Roman Augury

In ancient Etrusca and Rome an auger was a religious official who used birds for divination and to interpret omens. Plutarch states that the augur was originally called auspex and is the act of looking at birds. An Augur's main job was to interpret the divine will by reading signs of nature and predict the future. An Auger was of great importance in ancient Rome due to the fact their sole purpose was to determine the Gods/Goddess will approved of the military or political acts that the the king was attempting to instill. An Augur also used his abilities to seek out sacred areas, known as "templas".

King Romulus was also considered to be one of the greatest augurs of his time. The elder augers elected new members and once elected, it was a lifetime commitment. In ancient Rome the king alone possessed the right to auspice "one who looks at birds" on behalf of Rome by acting as its chief augur. No public business could be performed without the will of the Gods made known through auspices. The people of Rome revered their king with a religious awe since he was the mediator between themselves and the Gods.

An augur would perform his ceremonies by reading flight and behavioral patterns of birds in the sky. Depending on the patterns of the birds, the augurs would relate whether the omens from the Gods were favorable or unfavorable. Nature is and will always be the teacher.

By the Old Ways,
Dusio