Cum rex Alexander urbem in Aegypto constituere vellet, architectus Dinocrates cum cretam non haberet polentaque futurae urbis liniamenta deduxisset, ingens avium multitudo pr<ox>imo lacu emersa polentam depasta est; quod sacerdotes Aegyptiorum interpretati sunt convenarum frequentiae alimentis suffecturam urbem.
When king Alexander wanted to build a city in Egypt, his architect Dinocrates, having no chalk handy, marked out the outline of the future city with barley groats; on which a vast number of birds emerged from the lake nearby and devoured the groats. This was interpreted by the Egyptian priests as signifying that the city would have enough food for a great influx of population.
final_alignments\Valerius_Memorable_Book1.json