In the chronicles of Ancient Rome, scholars discovered dozens of descriptions of giant discs, hovering ships, and silver rains. An analysis of ancient texts showed that people witnessed rare natural phenomena, which they interpreted through the concepts available to them. Scientific data and the laws of meteorology help find quite earthly explanations for most of these stories, writes ATI. **What Metaphors Did Romans Use to Describe Meteors** One of the most famous cases in ancient historiography was an event from the first century BC. In the biography of the general Lucullus, Plutarch mentioned the fall of a large object from the sky that resembled a traditional wine vessel in shape. After this phenomenon, the armies of the two opposing forces were frightened and fled the battlefield without a single shot. Such events were perceived by the Romans as clear signs from the gods. Astronomers believe that the ancient author described the fall of an extremely bright meteor—a bolide. Roman wine vessels had a rounded shape and a narrow neck. Using this understandable everyday analogy, the chronicler conveyed the shape of the glowing body and the long bright tail that remained in the sky. Similarly, scientists explain other records of sparks that grew to the size of the Moon and disappeared instantly. Where Did Celestial Ships Appear in Ancient Chronicles The historian Titus Livius recorded in his works the appearance of ghostly ships over cities during periods of heavy wars. However, researchers advise treating these records with great caution. In the same chapters, the author mentions talking infants, landslides, and self-moving spears. During military conflicts, the population was in a state of high stress, and rumors of celestial omens spread very quickly. Some of these testimonies are explained by rare meteorological phenomena. Under certain weather conditions, stratocumulus and lenticular clouds can indeed take the shape of sea vessels or discs. **Which Described Phenomena Remain a Mystery** The greatest difficulties for scientists arise from the so-called silver rain that fell at the end of the second century AD. The historian Cassius Dio claimed that metallic flakes descended from a clear sky to the ground. Some people even tried to collect these samples, but the substance quickly evaporated without a trace. Researchers propose various hypotheses to explain this case. Some similarity to metallic webs is found in the mass migration of rare spider species that use silk threads to travel through the air over long distances. Another theory suggests a metaphor behind which the author concealed a financial crisis.