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Augury was a Greco - Roman religion practice of observing the behavior of birds, to receive omens. When the individual, known as the augur, read these signs, it was referred to as "taking the auspices". "Auspices" ( Latin auspicium) means "looking at birds". Auspex, another word for augur, can be translated to "one who looks at birds". [ 1]
An augur was a priest and official in the classical Roman world. His main role was the practice of augury, the interpretation of the will of the gods by studying events he observed within a predetermined sacred space ( templum ). The templum corresponded to the heavenly space above. The augur's decisions were based on what he personally saw or ...
Ornithomancy (modern term from Greek ornis "bird" and manteia "divination"; in Ancient Greek: οἰωνίζομαι "take omens from the flight and cries of birds") is the practice of reading omens from the actions of birds followed in many ancient cultures including the Greeks, and is equivalent to the augury employed by the ancient Romans .
v. t. e. In the religion of ancient Rome, a haruspex[ a] was a person trained to practise a form of divination called haruspicy, [ b] the inspection of the entrails [ c] of sacrificed animals, especially the livers of sacrificed sheep and poultry. Various ancient cultures of the Near East, such as the Babylonians, also read omens specifically ...
Glossary. A. abominari. The verb abominari ("to avert an omen", from ab-, "away, off," and ominari, "to pronounce on an omen") was a term of augury for an action that rejects or averts an unfavourable omen indicated by a signum, "sign". The noun is abominatio, from which English "abomination" derives.
Maxima auspicia. In ancient Roman religion and law, the auspicia maxima (also maxima auspicia) were the "greatest auspices," conferred on senior magistrates who held imperium: " auspicium and imperium were the twin pillars of the magistrate's power" ( potestas ). Only magistrates who had auspicia maxima were entitled to begin a war and, if ...
Historically it is known that the Germanic peoples used various forms of divination and means of reading omens. Tacitus (Germania 10) gives a detailed account (98AD): . They attach the highest importance to the taking of auspices and casting lots.
Explanations in English were added to this manuscript by a nineteenth-century American missionary. [ 1] An omen (also called portent) is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. [ 2] It was commonly believed in ancient times, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages ...