Augures

Augures, or augurs in Roman terms, were priests whose primary task was to interpret omens and signs to guide public and religious actions. The office derives from the Latin augur and the practice of augury, one of the main ways the Romans consulted the gods before making important decisions. Augurs could be consulted on matters of war, elections, religious rites, and other state affairs.

Augury relied largely on auspices, signs observed in the sky and natural phenomena. The most characteristic method involved the flight of birds (auspicia), but other signs such as thunder, lightning, or the inspection of omens could also be interpreted. The augurs within the Collegium Augurum would assess these signs to determine whether a proposed action had divine approval; unfavorable omens could delay or cancel plans, while favorable ones could authorize proceeding.

The College of the Augurs (Collegium Augurum) was one of Rome’s oldest priestly bodies. Membership typically included prominent patricians and, over time, some plebeians as well. Augurs operated in relation to other priestly offices, such as the pontiffs and haruspices, and despite competing authorities, their auspices often carried significant political weight because public acts—like elections, the start of military campaigns, or colonization—often required valid auspices.

Historically, augury remained an important aspect of Roman life from the early Republic through late antiquity, though its political influence declined with the centralization of imperial power and the Christianization of the empire. The term augur survives in modern languages as a general word for omen predictors, and augury denotes the practice or signs of portent.