Introduction

The Latin author Julius Obsequens is responsible, as far as we know, for only one work: a Liber Prodigiorum ('Book of Prodigies') culled from the annals of the Roman historian, Livy. Nothing is known for certain about his life, his origins, or even the full extent of his work. Despite his relative importance for an understanding of Roman religion and as a source for the late Republic, the aridity of his approach means that he has attracted very little attention in the modern period as an author in his own right. Works that do take Obsequens seriously (e.g. Rossbach (1897); Schmidt (1968); Santini (1988); Mastandrea (2005)) have been written almost exclusively in German or Italian. There are English translations in the Loeb series (volume XIV of Livy) and, the difficult-to-acquire, Lewis (1976). There are, however, no commentaries or explorative essays in English which shed light on this elusive and enigmatic Latin author.

The web is an obvious vehicle for an author like Obsequens. His full relevance can only be understood with reference to other extant primary sources which can be easily linked and cross-referenced. Furthermore, readership is likely to be too small to justify the printing of a book but a presence on the web allows for his consultation by ancient historians, classicists, phenomenologists (e.g. astronomers), and those with more esoteric interests such as UFOs. With this in mind, I have taken care to translate all Latin phrases and to explain terms that may be unfamiliar to a wider audience.

For more information on the background see the individual sections.