The Prodigies of 17 b.c.e. and the Ludi Saeculares

summary:

Julius Obsequens, a fourth-century epitomizer of Livy, records three prodigies for the year 17 b.c.e.: a lightning strike against a tower near the Colline Gate, an earthquake at the villa of Livia, and a comet. I argue that these prodigies were fabricated to prompt the consultation of the Sibylline Books and the subsequent celebration of the Ludi Saeculares in that year. Furthermore, these prodigies connected Augustus’s Ludi Saeculares to previous performances of the games; invoked Golden Age imagery of fertility, prosperity, and victory through peace; and emphasized the role of Augustus and his family in ushering in the new saeculum.