'Prodigia' prima e dopo Cristo: Le 'Storie contro i pagani' di Orosio

Orosius' Historiae adversus paganos Pagans and Christians use the same latin language and words about unintelligible and obcure events: mirabilia, omen, prodigium, portentum, signum, miraculum. Not so Orosius: Historiae adversus paganos use prodigia only before Christ, not after Christ (that is to say only in VIIth book). Orosius after Christ doesn't use prodigia, he uses only miracula. Present study analises Curtius' death in Livius, Augustinus and Orosius and shows that Orosius writes about prodigia only as pagan experience with really, indipendent, daimonic power as breaked's pax deorum sign. Not so De civitate's Augustinus where every things, too demonic power is from God. After Christ, when pagan demons and gods disappeare, disappeare too prodigia. Orosius doesn't revaluate prodigia, doesn't use this word in christian contest. He changes the words: after Christ, God makes only miracula. Too this is a break in history and culture: too with lessical use for after Christ, Orosius's optimism draws news history's start.