AUS 



US 



AUS 



Amodm. 1774, p. 128 j ITS], p. 228 ; 1790, p. 3347, 101. 



L , Misccll. lie . 1 710, vol. i. p. J:ii. Comment, 



. torn. i. p. S5J ; iv. p. 121. /Itfa 2 

 .1. iv. p. 1. Mem. 1747, p. 



4-2:5; 1731 ; 17.31. M , Her/. 171-7, p. 117. 



: 17.":'', j 



1764, p. vol. v. p. 272. 



1. i. p. 104, Mem. 

 ft 1'hys. torn, viii.p. ISO. Rotter, vol. xiii. p. 

 vol. xv. p. 128 ; vol. xxxiii. p. 153, Franklin's W 

 vol. ii. Weidler Da Aurora Roretde. Nocttus De 

 hide cl Aurora Borealt cum Notis Boscovich, K 

 :7. Mem. Soc. Hid. vol. vii. p. 158. Ci ill 

 Journal, vol. xv. p. '206. But particularly, Dr T. 

 Young's Nat. I'hil. vol. i. p. 6S7, 716 ; and vol. ii. 



p. ;ss. (m) {<>) 



AUSONIUS, Dbcimos Magnus, a Latin poet, 

 was the second son of Julius Ausonius, an eminent 

 physician at Bourdcaux. He was born early in the 

 fourth century ; and his grandfather, a firm believer 

 in astrology, having calculated his horoscope, flatter- 

 ed his family with the hope that the child was des- 

 tined to rise to the most honourable elevation. His 

 uncle, ./Emilius Magnus Arboriu;, a professor of 

 rhetoric 'at Thoulouse, took a particular charge of hi3 

 education, and the pleasure of witnessing the uncom- 

 mon progress which he made in the liberal arts. At 

 the age of thirty he was appointed to the useful sta- 

 tion of teacher of grammar, and soon after to that 

 of teacher of rhetoric, in his native city. In this 

 comparatively obscure situation, he conducted him- 

 self so much to the satisfaction of his employees, that 

 his high reputation extended to Rome, and he was 

 chosen by the Emperor Valentinian to direct the 

 studies of Gratian, his son. He had the good for- 

 tune, or rather the address, to make himself equally 

 acceptable to his pupil and to the emperor ; both of 

 whom loaded him with honours, as a remuneration 

 for his valuable services. During the life of Valen- 

 tinian he was appointed quasstor ; he was afterwards 

 advanced to the praetorian prefecture of Italy and 

 Gaul ; and, in 379, he was raised to the consulship, 

 an office which the emperors generally conferred on 

 their minions, but which, in this instance, was filled 

 by a man, whose mental superiority enabled him to 

 dictate to his master. The composition in which he 

 testified his gratitude, {Actio Uratiarum) is com- 

 monly accounted a proof of great liveliness and vi- 

 gour of mind in a man far advanced in years ; but 

 (ribbon more justly characterises it as " a servile and 

 insipid piece of flattery, which has survived more 

 worthy productions." He died at a great age, to- 

 wards the close of the fourth century. Theodosius 

 had so great a respect for him, that, according to 

 some authors, he promoted him to the patrician dig- 

 nity ; and it is certain, that the solicitation of this 

 accomplished emperor induced him to publish his 

 poetical works. 



What was the religion of Ausonius has been much 

 disputed. Vossius, and some other writers, whom 

 Clibbon has followed, have no hesitation in pronoun- 



g him a pagan. But Paulinus, bishop of Nola, 

 who had been his pupil, speaks of him as a Christian. 

 Yet, in his.own writings, we can discover no internal 



idence that he had adopted the true faith. In 



ne of his verses he appears to be Bceptical on the 



subject of a future life ; and some others, written by 

 command of Valentinian, are so indelicate am: 

 tious as to render it questionable if their author had 

 any sense of religion at all. Sec- Mi m, a'e I'Acnd. des 

 />.'. torn. xv. ; and Bayle, Du f. Hi 



His poetical character has generally been 

 His productions rise above mediocrity, 

 of the subjects are ephemeral ; and the execution 

 <:t marks cither of negligence or . 

 His geniii3 is undisputed; but long : 

 his time the taste of the Romans had <: 

 and it is enough to say of Ausonius, that, in senti- 

 ment and diction, he rises above the ordinary level oi' 

 -;;temporary rivals. One of the best editions of 

 his works was published at Paris in 1769, in four 

 volumes 12mo, with a French translation. (>.) 



AUSPICES, the observations taken by the Ro- 

 man augurs from the flight of birds, and other natu- 

 ral appearances. The words auspicy and augury are 

 often used indiscriminately; but the common < 

 is, that the former originally signified the inspection 

 ot birds for the purpose of divination, whereat the 

 latter consisted in a skilful attention to their > 

 The name OUtf tX was applied to any person who in- 

 terpreted omens ; but the name augur was not ex- 

 tended- to any but the members of the sacred college. 



Auspices were anciently consulted on almost evci-y 

 occasion of importance, particularly on the election 

 of magistrates, and at the commencement of military 

 expeditions. The comitia ccnturiata and curiala 

 could not legally meet, till he who was to preside, 

 accompanied by an augur, had solemnly taken the 

 auspices. Two kinds of auspices were chiefly at- 

 tended to before the assemblies were held : those 

 which were taken from the contemplation of the 

 heavens ; and those which were taken either from 

 the oscines or the prapctcs, birds by whose singing 

 or flight the will of the gods was supposed to be in- 

 dicated. On these occasions the augur could pre- 

 vent a meeting, or he could require a delay ; or, by- 

 declaring that some mistake had been committed, he 

 could not only dissolve an assembly after it was re- 

 gularly convened, but oblige a magistrate at any 

 time to resign his office, on account of the alleged 

 informality. In later times they were by no means 

 so scrupulous with regard to the forms. The au- 

 gurs were in the constant habit of declaring that 

 they saw lightning on the left, and the falsehood of 

 the assertion did not vitiate the ejection. 



In the time of war, auspices were taken ex a 

 niuu-i, from the beaks of birds ; and whenever a gene- 

 ral was about to lead his army across a river, he took 

 the auspicia perennia, or pcremnia. Every military 

 enterprise was said to be accomplished by the aus- 

 pices of the consul or commander in chi. 



The solemnities most commonly observed when 

 the auspices were taken, have been shortly described 

 in the article Auqurt. See also Divination, (a) 



AUSTERLITZ, a small town of Moravia, in 

 the circle of Bruno, celebrated for a dreadful battle 

 which was fought in its vicinity, on the 2d Decem- 

 ber 1 805, i he French and the allied R 

 and AustriaiiG. This bloody engagement, which ter- 

 minated in favour of the French arms, decided the 

 campaign, and peace was signed at Presburg, on the 

 26th of the same month. The Russians, who tuiiVi - 



- 



Aus-.t-rhi/ 



