Abstract: When the Roman plebs claimed for the consulship for the first time in 445 B.C.,the patrician senate rejected the proposal on the ground that “the plebs did not have auspicia”(nemo plebeius auspicia haberet).That was an archaic and important ideological evidence,which revealed the nature of Roman theocracy,that auspicia was crucial to the destiny of the state,and it was also the basis of the aristocracy's power monopoly.Whoever obtained the auspicia would obtain the right to govern.The connotation of auspicia developed from its original meaning,the “bird divination”,to “the right of taking auspices”,which was closely integrated with the ruling power,and thus transferred from the religious context to the political sphere.As it basically meant “a god's will”,this reminds us of the “Tian Ming”(天命)in China's political tradition.The idea of Tian Ming formed in the Yin and Shang Dynasty (1600 B.C.to 1100 B.C.),and the sacred kingship in China's political tradition are very similar to that of the theocratic political environment of ancient Rome.Thus the dispute on auspicia between the Roman plebs and the patrician can be translated as that of a “Tian Ming” dispute.According to Livy (Titus Livius),there were three controversies between the plebs and the patrician on auspicia,which took place in 445 B.C.,367 B.C.,and 300 B.C.After the first two controversies,the plebs successively obtained the right to intermarriage with the patrician and access to the consulship;however,the first group of plebeian magistrates were defective in power,because of lacking of auspicia (ne in magistratibus quidem habent).They had only military commanding right (potestates) yet not governing right (imperium),and they could not hold religious rites or ceremonies such as election,declaration of war,convening of citizen assemblies,and purification rite.They were rarely allowed to hold a triumphant ceremony,and were often forced to resign on an excuse of religious defects.The fundamental obstacle to obtain the auspicia was religious isolation.The plebs had their own religion (regliones plebeii) as well as Tian Ming (auspicia plebeii),which were not be recognized by the patrician.Auspicia was actually related the worship for Jupiter,divination and wedding ceremony.Jupiter was originally seen as the god only blessing the patrician and was unavailable to the plebs to worship,but the plebs had long imitated the aristocratic worship for Jupiter.By intermarriage with the nobles,the descendants of the plebs became the descendants of Jupiter and possessed “god's bless”;above all,the plebeian priests,diviners,and prophets gradually entered the public sphere and gradually gained religious identification from the patrician.Thus the Tian Ming or auspicia was transferred from the hands of the patrician to the plebs.

Key words: ancient Rome, auspicia, Tian Ming, īmperīum, plebs, patrician