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68. M. Antonio P. Dolabella coss. AUC 710/44 BC

Text Translation
C. Octavius testamento Caesaris patris Brundusii se in Iuliam gentem adscivit. cumque hora diei tertia ingenti circunfusa multitudine Romam intraret, sol puri ac sereni caeli orbe modico inclusus extremae lineae circulo, qualis tendi arcus in nubibus solet, eum circunscripsit. ludis Veneris Genetricis, quos pro collegio fecit, stella hora undecima crinita sub septentrionis sidere exorta convertit omnium oculos. quod sidus quia ludis Veneris apparuit, divo Iulio insigne capitis consecrari placuit. ipsi Caesari monstrosa malignitate Antonii consulis multa perpesso generosa fuit ad resistendum constantia. terrae motus crebri fuerunt. fulmine navalia <et alia> pleraque tacta. turbinis vi simulacrum, quod M. Cicero ante cellam Minervae pridie, quam plebiscito in exilium iret, posuerat, dissipatum membris pronum iacuit, fractis humeris bracchiis capite: dirum ipsi Ciceroni portendit. tabulae aeneae ex aede Fidei turbine evulsae. aedis Opis valvae fractae. arbores radicitus et pleraque tecta eversa. fax caelo ad occidentem visa ferri. stella per dies septem insignis arsit. soles tres fulserunt, circaque solem imum corona spic<e>ae similis in orbem emicuit, et postea in unum circulum sole redacto multis mensibus languida lux fuit. in aede Castoris nominum litterae quaedam Antonii et Dolabellae consulum excussae sunt, quibus utrisque alienatio a patria significata. canum ululatus nocte ante pontificis maximi domum [Lepidi] auditi, ex his maximus a ceteris laniatus turpem infamiam Lepido portendit. Hostiae grex piscium in sicco reciproco maris fluxu relictus. Padus inundavit et intra ripam refluens ingentem viperarum vim reliquit. inter Caesarem et Antonium civilia bella exorta. Through the will of his father Caesar, at Brundisium, C. Octavius was adopted into the Julian family. When at the third hour of the day en entered Rome surrounded by a huge crowd, the sun encircled by a thin circle of pure and tranquil sky, surrounded him with a halo of its outermost line, as a rainbow normally stretches into the clouds. At the games of Venus Genetrix, which he performed for his colleague, at the eleventh hour a comet appeared from under the North Star and attracted everyone’s attention. Because this star had appeared at the games of Venus, he decided that it should be consecrated to deified Julius as a distinction above his head (?). Although Caesar suffered much because of the monstrous malice of the consul Antony he showed a noble persistence in resisting him. There were frequent earth tremors. The drydocks and many other places were struck by lightning. A violent whirlwind shattered the limbs and threw down a statue which M. Cicero had placed in front of the inner sanctum of Minerva, on the day before he went into exile in accordance with the plebiscite, and with its shoulders, arms and head broken portended dreadful things for Cicero himself. The bronze tablets from the temple of Fides were torn off by a whirlwind. At the temple of Ops the doors were broken. Trees were torn up by their roots and many buildings were demolished. A torch in the sky seemed to be born to the east. A star blazed conspicuously for seven days. Three suns gleamed, and around the lowest sun a crown similar to ears of grain in a circle gleamed out and afterwards when the sun had been reduced to one globe the light was limpid for months. In the temple of Castor some letters from the names of the consuls Antony and Dolabella were shaken out, which indicated that both of them would be exiled from their homeland. The baying of a dog was heard during the night in front of the home of the pontifex maximus, [Lepidus], from these things especially as the dog was mutilated by the others it portended scandalous disgrace to Lepidus. At Hostia a shoal of fish was left on dry land by the ebb and flow of the sea. The Po flooded and when it subsided below its banks left a large number of vipers. There was civil war between Antony and Octavian.