Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Sexta Aprilis: Day Fatality, or Some Observations of Days Lucky and Unlucky

From John Aubrey's Miscellanies Upon Various Subjects

"Upon the sixth of April, Alexander the Great was born. Upon the same day he conquered Darius, won a great victory at sea, and died the same day.

Neither was this day less fortunate to his father Philip; for on the same day he took Potidea; Parmenio, his general, gave a great overthrow to the Illyrians; and his horse was victor at the Olympic games. Therefore, his prophets foretold to him, 'Filium cujus natalis,' &c. That a son whose birthday was accompanied with three victories, should prove invincible.

At the hour of prime, April 6, 1327, Petrarch first saw his mistress Laura in the church of Saint Clara in Avignon. In the same city, same month, same hour, 1348, she died."


8 comments:

  1. i've got some of Aubrey's comments somewhere; i'll have to look for them... someday i WILL get organized...

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    1. I've never actually read any Aubrey--I saw this in a reference to Petrarch the other day & saved it for today.

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  2. And ABBA won Eurovision in 1974 with Waterloo 😅

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  3. Wow...so many things happening on this day.

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    1. I'm not sure he's entirely trustworthy... ;-)

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