DLH VI.44

English, pp.

The locusts which had ravaged the district round Toledo for five long years now moved forward along the public high· way and invaded another near-by province. The swarm covered an area fifty miles long and a hundred miles broad.

In this same year many strange portents appeared in Gaul and the sufferings endured by the population were very harsh. Roses flowered in January. A great circle of many colours appeared round the sun, rather like what one sees in a rainbow when the rain pours down. Frost nipped the vineyards, doing serious damage: then came a terrible storm which battered down the vines and the crops. What was left after this hailstorm was destroyed by a fierce drought. A few grapes remained on some vines, on others none at all. Men were so furious with God that they left the gates of their vineyards wide open and drove in their cattle and horses. In their misery they called I down ruination upon themselves and were heard to shout: 'We don't care if these vines never bear shoots again until the end of time!' Trees which had borne apples in July had a second crop in September. One epidemic after another killed off the flocks, until hardly any remained alive.

Latein, pp.

44. De diversis signis.

Locustae quoque de Carpitania provintia, quam per quinque vastaverant annos, hoc anno progressae ageremque publicum tenentes, ad aliam se provinciam, quae huic vicina erat provinciae, contulerunt. Quarum spatium in centum quinquaginta extenditur milibus longitudo, latitudo vero in centum milibus terminatur. Hoc anno multa prodigia apparuerunt in Galliis, vastationisque multae fuerunt in populo. Nam mense Ianuario rosae visae sunt; circa solem quoque circulus magnus apparuit, diversis coloribus mixtus, ut solet in illo caelestis iris ambitu, pluvia discendente, monstrari. Proina graviter vineas exussit; tempestas etiam subsecuta vineas segetesque per plurima loca vastavit; residuum quoque grandinis siccitas inmensa consumpsit, exiguusque fructus in aliquibus viniis visus, in aliis vero nullus, ita ut irati contra Deum homines, patifactis aditibus viniarum, pecora vel iumenta intromitterent, noxias sibi immixcentes miseri praeces atque dicentes: 'Numquam in his viniis palmis nascatur in sempeternum!' Arboris vero, quae mense Iulio poma protulerant, mense Septembre fructus alios ediderunt. Morbus pecorum iteratis invaluit, ita ut vix quicquam remaneret.

Notes:

• like the plagues?