Titus Livius (Livy), The History of Rome, Book 42
Evan T. Sage, Ph.D. and Alfred C. Schlesinger, Ph.D., Ed.

20. In a city which was at the highest pitch of excitement about the new war, during a storm at night the columna rostrata¹ which had been set up on the Capitoline in the first Punic war in honour of the victory of the consul Marcus Aemilius, whose colleague was Servius Fulvius, was completely destroyed by lightning. [2] This event was regarded as a prodigy and was referred to the senate; the Fathers ordered that the matter should be referred to the haruspices and, moreover, that the decemvirs should consult the Books. [3] The decemvirs reported back that the city should be purified, that a period of supplication and prayer should be held and that [p. 349]sacrifices of full-grown victims should be offered both² on the Capitoline at Rome and in Campania at the promontory of Minerva; further, that at the earliest possible moment games for ten days should be celebrated in honour of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. [4] All these directions were scrupulously obeyed. The haruspices pronounced that this omen would turn out for the best, and that an extension of frontiers and the destruction of the enemy were foretold, because those beaks which the storm had overthrown had been spoils taken from the enemy. [5] Other occurrences also increased their concern to appease the gods: news had been brought that at Saturnia there were showers of blood in the town on three successive days; that at Calatia an ass with three feet was born and a bull with five cows was killed by a single bolt of lightning; that at Auximum a shower of earth had fallen. [6] By reason of these prodigies also sacrifices were offered and a day of prayer and a festival were celebrated.