ARGYRASPIDES, in Antiquity, Persons armed with Silver Bucklers, or Bucklers silvered. See BUCKLER.
The Argyraspides, according to Quintus Curtius, Lib. iv. c. 13, made the second Corps of Alexander's Army, the first were the Phalanx. See PHALANX.
According to Justin’s Account, Lib. xii. c. 7, Alexander having penetrated into India, and extended his Empire as far as the Ocean; for a Monument of his Glory, ordered the Armour of his Soldiers, and the Housings of his Horses, to be adorned with Silver: and hence commanded them to be called Argyraspides; from the Greek ἄργυρος, Silver, and ἀσπίς, Buckler.
The Argyraspides, according to Quintus Curtius, Lib. iv. c. 13, made the second Corps of Alexander's Army, the first were the Phalanx. See PHALANX.
According to Justin’s Account, Lib. xii. c. 7, Alexander having penetrated into India, and extended his Empire as far as the Ocean; for a Monument of his Glory, ordered the Armour of his Soldiers, and the Housings of his Horses, to be adorned with Silver: and hence commanded them to be called Argyraspides; from the Greek ἄργυρος, Silver, and ἀσπίς, Buckler.
ARMILUSTRIUM, in Antiquity, a Feast held among the Romans; wherein they sacrificed, armed at all Points, and with the Sound of Trumpets. See FEAST. Some define Armilustrium to have been a Feast, wherein a general Review was made of all the Forces in the Campus Martius.—But this does not come up to the Point; for Varro does not derive the Word from the Latin Arma and lustrare, to make a Review; but from the Custom of holding this Feast in the Place where the Reviews were used to be made, or rather from their going round the Place armed with Bucklers. And he prefers this last Opinion, being persuaded that it was from this Ceremony, that the Place where this Sacrifice was offered to the Gods, was called Armilustrium, or Armilustrum, ab luendo aut lustra, i.e. quod circumibant ludentes, ancilibus armati. This Sacrifice was intended as an ἐξιλάσματα, an Expiation of Arms, for the Prosperity of the Arms of the People of Rome; and was celebrated on the 14th of the Calends of November.
ATELLAN, or ATELLANAE, in Antiquity, a kind of comic and satiric Pieces, presented on the Roman Theater; somewhat less ludicrous than the Farces on the English Stage, and yet less grave and serious than the Greek or Latin Comedies and Tragedies. See COMEDY, TRAGEDY, SCENE, etc.
The Atellanae, or Fabulae Atellanae of the Romans, answered to the Satyr among the Greeks. See SATYR, FABLE, etc.
They were thus called from Atella, a City of Campania, where they were first represented.
They became so licentious and impudent, that the Senate was at length obliged to suppress them. See SCENIC.
The Atellanae, or Fabulae Atellanae of the Romans, answered to the Satyr among the Greeks. See SATYR, FABLE, etc.
They were thus called from Atella, a City of Campania, where they were first represented.
They became so licentious and impudent, that the Senate was at length obliged to suppress them. See SCENIC.
ATHENAEUM, in Antiquity, a public Place wherein the Professors of the liberal Arts held their Assemblies, the Rhetoricians declaimed, and the Poets rehearsed their Verses.
The Athenea were built in form of Amphitheatres; and were also incompassed with Seats, which Sidonius calls Cunei. See AMPHITHEATRE.
The two most celebrated Athenea were that of Rome, and that at Lyons; the former of which, according to Aurelius Victor, was built by the Emperor Adrian.
The Athenea were built in form of Amphitheatres; and were also incompassed with Seats, which Sidonius calls Cunei. See AMPHITHEATRE.
The two most celebrated Athenea were that of Rome, and that at Lyons; the former of which, according to Aurelius Victor, was built by the Emperor Adrian.
AUGUR, in Antiquity, an officer or minister among the Romans, appointed to observe the chattering and feeding of birds; and by means thereof, form conjectures about future events. See AUGURY. The augurs made a college or community, which at first consisted of three persons, then four, and lastly nine; four of them patricians, and five plebeians.—Cicero was of the college of augurs. See COLLEGE. They bore an augural staff, or wand, as the ensign of their office and authority. The word augur is derived from avis, bird, and garritus, chattering. Pezron derives it from the Celtic av, liver, and gur, man: so that according to him, an augur is properly a person who inspects the entrails, and divines by means of the liver: others derive it from the Arabic ogor, good fortune. Augurs, properly speaking, differed from auspices, and augury from auspicy, in that the former was in strictness confined to the chirping of birds, and the latter to their flying, feeding, etc. See AUSPICES, etc.