The dissemination of divination in roman republican times

All places where auspices should be taken had to be templa (Wissowa 1896: 2586). Many
places in the city were already templa and nothing further had to be done. If the auspices had
to be taken outside the city, for example on a military campaign, a templum had to be made
(Liv.10.40). This is sometimes referred to as templum minus and was established by a ritual
formula (certis verbis) (Fest.146 L). While doing this the magistrate delineated the region of
the sky (templum aereum), in which he would look for signs. He most likely did it with a
staff (virga) similar, but not identical, to the augurs’ (Valeton 1890: 259f).
On this spot a tent, the auguraculum, was erected to serve as the point from which the
auspicium wo0uld take place. It had corners of spades or javelins and walls of linen, skin or
plates with an open door (Serv.A.4.200, Fest.146 L). It was most likely oriented towards the
East (Dion.Hal.Ant.Rom.2.5.) (cf. Linderski 1986: 2280-2289). In this tent the magistrate or
his assistant was sitting on a seat, called solida sella (Fest.470 L). Then a formulaic exchange
of words occurred between the magistrate and his assistant. The assistant originally could
have been any experienced (peritus) person and did not need to be an augur (Cic.Div.2.71). 126
Eventually this function was taken over by an official, a pullarius.
The magistrate then asked: "dicito, [si] silentium esse videbitur". The assistant was
supposed to keep looking straight ahead and answer that he thought there was silentio 127
(Cic.Div.2.71). Then some sort of prayers were offered, and the auspicant was expected to sit,
or stand completely still, until he received a sign (Serv.A.9.4).
It is not always completely clear what sort of sign was meant. It is either lightning or birds.
If it was birds (ex avibus) then the signs came either from their flight or song. Birds, whose
song was used as a sign, were called oscines; they were: corvus (raven), cornix (crow),
noctua (night owl), parra (screech owl) and picus (woodpecker) (Fest.214 L). From another
group of birds, the flight was used. They were called alites. They were: buteo (falcon or
hawk), sanqualis (osprey), aquila (eagle), inmusulus (vulture or falcon), vulturius (vulture)
and some also had the parra (Fest.214 L, Sen.Q Nat.2.32.5). It is also known that the side in
which they were observed was of importance (Cic.Div.1.85; Pl.As. 2.1.12). The actions of
these birds were supposed to give an indication of whether the intended action should be
carried out or not.
126 It is possible that this rule applied to private auspices.
127 The expression silentio surgere is also known through Festus (Fest.474 , 476 L). It was a technical
expression. At the face of it is odd that the assistant "sees" (videbitur) whether there is silence. Silentio is
described by Cicero (Div.2.72) and Festus (476 L) as the absence of vitium (ritual fault) (Cf. Mommsen 1952:
I, 86, n.1). An example of breaking this silentio could be that something fell inside the templum, called
caduca auspicia (Fest.56 L), or a noise (Fest.266 L).
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