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AUGURIES. in it. the will of Heaven regarding men. To reveal or interpret this hidden will, as relat- ing to some definite matter, was the privilege of the auijur. whose name is probably contracted from <a-i-ger (cf. avis, a bird), though the mean- ing of the second element is not clear. The aiif/iir mnst be distingiiished from the ponfifcr. who directed the religious ritual; also from the linrufiprx. and other prophets, who predicted future events. It was the duty of the augur to determine whether the gods were projntious to a cour.se of action already determined or in progress. Private augurs seem to have existed in the early days; but we are best informed about the public augurs — interpreters of Jupiter Op- tinius jMaximus. as Cicero calls them. The origin of the coller/ium augufium, or 'college of augurs,' was lost in the myths of early Rome ; but it is known that, by the Ogulnian law of B.C. 300, five of the nine public augurs must be plebeians, and it seems probable that the original niimber was three, representing the three early tribes. For more than 200 years, the number continued the same, till Sulla, in u.c. 81 increased it to 1.5. Until B.C. 10,3 the vacancies seem to have been filled by the college itself; but at that date a more complicated process was introduced, whereby the candidates were nominated by the college, and elected at an assembly of 17 tribes chosen by lot from the .35. T.^nder the Empire this election was trans- ferred to the Senate, but in general vacancies seem to have been tilled by the mere recom- mendation of the Emperor. The last known augur, L. Ragonius Vetustus, is mentioned in an inscription of A.D. 390. The rank of the augurs was high, and the position was sought by the leading men of the State. It Avas held for life, and was not inconsistent with the holding of other religious and civil offices. The augurs were one of the four great priestly colleges rank- ing after the poi}tificcs, but before the decemviri and p<imi)i':-s. They had special .seats at the games and a regular income from public lands. The augvirs solemnly inaugurated the new augurs and the fianiines, and possibly other officials, in- quired about 'the safety of the Roman people' at certain definite times, and consulted the gods regarding the harvest. In historic times, their most important function was taking the aus- pices in connection with almost any action of the State. This rapidly became a mere religious fiction, to be used to promote or prevent action, according to the wishes of the ruling powers. Auguries might be of two kinds — (1) 'sought' {impel rniiva), where the observer asked the gods for the sign desired; (2) ohlativa, where they wi-re imcxpeeted. The modes of divination employed by the augurs were five in number: (1) aiifjuritim ex ca-Jo: (2) ex arihiis: (3) ex tripiidiis ; (-!) ex qiKidnipedihiis. and (5) ex diri.i. The first, relating to the interpretation of the celestial phenomena, such as thimder and lightning, was apparently of Etruscan origin, and held to be of supreme sitrnificance. The second related to the interpretation of the noise and flight of birds. It was not every bird, how- ever, lliat could be a sure mtessenger of the gods. Generally s]ieaking, those 'consulted.' as it was called, were the eagle, vulture, crow, raven, owl, and hen. The first two belonged to the class of alite.s. or birds whose flight revealed the will of the gods; the last four to the class of oscines, whose voice divulged the same. These two modes of augury were the oldest and most im- portant, though the latter passed almost out of use in historic times. Of the other three, the auguries ex Iripudiis were taken from the feed- ing of the sacred chickens; the auguries ex rjtiadrupedibus, from four-footed animals within the limits of a 'temple' marked for the purpose; the auguries ex diris (a vague kind of augury), from any accidents or occurrences during the taking of the omens. These were usually un- favorable, and required the abandonment of the undertaking. Such dirw might also occur out- side of the 'temple;' e.g. the stumblings of a general's horse, etc.. and must be obeyed. The ground on which the augur stood was solemnly set apart for the purpose, and was called a tem]ihnn. The augur then took a wand, and marked out the heavens into four i-egions — front, rear, right, left. According as the signs appeared in either of these divisions were the auspices favorable or unfavorable. How vast the political influence and authority of the augurs must have been, is seen from the fact that almost nothing of any consequence could take place without their sanction and aiiproval. T'he election of every important ruler, consul, dictator, or pra?tor, every civic officer, every religious functionary, was invalid if the aus- pices were unfavorable. No general could lawfully engage in battle unless the auspices were first taken, while the Comitia of the Cen- turies could be dispersed at a moment's notice )5y any member of the augural college on the ground of an unfavorable omen.

We have employed the two terms, auguries and auspices, as synonymous. But a slight dif- ference is perceptible between them ; not the augurs only, but the chief magistrates of Rome, lieid the 'auspices,' while the "auguries' were ex- clusively in the possession of the former; but the mode of divination, and the end to be ob- tained by it, seem to liave been the same in both cases, though in the field the method ex tripiidiis was most common.

The power of taking the auspices in war was confined to the commander-in-chief, and any victory gained by a legate was said to be won under the auspices of his superior, and the latter alone was entitled to a triumph. Hence has originated the very common phrase in our lan- guage, 'under the auspices' of some one, which usually denotes nothing more than that the per- scni alluded to merely lends the influence of his name. Consult: Bouche-Leelercq, Hist aire de la divination dans I'anliqiiite (Paris, 1881-82); Wissowa, "Augures" and "Auspicium," in Pauly- Wissowa, liealeneykloimdie der klassisclien Al- terthumswissenschaft (Stuttgart, 1890).

AU'GUST. See Month. AUGUST, ou'gust, Emil Leopold (1772-1822). Duke of Saxe-Gotha and Altenburg. He succeeded his father, Ernst II., in 1804. He was a great patron of science and art, and founded the famous Chinese Cabinet in the Museum of CJotha. He wrote a series of simgs and idvls entitled Ki/Uenikon, oder Audi ich war in Arkadien (1805).

AUGUST, , Prince of Prussia (1779-1843). A general of infantry and inspector-general and chief of cavalry. He was born at Friedrichsfelde, and was