Augustus and the Ravens

I could hardly resist a couple of anecdotes about Augustus Caesar’s two ravens, could I? Both trickster tales, synchronistically enough.

“Among those who welcomed Augustus on his return in state from his victory against Antony at Actium was a man with a raven that he had taught to say: ‘Greetings to Caesar, our victorious commander.’ Augustus was charmed by this compliment and gave the man twenty thousand sesterces for the bird. But the bird's trainer had a partner, and, when none of this large sum of money had come his way, he told Augustus that the man had another raven and suggested that he should be made to produce it as well. The bird was produced and repeated the words which it had been taught to say: they were: ‘Greetings to Antony, our victorious commander.’

“Augustus, instead of being angry, was amused. He just told the first man to share the money with his mate.

“These events encouraged a poor cobbler to try to train a raven to repeat a like form of greeting, but the bird remained dumb, and the man, who was ruined by the cost incurred, often said to it: ‘Nothing to show for the trouble and expense.’

“One day, however, the raven began to repeat its lesson, and Augustus heard the greeting as he passed. ‘I get enough of such greetings at home,’ Augustus replied. But the bird also recalled the words of his master's customary lament and added: ‘Nothing to show for the trouble and expense.’ This made Augustus roar with laughter, and he ordered the bird to be bought, giving more for it than he had given for any of the others.”

Augustus

You just have to cut some slack for a dictator who had a sense of humor. Here’s another example of it: “A man who had been struck by a stone when on active service and had a noticeable and unsightly scar on his forehead was bragging loudly of his exploits and earned this bit of wit from Augustus: ‘Never look round when you are running away.’” 

But Augustus’ interactions with the family Corvidae weren’t all amusing. In fact, he must have found one of them particularly ominous — and omen-ish.

When Augustus’ best friend and military right arm, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, died unexpectedly in 12 BC, the blow was both personal and national — a fact that seemed to be underlined when the Palatine hut said to have belonged to Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome, burned down.

It had been set afire by crows, the messengers out of myth, which had apparently dropped burning bits of meat snatched from some sacrificial altar.
Source: “Augustus” by Anthony Everitt