82 
plii^t's natural histoet. 
[Book II 
suffering any injury \ Among tlie prognostics wHch took 
place at the time of Catiline's conspiracy, M. Herennius, a 
magistrate of the borough of Pompeii, was struck by light- 
ning when the sky was without clouds^. 
CHAP. 53. (52.) — THE etetjeian' and the eoman 
OBSEEYATIONS ON THESE POINTS. 
The Tuscan books inform us, that there are nine Grods 
who discharge thunder-storms, that there are eleven differ- 
ent kinds of them, and that three of them are darted out by 
Jupiter. Of these the Eomans retained only two, ascribing 
tlie diurnal kind to Jupiter, and the nocturnal ta Summa- 
nus^ ; this latter kind being more rare, in consequence of 
the heavens being colder, as was mentioned above. The 
Etrurians also suppose, that those which are named Infernal 
burst out of the ground ; they are produced in the winter 
and are particularly fierce and direful, as all things are which, 
proceed from the earth, and are not generated by or proceed- 
ing from the stars, but from a cause which is near at hand, 
and of a more disorderly nature. As a proof of this it is 
said, that all those which proceed from the higher regions 
strike obliquely, while those which are termed terrestrial 
strike in a direct line. And because these fall from matter 
which is nearer to us, they are supposed to proceed from the 
earth, since they leave no traces of a rebound ; this being 
the effect of a stroke coming not from below, but from an 
opposite quarter. Those who have searched into the subject 
* This effect may be easily explained by the agitation into which the 
female might have been thrown. The title of " princeps E.omanarum," 
which is apphed to Marcia, has given rise to some discussion among the 
commentators, for which see the remarks of Hardouin and Alexandre, ia 
Lemaire, i. 348. 
2 Sometimes a partial thunder-cloud is formed, while the atmosphere 
generally is perfectly clear, or, as Hardouin suggests, the effect might 
have been produced by a volcanic eruption. See Lemaire, i. 348. 
3 Seneca gives us an account of the opinions of the Tuscans ; Nat. 
Qusest. ii. 32 ; and Cicero refers to the " hbri fulgurales" of the Etrurians ; 
De Divin. i. 72. 
^ According to Hardouin, "Summanus est Deus summus Manium, 
idem Orcus et Pluto dictus." Lemaire, i. 349 ; he is again referred to 
by our author, xxix. 14 ; Ovid also mentions him, Fast. vi. 731, with the 
remark, " quisquis is est." 
