Auguri. The Romans and their wishes.

"Auguri!" booms a loud voice behind me. I jump. I hadn't realised I was being followed. I turn round to, in turn, wish 'auguri'. It's a neighbour and he isn't addressing me but a friend of his who is waving down from a balcony in the opposite building.



In ancient Roman times augurs were high priests who read the auspices from the behaviour of birds, and other creatures. Thus, a particular flight path could mean the approval of the gods for a certain action whilst another would mean disapproval. The ancient Romans were a superstitious bunch and rarely took decisive action without consulting the augurs.



Not to say that today's Romans aren't suspicious too. When, a few years ago, the Pope released doves from his balcony above St Peter's Square and they were felled by some predatory gulls, there was much head shaking and debate as to just how bad an omen this was.

More recently, Rome's sad dead Christmas tree, nicknamed spelacchio, was seen as a symbol of all that has gone wrong and is still going wrong in Rome. However, it might be argued that spelacchio hasn't done too badly. The tree made the international press, gained world renown and may well have become the most visited, most talked about and most photographed of all Piazza Venezia's Christmas trees. Not bad for a corpse.



Today, people continue to wish each other a good future with their 'auguri', on every occasion they can.



But what could a modern Roman wish for? Maybe a change of the city administration? Or an overhaul of the bankrupt public transport company? A refuse clearing system that works and clears away the refuse? Roads and infrastructures that not only are clean but solid? A loosening  up of the time demanding, expensive and ceaseless bureaucracy that in many cases only exists to provide jobs? There are many things this city needs.

Vandalised bus shelter.

But 2018 arrives fraught with concerns wherever we may be.  I think we all need a lot of 'AUGURI!'