Science, religion, and political omens: the meaning of eclipses in ancient Rome

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · Aug 03, 2026 · 1037 words · By Javier Andreu Pintado

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What to know about Science, religion, and political omens: the meaning of eclipses in ancient Rome

The article discusses the historical perception of solar eclipses in Ancient Rome, contrasting the scientific understanding of the elite with the superstitious beliefs of the general population. It explores how these events were interpreted as divine omens (prodigia) and influenced political and religious actions in Roman society.

Propaganda risk 10%

Claims checked 12

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left14%

Center72%

Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

On August 12, Europe – in particular the Iberian peninsula – will look to the sky to witness a historic solar eclipse.

Why it matters

We already know when it will begin, how long it will last, and what part of the sun will be hidden behind the moon.

Common ground

Apps on our phones allow us to calculate the exact moment of greatest darkness, and recommend the best places to see it.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Science, religion, and political omens: the meaning of eclipses in ancient Rome?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that During the years of Roman expansion into Macedonia, an eclipse was interpreted as a harbinger of the Greeks’ defeat at the Battle of Pydna in 168BC?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/science-religion-and-political-omens-the-meaning-of-…

analyticsAnalysis

10%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4

check_circle Corroborated 4

help Insufficient Evidence 2

schedule Pending 2

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Claim 1: “During the years of Roman expansion into Macedonia, an eclipse was interpreted as a harbinger of the Greeks’ defeat at the Battle of Pydna in 168BC.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm or deny the claim regarding the Battle of Pydna in 168 BC.

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Claim 2: “The politician and philosopher Cicero interpreted the partial solar eclipse of May 18, 63BC as a bad omen for his consulship”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 3: “In 340BC, an eclipse coincided with a hailstorm, and the Senate decreed rituals to restore peace with the gods.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim regarding a 340 BC eclipse coinciding with a hailstorm and Senate rituals is found in one source (Science, religion, and political omens).

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Year 340 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Torquatus and Mus (or, less frequently, year 414 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 3…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/340_BC

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The (Second) Latin War of 340–338 BC was a conflict between the Roman Republic and its neighbors, the Latin peoples of ancient Italy. It ended in the dissolution of the Latin League and incorporation …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_War

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Roman Republic (Latin: Res publica Romana, pronounced [ˈreːs ˈpuːblɪka roːˈmaːna]) was the era of classical Roman civilisation beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally date…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Republic

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 4: “The Roman historian Cassius Dio recounts that, prior to an eclipse on August 1 in the year AD45, the fourth emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty had the phenomenon publicly announced”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim is specifically mentioned in one Medium article citing Cassius Dio. Other search results for Claudius or Cassius Dio do not mention this specific event on August 1, AD 45.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gaius Avidius Cassius (c. 130 – July 175 AD) was a Roman general and usurper. He was born in Cyrrhus, and was the son of Gaius Avidius Heliodorus, who served as praefectus or governor of Roman Egypt, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avidius_Cassius

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( KLAW-dee-əs; Classical Latin: [tɪˈbɛri.ʊs ˈkɫau̯di.ʊs ˈkae̯sar au̯ˈɡʊstʊs ɡɛrˈmaːnɪkʊs]; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54), or simply Claudius, was a Ro…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudius

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tiberius Claudius Pompeianus (Greek: Πομπηιανός; c. 125 – 193 AD) was a politician and military commander during the 2nd century in the Roman Empire. A general under Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Pompeianu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiberius_Claudius_Pompeianus

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 5: “In 49BC, Cassius Dio mentioned a total solar eclipse amongst a series of omens that foretold misfortune for Rome.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm or deny the claim regarding Cassius Dio and a total solar eclipse in 49 BC.

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Claim 6: “In The Life of Romulus, the historian Plutarch recounts how, in June 708BC, the death of Rome’s first king was accompanied by day turning into night.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific detail about June 708 BC and the death of Romulus being accompanied by day turning into night is found in one source (The Independent). While Plutarch's 'Life of Romulus' is a real work, other provided evidence does not corroborate this specific claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Roman Empire was a state that dominated the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa during the classical period. The Roman Republic had previously conquered most of these …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Roman Forum (Italian: Foro Romano), also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum, is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the cent…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Forum

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In Roman mythology, Romulus and Remus (Latin: [ˈroːmʊlʊs], [ˈrɛmʊs]) are twin brothers whose story tells of the events that led to the founding of the city of Rome and the Roman Kingdom by Romulus, fo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romulus_and_Remus

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “The Roman intellectuals Pliny the Elder and Seneca – in their respective works Natural History and Thyestes – theorised abut eclipses.”

CORROBORATED

An article from The Independent explicitly states that Pliny the Elder (Natural History) and Seneca (Thyestes) theorized about eclipses. Wikipedia confirms Pliny wrote Natural History.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Natural History (Latin: Naturalis historia) is a Latin work by Pliny the Elder. The largest single work to have survived from the Roman Empire to the modern day, the Natural History compiles infor…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_History_(Pliny)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo; 61 – c. 113), better known in English as Pliny the Younger ( PLIN-ee), was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient R…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliny_the_Younger

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Elder ( SEN-ik-ə; c. 54 BC – c. AD 39), also known as Seneca the Rhetorician, was a Roman writer, born of a wealthy equestrian family of Corduba, Hispania. He wrote a collect…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_the_Elder

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “One famously followed Jesus’ death during the reign of Tiberius”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 9: “On August 12, Europe – in particular the Iberian peninsula – will look to the sky to witness a historic solar eclipse.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources, including NASA Science and other web results, confirm a total solar eclipse will occur on August 12, 2026, visible over the Iberian Peninsula (Spain).

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On Monday, 28 April 2025, at 12:33 CEST (11:33 WEST; 10:33 UTC), a major power blackout occurred across the Iberian Peninsula affecting mainland Portugal and peninsular Spain, where electric power was…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Iberian_Peninsula_blackou…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Iberian Peninsula (IPA: eye-BEER-ee-ən), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of continental Europe by the Pyrenees, the Iberian Peninsula …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iberian_Peninsula

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is one of four extant species of Lynx, a genus of medium-sized wild cats. It is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula. Fossils suggest that it has been present in Iberia si…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iberian_lynx

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 10: “On July 17 in the year 188BC, another eclipse plunged Rome into darkness for nearly two hours.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim about an eclipse on July 17, 188 BC, is mentioned in one source (Science, religion, and political omens). The other search results for 'solar power' are irrelevant.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Solar power, also known as solar electricity, is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power

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web search NEUTRAL — Solar technologies are categorized as either passive or active depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute sunlight and enable solar energy to be harnessed at different levels around the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_energy

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web search NEUTRAL — Students use SOLAR to register for classes, print schedules, view and pay bills, update personal contact information, view transcripts, and submit student employment timesheets.
https://it.stonybrook.edu/services/solar

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Claim 11: “eclipses – a word derived from the Greek meaning “disappearance of the sun””

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources confirm that 'eclipse' is derived from the Greek word 'ekleípō', meaning disappearance.

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web search NEUTRAL — While academics and ruling elites had inherited explanations from Greek astrology, eclipses – a word derived from the Greek meaning “disappearance of the sun” – were still interpreted as signals from …
https://theconversation.com/science-religion-and-political-o…

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web search NEUTRAL — The word “eclipse” derives from the Greek word ekleípō meaning disappearance.The Ancient Romans and Greeks both considered an eclipse to be an important omen of future events. In Asia and South Americ…
https://baylorline.com/baylor-waco-solar-eclipse/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In fact, the word “eclipse” comes from the Greek word ekleípō meaning disappearance or abandonment. In traditional forms of astrology eclipses were feared as “bad omens” and many things were blamed on…
https://www.lynnhayes.com/preparing-for-the-solar-eclipse/

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Claim 12: “It was Babylonian astronomers who discovered that eclipses were cyclical.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources discuss the Babylonian discovery of the Saros cycle and their ability to predict the cyclical nature of eclipses.

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web search NEUTRAL — How does it foretell eclipses — and how could Babylonians discover its existence long before modern science and technology? With agonizing care, the astronomer worked through the data one more time.
https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-resources/saros-cycle-…

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web search NEUTRAL — There's an eclipse coming up in April of 2024! You'd think it takes a lot of modern technology for us to know about it, but it turns out that humans have been able to predict eclipses for nearly three…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICBj_FqqTc8

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web search NEUTRAL — Babylonians believed that an eclipse foretold the death of their ruler, leading them to use these predictions to put kingly protections in place. During the period of time that lunar or solar eclipses…
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-eclipse-an…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.