Regarding Augurs

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Postby Horatius Piscinus on Wed Feb 16, 2005 8:08 pm

Salve Coruncanius

Tiberius Gracchus became an augur on the same day he took up his toga virilis. It may have been the same for Fabius, about age 17.

Ther were apparently no prescriptive requirements, but in practice no one could be a member of more than one of the major priestly collegia, and no collegium could have more than one member of the same family. The major priestly offices were therefore kept distributed among the leading families. A youth 17-30 could be chosen to fill a position thought to be reserved for his family, and that seems to have been done when the youth bore the auspicious name of an ancestor. In the case of Tiberius Gracchus he was chosen to replace his father, who had been an augur, but more so because he had the same name. With the name also came part of his father's genius, or so it was thought.

You can see the same idea in Tacitus where the Capitolium was reconsecrated, and the pompa was lead by youths who bore "auspicious names." The same idea came into play with the election of magistrates, too.

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