Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

PRLODIGIIUM. PROD OSIA. 961
Cic. de Leg. i. 20.) Respecting the powers and r affairs, as, for example, when tile marvel reported
jurisdiction of tihe proconsuls in the provinces, see had beeit obserived in a private mansion or in some
PROVINCIA. town not closely connected with Rome, and in this
After the administration of the empire was case it was said non ssuscipi, but a regular record of
newly regulated by Constantine, parts of certain the more important was carefully preserved in the
dioceses were ander the administration of pro- Annals, as may be seen from the numerous details
consuls. Thus a part of the diocese of Asia, called dispersed throughout the extant books of Livy.
Asia in a narrower sense, Achaia in the diocese (See Liv. ii. 42, iii. 10, xxiv. 44, xxxvii. 3, xliii.
of Macedonia, and the consular province in the 13; Miiller, die Etrusker, vol. ii. p. 191; Hartunng,
diocese of Africa, were governed by proconsuls. die Religios cler RMncr, vol. i. p. 96; and for an
(Walter, Gcsciichte des Ro;nisclens Rechts, ~ 366, interesting essay on the illustrations of Natural
2d edit.) [L. S.] History to be derived from the records of ancient
PROCUBITO'RES. [ExRneITUS, p. 503, a.] prodigies, Heyne, 02lsse. Acad. vol. iii. pp. 198,
PROCURAITOR is the person who has the 255.) [W. R.]
management of any business committed to him by PRO'DOMUS. [Dosvus, p. 425, b; TEsmanother. Thus it is applied to a person who main- PLUM.]
tains or defends an action on behalf of another, or, PRODO'SIA (orposoola). Under this term
as we should say, an attorney [ACTIO]: to a was included not only every species of treason,
steward in a family [CALCULATOR]: to an officer but also evelry such crime as (in the opinion of the
in the provinces belonging fo the Caesar, who at- Greeks) would amount to a betraying or desertion
tended to the duties discharged by the quaestor in of the interest of a man's country. The highest
the other provinces [PRovINcIx]: to an officer sort of treason was the attempt to establish a desengaged in the administration of the Fiscus [FIs- potism (vvpavves), or to subvert the constitution
cus]: and to various other officers under the (Kcavradeav vr'v,roatIeTta), aand in democracies
empire. KavasAiLts' rOV 8~to or 01v 7rXorOos. Other kinds
PRODI'GIUM in its widest acceptation de- of treason were a secret correspondence with a
notes any sign by which the gods indicated to men foreign enemy; a betrayinmg of an important trust,
a felture event, whether good or evil, and thus in- such as a fleet, army, or fortress; a desertion of
cludes omens and auguries of every description. post; a disobedience of orders, or any other act of
(Virg. Aem. v. 638; Servius, ad loc.; Plin. HI. N. treachery, or breach of duty in the public service.
xi. 37; Cic. in VTerr. iv. 49.) It is, however, (Demosth. pro Cos. 242, c. Leplt. 481, c. Tinmoc.
generally employed in a more restricted sense to 745, c. Tinotlb. 1204, pro Cor. Trierarch. 1230;
signify some strange incident or wonderful appear- Lys. c. Agor. 130, 131, ed. Steph.; Lycurg. c.
ance which was supposed to herald the approach Leocr. 1,55, ed. Steph.) It would be a betrayal of
of misfortune, and happened under such circum- the state, to delude the people by false intellistances as to announce that the calamity was im- gence or promises; or to disobey any special depending over a whole community or nation rather cree, such as that (for instance) which prohibited
thain private individuals. The word may be con- the exportation of arms or nmaval stores to Philip,
sidered synonymous witih ostentumn, monstrumn, por- and that which (after Philip had taken possession
tentuen. "Quia enim ostendunt, portendunt, mons- of Phocis) forbade Athenian citizens to pass the
trant, praedicunt; ostenta, portenltn, monstra, pro- night out of the cty. (Demosth. c. Lept. 487, 498,
digia dicuntur." (Cic. de Div. i. 42.) It should pro Cor. 238- de Feals. Leg. 433.) But not olll
be observed, however, that prodigizsu must be de- would overt acts of disobedience or treachery amount
rived from cgo, and not from dicoe, as Cicero would to the crime of rposorila, but also the neglect to
have it. perform those' active duties which the Greeks in
Since prodigies were viewed as direct manifesta- general expected of every good citizen. Cowardice
tions of the wrath of heaven, and warnings of in battle (8etiea) would be an instance of this
comilng vengeance, it was believed that this wrath kind; so would any breach of the oath taken by
might be appeased, and consequently this venge- the e6V@7oe at Athens; or any line of conduct for
ance averted, by prayers and sacrifices duly offered which a chaige of disaffection to the people (io'otothe offended powers. This being a matter which 77utda) might be successfully maintained. (Xen.
deeply concerned the public welfare, the necessary CgYp. i. 4. ~ 14, vi. 3. ~ 27; Eurip. Ploeniss.
rites were in ancient times regularly performed, 1003; Andoc. c. Alcib. 30, ed. Steph.; Lycurg. c.
under the direction of the pontifices, by the consuls Leoc. 157, ed. Steph.; Demosth. pro Cop. 242.)
before they left the city, the solemnities being Thus, we find persons, whose offence was the procalled procuratio prodigiorum.: Although from the pounding unconstitutional lawns, or advising bad
very nature of the occurrences it was impossible to measures, or the like, charged by their political
anticipate and provide for every contingency, we opponents with an attempt to overthrow the conhave reason to know that rules for expiation, ap- stitution. (Demosth. rep1 ourvvTa. 170; Aescli.
plicable to a great variety of cases, were laid down c. Timarcli. 1, c. Ctes. 82, ed. Steph.; Lys. pro
in the Ostentaria, the Libri Ritmalesi alld other sacred Polyst. 159, ed. Steph.) Of the facility with whicll
books of the Etrurians (Cic. de Div. i. 33; Millel, such charges might be made at Athens, especially
Etrulskeor, vol. i. pp. 33, 36, 343, vol. ii. pp. 30, 99, in times of political excitement, when the most
122, 131, 146, 337), with the contents of which the eminent citizens were liable to le suspected of
Roman priests were well acquainted; and when the plots ~against the state, history affords abundant
prodigy was of a very terrible or unprecedented proof; and Greek history, no less than modern,
nature it was usual to seek counsel from some re- shows the danger of leaving the crime of treason
lnowned Tuscanl seer, from the Sibylline books, or undefined by the lawv, and to be interpreted by
even from the Delphic oracle. Prodigies were fre- judges. (Aristoph. Eq. 236, 475, 862, Vesp. 483,
quiently suffered to pass unheeded when they were 953; Wachsmuth, Hell. A1I. vol. i. pt. ii. p. 1 54,
considered to have no direct reference to public vol. ii. pt. i. p. 178.) One of the most relmarkatle
Cq