M. Tullius Cicero, Divination
William Armistead Falconer, Ed.

[114] "Those then, whose souls, spurning their bodies, take wings and fly abroad—inflamed and aroused by a sort of passion—these men, I say, certainly see the things which they foretell in their prophecies. Such souls do not cling to the body and are kindled by many different influences. For example, some are aroused by certain vocal tones, as by Phrygian songs, many by groves and forests, and many others by rivers and seas. I believe, too, that there were certain subterranean vapours which had the effect of inspiring persons to utter oracles.¹ In all these cases the frenzied soul sees the future long in advance, as Cassandra did in the following instance:

Alas! behold! some mortal will decide
A famous case between three goddesses:
Because of that decision there will come
A Spartan woman, but a Fury too.²

It is in this state of exaltation that many predictions have been made, not only in prose but also

In verse which once the fauns and bards did sing.

From Ennius, Annales, vii. 2.