Nigidius Figulus

The famous Pythagorean and Cicero's friend, Nigidius Figulus, who was styled by Suetonius Phytagoricus et magus, was condemned by Caesar and died in exile in 45 BCE. He is supposed to have foretold the greatness of Octavian on the day of his birth (Suetonius, Augustus; Dio Cassius, Excerpta Salmasiana).

Nigidius also discussed the historial theory, according to which the history of the world was divided into four eras, each one ruled by a specific god.

Nigidius, in the 4th book of his work on the gods, says: 'Some authors distinguish the gods and their kind according to times and periods. Among these authors Orpheus said that the first reign was that of Saturn, then that of Jupiter and subsequently those of Neptunus, and of Pluto. Several other authors, among whom were the Magi, say the reign of Apollo was forthcoming. In this account one should recognize that they did not speak of combustion or of the so-called ekpyrosis.'

Nigidius was told to have performed a mantic seance by means of an enchanted boy (Apuleius, De magia). This was probably a ritual of hydromancy, known thanks to many recipes in the magical papyri, and, according to Varro, was typical of Persian rituals.

—Mastrocinque (2017) The Mysteries of Mithras