The Roman Augurs and the Auspices of Romulus

Record summary

Roman augury involved interpreting signs, especially bird behavior, within an institutional and political framework. Accounts of Romulus and Remus competing through auspices explain Rome’s foundation through a divinatory contest, while later magistrates used auspices to authorize public action. The lead matters for comparison with state ritual, omen interpretation, authority, and retrospective foundation myth. Our evidence comes from literary authors, antiquarian discussions, and later descriptions rather than continuous records from the monarchy. Roman practice also changed over time and should not be flattened into one system.