Augurs were key figures in the religious and political life of ancient Rome. Their main task was to interpret signs from the gods, which influenced the most important state decisions, from waging wars to selecting officials. The art of divination they practiced was known as auspicia, and its basis was the observation of the flight of birds, which resulted from the belief that birds were intermediaries between the world of humans and the world of gods.
Augurs acted as advisors in deciding all important public activities, including the construction of temples, battles, and even the calling of assemblies. The observations were detailed – what mattered was the direction of bird flight, their species, and the sounds they made. In addition to birds, augurs could also read signs from other natural phenomena, such as the behaviour of sacrificial animals and storms.
The profession of augur was associated with great power. Any undertaking that did not have the approval of the gods could be suspended, which meant that the augurs had a real influence on the course of events. They were part of the upper priestly class and often came from aristocratic families. The power they wielded was both religious and political, and at times augurs used their interpretations to support or block the actions of specific individuals or factions.
It is worth noting that the art of augurium was an important part of rituals in Rome’s early days. Tradition said that the first augurs were Romulus and Remus, mythical brothers. Romulus was supposed to read promising signs from the flight of birds, which had a decisive influence on the choice of the site for the foundation of Rome.
In the times of the late Republic, the authority of augurs slowly lost importance. Finally, after the establishment of the empire under Octavian Augustus, the functions of augurs were concentrated in the hands of the emperor, as the one who – after years of civil wars – ensured the “peace of the gods” (pax deorum), that is, he restored traditional rituals and values to ensure favourable relations with Rome’s divine protectors.
