haruspex

haruspex , icis, m.: an inspector of entrails; diviner, soothsayer, prophet, 8.498.

hăruspex (ar-), ĭcis, m. [Sanscr. hirā, entrails; Gr. χολάδες, χορδή; cf. hariolus, Curt. Gr. Etym. p. 202 sq.], a soothsayer, diviner among the Etruscans, who foretold future events from the inspection of the entrails of victims; from this people they were introduced among the Romans (syn.: hariolus, augur, auspex, extispex).

• I Lit.: haruspices mitte omnis, Plaut. Am. 5, 2, 2 (1132): quid enim habet haruspex, cur pulmo incisus etiam in bonis extis dirimat tempus et proferat diem? Cic. Div. 1, 39, 85; cf. id. N. D. 1, 20, 55: Etrusci haruspices, id. Div. 2, 35, 75; cf. id. Leg. 2, 9, 21; Gell. 4, 5, 5: cum haruspices ex tota Etruria convenissent, Cic. Cat. 3, 8, 19: Tyrrhenae gentis haruspex, Ov. M. 15, 577: quem (annum) saepe ex prodigiis haruspices respondissent bello civili cruentum fore, Sall. C. 47, 2; cf.: C. Mario per hostias dis supplicanti magna atque mirabilia portendi haruspex dixerat, id. J. 63, 1: dum sacra secundus haruspex Nuntiet, Verg. A. 11, 739: signaque ferre jubent: retinet longaevus haruspex Fata canens, id. ib. 8, 498; Macr. S. 3, 5, 1: qui de salute principis vel de summa rei publicae haruspices consulit, cum eo qui responderit, capite punitur, Paul. Sent. 5, 21, 3. Cf., on the haruspices, O. Müll. Etrusk. 2, p. 6 sq.—
• II Poet. transf., a prophet in gen.: utinam patriae sim vanus haruspex, etc., Prop. 3, 13 (4, 12), 59: Armenius vel Commagenus, Juv. 6, 550.

haruspex (aruspex), picis, m. (über die Etymol. s. Walde², S. 360), Plur. haruspices, I) etruskische, auch in Rom einheimische Weissager, die namentlich wegen Verhütung des burch außerordentliche Anzeichen, bes. Mißgeburten, gedrohten Unglücks u. über Entführung vom Blitz getroffener Gegenstände aus den Eingeweiden der Opfertiere (bes. aus Herz, Leber, Lunge u. Galle) Bescheid gaben, Opferschauer, Haruspices, Cic. de div. 1, 85; Cat. 3, 19; de legg. 2, 21. Sall. Cat. 47, 2: neben hariolus, s. d. – II) übtr., im allg. = Weissager, Seher, vanus, Prop. 3, 13, 59: Armenius, Iuven. 6, 548. – ➳ Nbf. harispex, Corp. inscr. Lat. 5, 5704 (arispex) u. 12, 3254 (harispex): arrespex, Corp. inscr. Lat. 1, 1348.

haruspex [CL] , diviner. 742 qui ‥ aruspicibus vel filacteriis et aliis ‥ auguriis crediderit ‥ Bonif. Ep. 50; aruspex, qui ad auras sacrificat ‥; aruspices, qui intendunt signa corporis, ‥ vel observant signa avium GlC A 815, 820; ~ex, qui cantus avium intellegit Ib. H 41; per aruspices ‥ captivos se diabolo tradentes Egb. Dial. 15; aruspex, dœgmelsceawere Ælf. Gl. 108; auruspuces GlH E 562 (v. extispex); 10‥ exti[s]pices, aruspices, hœlsendas WW; aruspices sunt inspectores horarum, prescribentes quid qua hora fieri expediat J. Sal. Pol. 407C (cf. ib. 407D: liquet eos esse aruspices qui vaticinantur in ossibus animalium sine sanguine); anus, aruspices, ariolos ‥ si intromiseris, periculum pudicitie est P. Blois Ep. 79. 244C; Vinsauf PN 350 (v. augur).

hăruspex, (10) ĭcis, m. , haruspice [qui prédisait en examinant les entrailles des victimes] : Cic. Div. 1, 85 ; Cat. 3, 19 ; Sall. C. 47, 2 || [poét.] = devin : Prop. 3, 13, 59 ; Juv. 6, 550.

haruspex , icis. m.
以犧臟逆未來。

Suggest a Translation
See an image

haruspex (ar-) icis, m

• HAR-+4 SPEC-, a soothsayer, diviner, inspector of the entrails of victims: haruspices ex totā Etruriā: Tyrrhenae gentis, O.: ex prodigiis haruspices respondissent, S.: longaevus, V.—A prophet: Armenius, Iu.

Harūspex

An Etruscan soothsayer, whose function it was to interpret the divine will from the entrails of sacrificial victims, to propitiate the anger of the gods as indicated by lightning or other marvels, and to interpret their significance according to Etruscan formulae. This art had long been practised in Etruria, and was referred to a divine origin. In the course of the republican era it found a home in the private and public life of the Romans, winning its way as the native priesthoods, intrusted with similar functions, lost in repute. From the time of the kings to the end of the Republic, haruspices were expressly summoned from Etruria by decrees of the Senate on the occurrence of prodigies which were not provided for in the Pontifical and Sibylline Books. Their business was to interpret the signs, to ascertain what deity demanded an expiation, and to indicate the nature of the necessary offering.

It then lay with the priests of the Roman people to carry out their instructions. Their knowledge of the signs given by lightning was only applied in republican Rome for the purpose of averting the omen portended by the flash. (See puteal.) But under the Empire it was also used for consulting the lightning, either keeping it off or drawing it down. From about the time of the Punic Wars, haruspices began to settle in Rome, and were employed both by private individuals and state officials to ascertain the divine will by examination of the liver, gall, heart, lungs, and caul of sacrificial victims. They were especially consulted by generals when going to war. Their science was generally held in high esteem, but the class of haruspices who took pay for their services did not enjoy so good a reputation. Claudius seems to have been the first emperor who instituted a regular collegium of Roman haruspices, consisting of sixty members of equestrian rank, and presided over by a haruspex maximus, for the regular service of the State. This collegium continued to exist till the beginning of the fifth century A.D. See Fraudsen, Haruspices (Berlin, 1823); BouchéLeclercq, Histoire de la Divination dans l'Antiquité, four vols. (Paris, 1879-82); and the articles augur; divinatio.