Libri Fulgurales

Abstract

Lightning was not always regarded as just a meteorological phenomenon: it strongly inspired religious imagination and caused cult observations before science had its word, and even after that. Its history was treated in a masterly fashion by Usener (1905), and there is no need to return to it, especially after O. Gilbert's survey of the scientific lore (1907) and A. B. Cook's substantial and learned supplements and illustrations to Usener (1925). They neglected, however, the Etruscan libri fulgurales which, although depending on both religion and science, are not concerned with either in general but with divination. Here too the ground is well prepared, and three men deserve particular mention, K. O. Miiller, the pioneer, Thulin for his indispensable monograph, and W. Kroll for an observation about the historical background. Müller (1828) and Thulin (1906) discussed the evidence under four headings, consultation, procuration, repulsion, and conjuration, Miiller in a short and selective narrative, Thulin exhaustively; and many valuable observations and interpretations were made by both. Thulin bravely faced all difficulties and contradictions but rather presented the case than decided it: there is no thesis at the beginning and no conclusion at the end. In addition, he did not appreciate sufficiently the problem of origins. This problem did not exist in Müller's day and was not really acute when Thulin wrote. He knew and quoted many Eastern parallels by way of illustration but explained their existence by the Eastern origin of the Etruscans, which is a hypothesis and not an explanation and fails at any rate whenever the doctrine in question is of a recent date.