# What Omens, Prophecy, and Divine Favor means in The Lives of the Caesars

> Recurring accounts of dreams, portents, and astrological predictions (e.g., the omen of the eagle for Vitellius or the prophecy of rule from Judaea for Vespasian) underscore the belief that the gods or fate play a decisive role in the rise and fall of emperors.

## Explanation

Recurring accounts of dreams, portents, and astrological predictions (e.g., the omen of the eagle for Vitellius or the prophecy of rule from Judaea for Vespasian) underscore the belief that the gods or fate play a decisive role in the rise and fall of emperors.

The crossing of the Rubicon is accompanied by a divine sign, and Sulla's prophecy about Caesar is recalled.

Omens surrounding Galba's rise include Augustus's prophecy, the eagle carrying intestines to an oak, the foaling of a mule, and a dream of Fortune. These are interpreted as signs of his destined but delayed rule.

Multiple prodigies—from the foaling of a mule to dreams and sacrificial mishaps—foretell Galba's end and reflect his changing fortune.

Multiple omens are described: an eagle flying before the troops, collapsing statues, a falling laurel crown, and a cock perching on Vitellius's head, all foreshadowing his eventual downfall.

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