The present article deals with the methodological treatment of the problems connected with the interpretation of a series of astral omina concerning the political life of the Pontus king Mithridates VI Eupator (about 120-63 B.C.), as referred to by Classical authors like Pompeus Trogus ( via the Epitomae of Justinus, XXXVII, 2, 1-3) or Seneca ( Naturales Quaestiones VII, 15, 2). If some scholars have tried to find the explanation of these events invoking some presumed Iranian religious patterns, this study shows that in reality these attempts are completely groundless, not only with direct reference to the properly Zoroastrian sources, but also to the more complex and pertinent astrological literature. The political use and abuse of these astral events for propaganda needs can be better framed without assuming a pseudo-Iranian favourable vision of the comets or of the falling stars. More reasonably, Mithridates VI, having lived between different cultures, knew well the Mazdean hostile tradition, which considered all these unpredictable celestial bodies as demons, not only and simply for a superstitious hostility, but according to a clearly framed theological interpretation of the world and of its cosmology.

中文翻译：

---

星体的奥米纳及其模棱两可：米特里德特的彗星案

本文讨论了与一系列有关庞特国王米瑟里德特斯六世（Eupator）的政治生活的星体omina的解释有关的问题的方法论处理，这些经典作者如庞培·特鲁格斯（Pompeus Trogus）（通过Justinus的Epitomae，XXXVII，2、1-3）或Seneca（Naturales Quaestiones VII，15、2）。如果某些学者试图找到这些事件的解释，从而激发了一些伊朗的假定宗教模式，那么这项研究表明，实际上，这些尝试是完全没有根据的，不仅直接参考了琐罗亚斯德教的教义，而且还参考了更复杂和相关的事物。占星学文献。更好地构架这些星体事件在政治上的使用和滥用，以达到宣传的目的，而无需假想伊朗人对彗星或流星的favorable憬。更合理地讲，生活在不同文化之间的Mithridates VI非常了解Mazdean敌对传统，该传统将所有这些不可预测的天体视为恶魔，不仅出于迷信敌意，而且根据对世界和世界的清晰神学解释它的宇宙学。