On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then known as âthe Great War.â Commemorated as Armistice Day beginning the following year, November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in ...
Augury is the practice from ancient Roman religion of interpreting omens from the observed flight of birds. When the individual, known as the augur, interpreted these signs, it is referred to as taking the auspices. 'Augur' and 'auspices' are from the Latin auspicium and auspex, literally one who looks at birds. Depending upon the birds, the auspices from the gods could be favorable or unfavorable. Sometimes bribed or politically motivated augures would fabricate unfavorable auspices in orde
If the augury was propitious the work was entered upon with vigor and confidence. I hoped the augury was a true one, but there were times when I doubted. I was always superstitious, and this augury, just at that moment, affected me. This was the augury the priestess drew, and wondered greatly at the sign. If the scales were evenly balanced the augury would be good. The words had come to her as the interpretation of an augury, the fulfilment of a promise.