omen Copy link Outline 1. ōmen, ĭnis, n. (gen. term)2. auspĭcium (strictly, the act of watching for signs from birds; hence, the signs themselves; and in gen., any prophetic sign, esp. if favourable)3. ăvis, is, f. (used in wide sense = omen • omen: 1. ōmen, ĭnis, n. (gen. term): an o. of fate, o. fati, Cic. Ph. 9, 4, extr.: ye gods, avert the o.! O di immortales, avertite hoc o.! ib. 4, 4, 10: with good o.s, (cum) bonis o., Liv. pref. fin.: with bad o.s, malis o., Cic. Sext. 33, 71. 2. auspĭcium (strictly, the act of watching for signs from birds; hence, the signs themselves; and in gen., any prophetic sign, esp. if favourable): we regard lightning as a very favourable o., if it be on the left, fulmen optimum aus. habemus, si sinistrum fuerit, Cic. Div. 2, 18, 43: an auspicious o., felix aus., Just. 1, 10, med. So augurium, which generally = auspicium: she joyfully received the o., accepit id aug. laeta, ib. 1, 34, med.: Virg. Aen. 2, 703. 3. ăvis, is, f. (used in wide sense = omen: esp. poet.): with favourable o.s, bonis a., Ov. F. 1, 513; secundis a., Liv. 6, 12, fin,: with ill o.s, mala avi, Hor. Od. 1, 15, 5: Tib. Phr.: birds that give o.s by flight, (aves) alites (or praepetes, cf. Virg. Aen. 3, 361); by cry, oscines, Cic. N. D. 2, 64, 160: to draw o.s, augurari, ib.: to obtain favourable o.s in sacrifice, litare (used later of the victim which yielded favourable o.s): Manlius had obtained highly favourable o.s, Manlium egregie litasse, Liv. 8, 9, init.: esp. in pass. impers.: some obtain favourable o.s, others not, aliis litatur, aliis non litatur, Cic. Div. 2, 17, init.: hence, adv., litato, with favourable (sacrificial) o.s, Liv. 5, 38, init.: refrain from words of ill o.! (exhortation at sacrifices), favete linguis! Hor. Od. 3, 1, 2: Cic. Div. 1, 45, 102. See also portent, prodigy.