This refers to a famous passage in Pliny the Elder's Natural History (Book 10, Section 35) regarding an eagle-owl (bubo) that flew into Rome's most sacred temple during the consulship of Sextus Palpellius Hister. [1, 2]

Because the Romans viewed the eagle-owl as a terrifying omen of death and public disaster, this event required a massive ritual purification (lustratio) of the entire city. [1, 2]

---

🏛️ The Original Latin Text

"...[Bubo] Capitolii cellam ipsam intravit Sexto Palpellius Hister L. Pedanio cos., propter quod nonis Martis urbs lustrata est eo anno." [1]

🇬🇧 The English Translation

"...An eagle-owl entered the very shrine of the Capitol in the consulship of Sextus Palpellius Hister and Lucius Pedanius, on account of which a purification of the city was held on March 7th in that year." [1]

---

🔍 Context Breakdown

• The Bird (Bubo): Pliny describes the bubo (specifically the Eurasian eagle-owl) as a "funereal bird and one strongly deprecated as an ill omen". Seeing it out in the open or in a city was considered a horrific omen. [1, 2, 3]
• The Location: It did not just fly into Rome; it entered the cella (inner shrine) of the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline Hill—the spiritual heart of the Roman Empire. [1, 2]
• The Date (Palpellius): Sextus Palpellius Hister served as consul in 43 AD. Identifying years by the names of the sitting consuls was the standard Roman system. [1]
• The Clean-up: The occurrence was so alarming that the Roman priests immediately ordered a city-wide spiritual cleansing on the Nones of March (March 7th) to ward off evil. [1, 2]

If you are exploring Roman omens, would you like to see other bizarre animal portents Pliny recorded, or do you need help translating another specific line?

L'AI