Julius Obsequens’s Roman prodigies

Record summary

The Liber Prodigiorum attributed to Julius Obsequens compiles reports of unusual signs, including celestial lights, objects and other prodigies drawn from earlier Roman annalistic traditions. It is a useful comparative source because it preserves the categories through which Romans organized anomalous events: divine warnings, omens and public religious concerns. The compilation’s date, sources and textual transmission are complex, and individual notices cannot automatically be treated as eyewitness reports. Researchers should identify the Latin passage, compare manuscript and editorial traditions, and consult scholarship on Roman prodigy literature.