Session XC January 2763 auspices

Latest revision as of 09:24, 24 June 2024

Report of taking of AUSPICES, by P. Memmius Albucius cos., for the SENATE session to be called by him a.d. XIII Kal. Feb. (We. 20 Jan. 2010 )

At dawn, this morning, standing in my toga at the center of the yard of my domus, I covered my head with it. Being thus capite velato, I seized my consular stick in the right hand and, as lituus, waved it towards the North-East, South-East, South-West and North-West, in order to mark out the templum of the ceremony of taking of auspices I was beginning. The yard forming a rectangle yet orientated west-east, it formed itself the templum.

I said: “ Dii immortales, please accept this space as the templum of the ceremony of taking of auspices that I have the honor opening now, as consul invested of his full curule powers.”

Then, still at the center of this templum, I marked out a smaller area with my lituus. It was a area of 21 Roman feet square. At the center of this tescum, will be placed the center of the cage of the ceremonial chicken, its door facing west.

Last, I moved backward and, three pedes westward from the center of the tescum (“point C”), I took off, from inside my toga, a blue square piece of cloth, unfolded it and, after waiving it towards the four cardinal directions, put it on my head, over the velens toga, and said: “Let this piece of cloth be the roof of the templum minor of this ceremony. Dii immortales, allow and protect this ceremony of taking the auspices. If you disagree, send me a sign now.".

In the following thirty seconds, nothing happened. I considered this as a nuntiatio of silentium, and went on proceeding.

Then I took the cage where I keep my chicken, called "Tripudens". I had, just before dawn, previously covered it with a white veil, so that the chicken may not see the preparation of the ceremony and the bread that would be offered to it. The cage had been placed outside the templum area, just on a wall heading south and marking one of the four limits of the yard-templum. I took the cage with both hands and walked back to point “C”.

Turned towards the rising sun, I then put the veiled cage on the floor of the yard, its center on the center of the tescum. Then I walked back to the southern wall, and took the small red ceramic plate on which I had prepared three thumb nail size pieces of wholemeal bread. Back on point “C” remaining towards south, I placed the plate on the floor, three feet west from point “C”. This way, the plate, point “C” and the cage and its center were aligned from west to east. The plate was covered with a yellow napkin.

Then, both arms opened and the hands facing the East, I said : "Let us take the auspices for the senate session of Ianuarius 2763 auc (January 2010) that I intend to convene on next a.d. XIII Kal. Feb. (We. 20 Jan. 2010). Di Iane, allow Tripudens pullo walking out of this cage and, once I will have thrown at it three pieces of bread, allow with all our Dei immortales, to reveal to me to whole Rome, by its behavior, if the signs are favorable and, therefore, if this senate session may be held under favorable auspices."

I turned towards south and knelt to take the plate behind me, with the right hand, put it in the left one putting off the yellow napkin, and, moving forward, put off with the right hand the veil of the cage, letting falling the white and the yellow veils on the floor at point “C”, behind my back. I unlocked the door of the cage, and opened it wide.

In a dozen of seconds, 'Tripudens' stood on the cage threshold and walked out. I counted another twelve seconds, while Tripudens turned right, walking southyard and, at the moment it turned back and headed again to the East, threw, one foot before the chicken's feet, the three pieces of bread, trying that they fall down on the yard floor so that to form a triangle whose summits be at East, South and West.

'Tripudens' walked to the western piece and seized it. It ate it immediately. Then it turned around the southern piece, keeping it on its right, and seized it too. Keeping the first piece of bread a few seconds in its beak, he ran to the last piece, that it also pecked at immediately, swallowing both pieces. And 'Tripudens' looked at me.

Then I turned to the west and said: “Dii dixerunt! Silentium est! Ratum auspicium fecit. Nuntio auspicia bona esse. Senatus convenire potest. Vobis gratias, dii!”

I last picked up 'Tripudens' with both hands, placed it back in its cage, locked its door, and replaced everything at its initial location. I unveiled myself from the blue veil that represented the roof of the templum minor, folding it and placing it back inside my toga. Then I waived my lituus to desacralize the tescum area, and, last, the templum area one.

I uncovered my head of my toga and went back to my ordinary duties.

Conclusion: the auspices are favorable, and the Senate session of Jan. 2010 may be held normally.

Reported by P. Memmius Albucius cos., and copy of which sent to the Pontifex maximus ex qualitate magister collegii augurum.