Naissances monstrueuses des serpents et prémonitions de tyrannie au dernier siècle de la République romaine et sous l’Empire

Among episodes recounting monstrous births to be found in the ancient tradition, there are some cases concerning the birth of creatures looking like snakes that took place in the last century of the Republic and under the Imperial Age. Although in some literary contexts snakes have a positive meaning, if we examine different historiographical passages it seems that in some specific historical moments, that is under the power of Silla, Tiberius, Caligula, Nero, Domitian, Commodus, the appearance of snakes is perceived as completely negative and, more particularly, the presence of malformed newborn babies looking like this animal can be related to the fear of an involution of the political system into tyranny.