Maxima auspicia
In ancient Roman religion and law, the auspicia maxima were the "greatest auspices," conferred on senior magistrates who held imperium: "auspicium and imperium were the twin pillars of the magistrate's power" . Only magistrates who had auspicia maxima were entitled to begin a war and, if victorious, to celebrate a triumph. The auspicia maxima were reserved primarily for consuls and censors, but these were two different types of auspices. Consuls and censors were not colleagues, and the censors lacked military auspices . Praetors, however, held a form of auspicia maxima and could also lead an army, though their imperium'' was lesser than that of the consuls.
