In ancient Roman religion

Religion in ancient Rome

Religion in ancient Rome encompassed the religious beliefs and cult practices regarded by the Romans as indigenous and central to their identity as a people, as well as the various and many cults imported from other peoples brought under Roman rule. Romans thus offered cult to innumerable deities...

 and law

Roman law

Roman law is the legal system of ancient Rome, and the legal developments which occurred before the 7th century AD — when the Roman–Byzantine state adopted Greek as the language of government. The development of Roman law comprises more than a thousand years of jurisprudence — from the Twelve...

, the auspicia maxima (also maxima auspicia) were the "greatest auspices," conferred on senior magistrates

Executive Magistrates of the Roman Republic

The Executive Magistrates of the Roman Republic were officials of the ancient Roman Republic , elected by the People of Rome...

 who held imperium

Imperium

Imperium is a Latin word which, in a broad sense, translates roughly as 'power to command'. In ancient Rome, different kinds of power or authority were distinguished by different terms. Imperium, referred to the sovereignty of the state over the individual...

: "auspicium and imperium were the twin pillars of the magistrate's power" (potestas

Potestas

Potestas is a Latin word meaning power or faculty. It is an important concept in Roman Law.-Origin of the concept:The idea of potestas originally referred to the power, through coercion, of a Roman magistrate to promulgate edicts, give action to litigants, etc. This power, in Roman political and...

). Only magistrates who had auspicia maxima were entitled to begin a war and, if victorious, to celebrate a triumph

Roman triumph

The Roman triumph was a civil ceremony and religious rite of ancient Rome, held to publicly celebrate and sanctify the military achievement of an army commander who had won great military successes, or originally and traditionally, one who had successfully completed a foreign war. In Republican...

. The auspicia maxima were reserved primarily for consuls

Roman consul

A consul served in the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month...

 and censors, but these were two different types of auspices. Consuls and censors were not colleagues

Collegium (ancient Rome)

In Ancient Rome, a collegium was any association with a legal personality. Such associations had various functions.-Functioning:...

, and the censors lacked military auspices (auspicia militiae). Praetor

Praetor

Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, usually in the field, or the named commander before mustering the army; and an elected magistratus assigned varied duties...

s, however, held a form of auspicia maxima and could also lead an army, though their imperium was lesser than that of the consuls.