Augŭres

, certain officers at Rome who foretold future events, whence their name, ab avium garritu . They were first created by Romulus, to the number of three. Servius Tullius added a fourth, and the tribunes of the people, A.U.C. 454, increased the number to nine; and Sylla added six more during his dictatorship. They had a particular college, and the chief amongst them was called Magister collegii . Their office was honourable; and if any one of them was convicted of any crime, he could not be deprived of his privileges; an indulgence granted to no other sacerdotal body at Rome. The augur generally sat on a high tower to make his observations. His face was turned towards the east, and he had the north to his left, and the south at his right. With a crooked staff he divided the face of the heavens into four different parts, and afterwards sacrificed to the gods, covering his head with his vestment. There were generally five things from which the augurs drew omens. The first consisted in observing the phænomena of the heavens, such as thunder, lightning, comets, . The second kind of omen was drawn from the chirping or flying of birds. The third was from the sacred chickens, whose eagerne or indifference in eating the bread which was thrown to them, was looked upon as lucky or unlucky. The fourth was from quadrupeds, from their cro ing or appearing in some unaccustomed place. The fifth was from different casualties, which were called Dira , such as spilling salt upon a table, or wine upon one’s clothes, hearing strange noises, stumbling or sneezing, meeting a wolf, hare, fox, or pregnant bitch. From such superstitious notions did the Romans draw their prophecies. The sight of birds on the left hand was always deemed a lucky object, and the words sinister and lævus , though generally supposed to be terms of ill luck, were always used by the augurs in an auspicious sense. Cicero , de Div in at i one .— Livy , bk. 1 , . — Dionysius of Halicarna us. — Ovid , Fasti . ♦ Augurīnus Julius , a Roman knight who conspired against Nero, . Tacitus , ♠ Annals , bk. 15 , ch. 70 . ♦ ‘Tugurīnus Julius’ replaced with ‘Augurīnus Julius’ Placed in correct alp he be tical order. ♠ ‘H. 15, c. 70’ replaced with ‘Annals, bk. 15, ch. 50’