[685] In the famous case of Bibulus against Caesar, 59; Suet. Caes. 20; cf. Dio Cass. xxxviii. 4. 2 f.
[686] Proved by the fact that the watching of the sky by Bibulus should have annulled the arrogation of Clodius (Cic. Dom. 15. 39 f.; Har. Resp. 23. 48; Att. ii. 12. 2; 16. 2; Prov. Cons. 19. 45; Mommsen, Röm. Staatsr. i. 113, n. 2), which was brought about by an act of the curiae under the presidency of the supreme pontiff. Any one competent to observe the heavens necessarily had the obnuntiatio.
[687] Cic. Sest. 36. 78. Probably obnuntiatio against tribunes is referred to by Cic. Phil. v. 3. 7 f. and by Ascon. 68 (the last is the abolition of the Livian laws of 91), but the obnuntiating magistrate is not known. In Cic. Vatin. 7. 17 (“Num quem post urbem conditam scias tribunum pl. egisse cum plebe, cum constaret servatum esse de caelo”) the principle is laid down that any one who has the right to obnuntiate may use this power against a tribune. The validity of the tribunician law for the interdiction of Cicero from fire and water was maintained on the ground that no one was then watching the sky; Cic. Prov. Cons. 19. 45.
[688] Cic. Sest. 37. 79; cf. 38. 83; Phil. ii. 38. 99; Att. iv. 3. 3 f.; 17. 4; Q. Fr. iii. 3. 2 (cf. Drumann-Gröbe, Gesch. Roms, iii. 6; Mommsen, Röm. Staatsr. i. 113, n. 3); Dio Cass, xxxix. 39; Plut. Crass. 16; App. B. C. ii. 18. 66 (cf. Cic. Div. i. 16. 29); iii. 7. 25.
[689] Cic. Att. iv. 9. 1.
[690] Cic. Vatin. 7. 16.
[691] Cic. Dom. 15. 39: “(Augures) negant fas esse agi cum populo, cum de caelo servatum sit.”
[692] Cic. Att. iv. 3. 3.
[693] Cic. Phil. ii. 32. 81.
[694] Cic. Att. iv. 3. 4. In like manner Bibulus, after obnuntiating in vain against Caesar’s agrarian law (p. 439), determined to remain at home and continually to watch the sky for the remainder of the year. This procedure invalidated all acts passed during that time by the assembly; Cic. Dom. 15. 39 f.; Har. Resp. 23. 48; Prov. Cons. 19. 45.