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Religious Roles & Titles

Augur

Roman Religion Roles

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Origin from 715 BCE

An augur was a member of the College of Augurs, one of the great public priestly colleges of Rome, whose office was to read the auspices, principally the flight and behaviour of birds, to determine whether the gods sanctioned a proposed public action such as convening the assembly, marching to war, or holding an election. Unlike the Vestal Virgins, augurs held ordinary civic careers alongside the priesthood and the office was held for life.

Facts
Status
Status Today
Historical; not practised continuously 1
Current Status
The augural college persisted through the Roman Republic and Empire and lapsed with the decline of Roman state religion in late antiquity; it survives today only as etymological legacy in words such as inaugurate and auspicious. 1
Origins
Origin Period
from 715 BCE 1
Disputed
Origin of the Name
The word augur is itself of disputed derivation, connected by different ancient and modern authorities to avis, bird, or to other roots; Cicero already discussed rival explanations in his own writing on divination. 1
Ancient and modern authorities disagree about the word's derivation.
Attributions
Tradition
Ancient Roman religion 1
Significance
Sacred Role
Interpreted the will of the gods through the auspices, chiefly the observation of bird flight and behavior, to determine whether a proposed public action had divine sanction. 1
Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

Rome, Cities

This source names Rome directly: "the great public priestly colleges of Rome, whose office was to read the auspices, principally the flight and behaviour of birds, to determine whether the gods sanctioned a proposed public action..."

Source Religions of Rome, Volume 1: A HistoryMary Beard, John North and Simon Price

Belongs to Tradition

Roman Religion, Religions
Source Religions of Rome, Volume 1: A HistoryMary Beard, John North and Simon Price

Founded By

Numa Pompilius, Figures

Numa Pompilius's own description: Roman tradition credits him with founding "the priestly colleges of the pontiffs, augurs and flamens." Traditional credit, not a historical claim.

Source The Oxford Classical Dictionary, 4th editionSimon Hornblower, Antony Spawforth and Esther Eidinow (eds.)

Related To

Flamen, Religious Roles & Titles
Sources
1. Religions of Rome, Volume 1: A History
Mary Beard, John North and Simon Price, Cambridge University Press, 1998on the College of Augurs and the taking of auspicesView the Source
The Oxford Classical Dictionary, 4th edition
Simon Hornblower, Antony Spawforth and Esther Eidinow (eds.), Oxford University Press, 2012s.v. augures, auguriumView the Source
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