AUSPICES, the observations taken by the Ro man augurs from the flight of birds, and other natu ral appearances. The words auspicy and augury are often used indiscriminately ; but the common opinion is, that the former originally signified the inspection of birds for the purpose of divination, whereas the latter consisted in a skilful attention to their voices. The name auspcx was applied to any person who in terpreted omens ; but the name augur was not ex tended•to any but the members of the sacred college.
Auspices were anciently consulted on almost every occasion of importance, particularly on the election of magistrates, and at the commencement of military expeditions. The comitia ccnturiata and curia ta could not legally meet, till he who was to preside, accompanied by an augur, had solemnly taken the auspices. Two kinds of auspices were chiefly at tended to before the assemblies were held : those which were taken from the contemplation of the heavens ; and those which were taken either from the oscines or the prapctcs, birds by whose singing or flight the will of the gods was supposed to be in dicated. On these occasions the augur could pre
vent a meeting, or he could require a delay ; or, by declaring that some mistake had been committed, lie could not only dissolve an assembly after it was re gularly convened, but oblige a magistrate at any time to resign bis Office, on account of the alleged informality. In later times they were by no means so scrupulous with regard to the forms. The au gurs were in the constant habit of declaring that they saw lightning on the left, and the falsehood of the assertion did not vitiate the election.
In the time of war, auspices were taken ex acumi. nibus, from the beaks of birds ; and whenever a gene ral was about to lead his army across a river, he took the auspicia perennia, or percnznia. Every military enterprise was said to be accomplished by the aus pices of the consul or commander in chief.
The solemnities most commonly observed when the auspices were taken, have been shortly described in the article AUGURY. See also DIVINATION. (X)