MMDCCLXIII/Augurium Magistratum

Ex domo Auguris

M. Moravius Piscinus Pontifex Maximus et Horatianus Magister Collegii Augurum Consulibus, Tribunibus Plebis, Senatoribus Patribus Mátribusque Conscriptís, viris clarissimis et castissimae mulieribus, et Civibus Novae Romae, Quiritibus s. p. d.

A cold dawn of minus eleven degrees Celsus, a gentle wind from the south south-west, I performed a preliminary auspiciam on the dies pristini Kalendas Ianuarias. Sinistrae aves provided favorable signs to proceed. Thus, as Pontifex Maximus, I performed the annual sacrum piaculum on behalf of Nova Roma and the Sacerdotes on the last night of the year, making sacrifices of strues, libum, wine, and the organs of birds to Dis Pater, Jupiter Infernus, Proserpina, the Di Manes, to Terminus and Silvanus, to Caelus Noctus and Sanctissima Ceres, and all the other Gods and Goddesses called upon throughout the year asking that they accept our sacrifices, no matter in what manner these had been performed. Although the night was cold, the smoke from the altars both rose to the heavens and fell to the earth below as well, in sign of their acceptance. I next distributed sacrificial meats and strues over the altars and at dawn found that these, too, had been accepted.

That next morning, the Kalendae Ianuariae, I then took the Augurum Magistratum on behalf of Consul P. Memmius Albucius. Oscines circled around me as they called out. Two species of auspicious alites appeared before me, a red crested downy woodpecker and red-bellied flushed woodpecker, these being a little unusual to see so close, and never are they seen together as this day. A supervaganea perched above, calling out, as many species of birds arrived, and a second perched atop the cedars in the east. All of these were very good signs. A pair of blue jays arrived from the south east, calling out louding from the station of Ceres, signifying want, but they were then chased away by another pair arriving from the north, to indicate the blessing of the Gods to provide. A lone red tailed hawk flew at treetop level across the south from east to west. No birds were seen in the upper portion of the templum. No ill signs appeared.

An exceptional number of birds, of many species, too, arrived for the tripudium that followed and all ate hungrily, the husks of seeds falling from their mouths could be heard to give a sonivium. This signifies the pleasure of the many Gods with the magistrates and hold good prospects for this year.

Next I consulted the oracle for auspicia oblativa. She replied:

"Your own hopes, see, it is I, your own Blue Tiber, river best loved of heaven, Is cast, the sterns stand ranged along the shore, And all welkin thundered with a crash, Of Latium standing on this side and that."

This would seem to imply a coming together at Rome, along the Tiber, of people arriving from many places, and the blessing of the Celestial Gods in realizing the hopes of the Consules for the coming year.

The auspices confirming the Consules and all magistrates in office, I next performed the Sacrificium Annuae Sacrae on behalf of the Consules to begin the New Year. Thus are the Consules and all magistrates inaugurate for this Annum Novum ab condita Urbem MMDCCLXIII.

VOS QUOD FEXITIS, DEOS OMNES FORTUNARE VELIM

Kalendae Ianuaria AUC anno MMDCCLXIII P. Memmio K. Fabio Buteoni coss.