Augur

An augur was a special priest and official in the ancient classical Roman world. Their main job was to practice augury, which means trying to understand what the gods wanted by looking at events in a special sacred space called a templum. This space matched a similar space in the sky above.

An augur would watch and listen carefully inside the templum for signs like thunder, lightning, or even things that happened by accident, such as objects falling. But most importantly, they watched birds. They paid attention to how the birds flew—whether together or alone, the sounds they made, which way they went, what kinds of birds they were, how many, and how they ate.

Because it wasn’t always easy to see wild birds or wait for weather signs, sometimes people kept chickens just for this purpose. These chickens would be let into the templum, and the augur would watch how they behaved, especially when they ate.

The work of augurs was very important in Roman life. Before any big decision—whether it was about going to war, starting a business, or religious matters—people would ask an augur to help understand if it would bring peace, good luck, and well-being to Rome.

Etymology

Ancient writers thought the word "augur" came from the words avis and gerō, meaning "directing the birds" in Latin. But experts say it actually comes from the root augeō, which means "to increase" or "to prosper".

History and public role

In ancient Rome, important actions like wars, politics, and daily life were started only after checking signs from the gods. This was done by special priests called augurs. They looked at events in a special sacred space to understand what the gods wanted.

During the early days of Rome, there were just a few augurs, but their numbers grew over time. Being an augur was a very important job, and only certain people could become one. Later, more people were allowed to join. Even though augurs did not have much political power during the time of the Roman Empire, being one still gave them respect and importance.

Augurs, auguria, and auspices

In ancient Rome, augurs were special priests who tried to understand what the gods wanted by watching signs in nature. They looked at birds, the sky, and other events to decide if it was a good time for important actions, like choosing a new leader or starting a big project. If they heard thunder, they might stop what they were doing.

People believed the gods gave clear signs, like birds flying in certain ways or thunder and lightning. These signs helped leaders know if they had the gods’ support. The augurs had special rituals and rules to follow when they looked for these signs, making sure everything was done just right.

Attus Navius

In ancient Rome, there was a special way to understand what the gods wanted by watching the sky and birds. This was called augury. One of the most famous people who did this was Attus Navius.

Attus Navius came from a poor family and once lost one of his pigs. He promised the gods that if he found it, he would give them the biggest grapes from his vineyard. After finding his pig, he stood in his vineyard, split the sky into four parts, and watched for birds. When birds appeared, he went in that direction and found a very large grape, which he offered to the gods.

His story became well-known, and he became an important augur for the king. People remembered him as a special helper for understanding the will of the gods.