Augur

In Rome, an augur was a priest belonging to an official college, charged with interpreting the signs sent by the gods, chiefly the flight and song of birds, to learn whether they approved of a decision. Taking the auspices came before assemblies, elections and military campaigns. The related word “augury” refers to the omen itself, and expressions such as “to augur well” or “to augur ill” survive in everyday speech. The augur did not predict the future in the strict sense: he checked that the gods consented.