AUGURIES and AUSPICES. These terms are familiar to every reader of Roman history, and are, besides, so frequently employed in Eng lish in a secondary and metaphorical sense, that a vague notion of their original is caught up even by those who know nothing of classical antiquities. As, however. the entire religions and political life of the early Romans was deeply penetrated by the influence of their sacred superstitions, and, as among these, auguries and auspices held a prominent place, a clear conception of what they were is a matter of considerable moment. The following state ments exhibit, in a condensed form, the substance of what is known on the subject.
Like most primitive nations, the Romans believed that every unusual occnrrence had a supernatural significance, and contained, hidden in it, the will of Heaven regarding men. To reveal or interpret this hidden will, as relat ing to some definite matter, was the privilege of the augur, whose name is probably contracted from ari-ger (cf. avis, a bird), though the mean ing of the second element is not clear. The augur must he distinguished from the pantifrx, \•IM directed the religious ritual; also from the harnspcx, and other prophets, who predicted future events. It was the duty of the augur to determine whether the gods were propitious to a course of action already determined or in progress. Private augurs seem to have existed in the early days; but we are best informed about the public augurs—interpreters of Jupiter Op timus :\laximus, as Cicero calls them. The origin of the collegium a ugnrium, or 'college of augurs,' was lost in the myths of early !tome; but it is known that, by the Ogulnian law of B.C. 300. five of the nine public augurs must be plebeians, and it seems probable that the original number was three, representing the three early tribes. For more than 200 years, the number continued the same, till Sulla, in me. Si increased it to 15. Until B.C. 103 the vacancies seem to have been filled by the college itself; but at that date a more complicated process was introduced, whereby the were nominated by the college, and elected at an assembly of 17 tribes chosen by lot from the 35. Under the Empire this election was trans ferred to the Senate, but in general vacancies seem to have been tilled by the mere recom mendation of the Emperor. The last known augur, L. Ragonbis Vetustus, is mentioned in an inscription of A.D. 390. The rank of the augnrs was high, and the position was sought by the leading men of the State. It was held for
life, and was not inconsistent, with the holding of other religious and civil offices. The augurs were one of the four great priestly colleges rank ing after the pontifiees, but before the dccemriri and /famines. They had special seats at the games and a regular income from public lands. The augurs solemnly inaugurated the new augurs and the thimbles, and possibly other officials, in quired about 'the safety of the Roman people' at certain definite times. and consulted the gods regarding the harvest. In historic times, their most important function was taking the aus pices in connection with almost any action of the State. This rapidly became a mere lietion, to he used to promote or prevent action, according to the wishes of the ruling powers.
Auguries might be of two kinds—( I) 'sought' ( impel rut i ra ) , where the observer asked the gods for the sign desired; (2) oldativa, where they were unexpe•ted. The modes of divination employed by the augurs were five in number: (1) augur/am es orb): (2.) ex a rilam (3) c.e triparlits ; (4) ex quadru s, mud ( .1) ca diris, The first, relating to the interpretation of the celestial phenomena. such as thunder and lightning. was apparently of Etruscan origin, and held to be of supreme signifieanee. The second related to the interpretation of the noise and flight of birils. It was not every bird, how ever, that could be a sure nMssenger of the gods. Generally speaking, those 'consulted,' as it was called, were the eagle, vulture, crow', raven, owl, and hen. Th, first two belonged to the class of antes, or birds whose flight revealed the will of the gods; the last four to the class of oscines, whose voice divulged the same. These two modes of angury were the oldest and most im portant. though the latter passed almost out of use in historie times. Of the other three, the auguries ex tripudiis were taken from the feed ing of the sacred chickens; the auguries ex iptadrapedibus, from four-footed animals within the limits of a 'temple' marked for the purpose; the auguries ex diris (a vague kind of augury), from any accidents or occurrences during the taking of the omens. These were usually un favorable, and required the abandonment of the undertaking. Such (lira. might also occur out side of the 'temple;' e.g. the stumblings of a general's horse, etc., and must he obeyed.