are for my interest or whether they are not, I do not intend to ask you. Why don't you give your opinion on matters of grammar, and why do you give it here about things on which we are all in error and disputing with one another? The woman therefore, who intended to send by a vessel a month's provisions to Gratilla in her banishment, made a good answer to him who said that Domitian would seize what she sent, I would rather, she replied, that Domitian should seize all than that I should not send it.
Because we place too much faith in divination, many of us neglect many duties. What can a diviner see beyond death, danger, disease, or things like these? Suppose I must face danger for a friend, or even die for him. What need do I have for divination then? Don’t I have a diviner within me? He has told me the nature of good and evil and explained the signs of both. Why, then, should I consult the entrails of sacrificed animals or the flight of birds? Why should I submit when the diviner says, “It is in your interest”? Does he know what is in my interest? Does he know what is good? He has learned the signs in entrails, but has he also learned the signs of good and evil? For if he knows those signs, he also knows the signs of beauty and ugliness, of justice and injustice. Tell me, man, what do the signs predict for me? Is it life or death, poverty or wealth? But I do not intend to ask you whether these things are in my interest. Why don’t you give your opinion on matters of grammar? And why do you give it here, on matters where we are all mistaken and argue with one another? A woman once planned to send a month’s provisions by ship to Gratilla in her banishment. Someone told her that Domitian would seize what she sent. She gave a good answer: “I would rather have Domitian seize it all than not send it.”
Divination was a major part of ancient religion. As Epictetus says, it led men 'to omit many duties.' In a certain sense, there was some meaning in it. Those who believe in God may be able to see signs in how he governs the world. If these signs show them how they ought to behave, they can learn what their duties are. But if they misunderstand or misread these signs, they may be ruled by degrading superstition. In the same way, the outward forms of any religion may lead to corruption and human degradation. The true signs of God's will may then be neglected. Upton compares Lucan (ix. 572), who sometimes said a few good things.
A man who gives his opinion on grammar is talking about something many people know something about. A man who gives his opinion on divination or future events is talking about things none of us knows anything about. So when a man claims to teach us about unknown things, we can ask his opinion on known things. This may show us what kind of man he is.
Gratilla was a noblewoman whom Domitian banished from Rome and Italy. Pliny, Epp. iii. 11. See the note in Schweig.'s ed. on ἐπιμήνια.
What then leads us to frequent use of divination? Cowardice, the dread of what will happen. This is the reason why we flatter the diviners. Pray, master, shall I succeed to the property of my father? Let us see: let us sacrifice on the occasion.—Yes, master, as fortune chooses.—When he has said, You shall succeed to the inheritance, we thank him as if we received the inheritance from him. The consequence is that they play upon us.
What, then, makes us so often seek divination? Cowardice, the fear of what will happen. That is why we flatter the diviners. Please, master, will I inherit my father's property? Let us see. Let us offer a sacrifice to find out. Yes, master, as fortune chooses. When the diviner says, You will receive the inheritance, we thank him as if he had given it to us. As a result, the diviners take advantage of us.
As dishonest priests have often exploited the fears and hopes of superstitious people.
What then should we do? We ought to come (to divination) without desire or aversion, as the wayfarer asks of the man whom he meets which of two roads leads (to his journey's end), without any desire for that which leads to the right rather than to the left, for he has no wish to go by any road except the road which leads (to his end). In the same way ought we to come to God also as a guide; as we use our eyes, not asking them to show us rather such things as we wish, but receiving the appearances of things such as the eyes present them to us. But now we trembling take the augur (bird interpreter) by the hand, and while we invoke God we intreat the augur, and say Master have mercy on me; suffer me to come safe out of this difficulty. Wretch, would you have then any thing other than what is best? Is there then any thing better than what pleases God? Why do you, as far as is in your power, corrupt your judge and lead astray your adviser?
What should we do, then? We should seek divination without desire or aversion. Consider a traveler who meets someone and asks which of two roads leads to his destination. He has no preference for the road to the right over the one to the left. He wants only to take the road that leads to his destination. In the same way, we should turn to God for guidance. We should do so as we use our eyes. We do not ask our eyes to show us what we wish to see. Instead, we accept things as our eyes show them to us. But instead, we tremble and take the augur (bird interpreter) by the hand. As we call on God, we beg the augur, saying, Master, have mercy on me. Let me come safely through this difficulty. You wretch, would you want anything other than what is best? Is anything better than what pleases God? Why do you do all you can to corrupt your judge and lead your adviser astray?
Schweighaeuser reads τὸν ὀρνιθάριον. See his note.
'Κύριε ἐλέησον, Domine miserere. A familiar phrase used in the Christian church since its earliest days.' Upton.