The dissemination of divination in roman republican times

“may the gods avert (bad) omens”. This could indicate that omens were in general
conceptualized as stemming from the gods or Jupiter.
• Augurium in a technical sense is confined to the acts by the augurs watching the birds,
that is an impetrative sign (see above chapter 9), but, since many of the same birds used
in the augural discipline were also observed as oblative signs, the word augurium came to
be applied to omens as well (Linderski 1986: 2294-2295).
• Auspicium is likewise a technical term denoting impetrative observation of signs, mostly
birds, by non-augurs, that is, magistrates or private people (Linderski 1986; see above
chapter 9). For the same reasons as the augurium the auspicium could be used for
oblative signs as well.
• Dirum is a bad sign taken to show the anger of the gods.
• Monstrum is the most common designation of the strange or unnatural (Riess 1995: 355).
It is described by Festus as what shows the future and reminds one of the will of the gods
(Fest.122 L). It is most often something negative, i.e. a warning (Bloch 1963: 85)
• Portentum/Ostentum. Portentum is according to Festus a bad sign, while ostentum is a
good sign (Fest. 284 L). This is, however, not an accurate description of the actual usage
since they often appear as synonyms. They seem to be more vague and general terms
(Bloch 1963: 85).
• Prodigium was usually described as a sign of divine anger. It concerns the state in
general and foreshadows a disaster if nothing is done. Usually some ritual has to be
performed to avert the disaster.
There is, as mentioned above, also a large number of adjectives that modify the omen to
express whether it is good or bad. They can sometimes be used elliptically without the noun to
designate an omen.
Detection of an omen
There are, as we saw above in chapter 5, three basic ways a physical occurrence can become
salient and interpreted as an omen. First, the occurrence in some way relates to a current concern
of the agent; second, the occurrence belongs to a culturally established catalogue of signs; third,
the occurrence is so attention demanding in itself that it seems to demand an explanation.
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