Smith, William: A smaller dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities (London, 1871)

LUC TA.

■14-2

LITDl.

hung in chains from the ceiling- of the room,
but they generally stood upon a stand. [CAN-
delabrum.]

LUCTA, LUCTATIO (ttoAj), n-oLAaio-fia, tto-
KaicrtiotTviry], or KaTajSArj-ruc/j), wrestling. The
Greeks ascribed the invention of wrestling1 to
mythical personages, and Hermes, the god of
all gymnastic exercises, also presided over
wrestling. In the Homeric age wrestling
was much practised : during this period
wrestlers contended naked, and only the loins
were covered with the perizoma (n-epujaifia),
and this custom probably remained through-
out Greece until 01. 15, from which time the
perizoma was no longer used, and wrestlers
contended entirely naked. In the Homeric
age the custom of anointing the body for the
purpose of wrestling does not appear to have
been known, but in the time of Solon it was
quite general, and was said to have been
adopted by the Cretans and Lacedaemonians
at a very early period. After the body was
anointed, it was strewed over with sand or dust,
in order to enable the wrestlers to take a firm
hold of each other. If one combatant threw
the other down three times, the victory was
decided. Wrestling was practised in all the
great games of the Greeks. The most re-
nowned wrestler was Milon, of Croton. [Pan-
cratium.]

LUDI, the common name for the whole
variety of games and contests which were
held at Rome on various occasions, but chiefly
at the festivals of the gods; and as the ludi
at certain festivals formed the principal part
of the solemnities, these festivals themselves
are called ludi. Sometimes ludi were also
held in honour of a magistrate or a deceased
person, in which case they may be considered
as ludi privati. All ludi were divided by the
Romans into two classes, ludi circenses and
ludi scenici, accordingly as they were held in
the circus or in the theatre ; in the latter
case they were mostly theatrical representa-
tions with their various modifications ; in the
former they consisted of all or of a part of the
games enumerated in the articles Circus and
Gladiatores. Another division of the ludi
into stati, imperativi, and coiivi, is analogous
to the division of the feriae. [Feriae.] The
superintendence of the games, and the so-
lemnities connected with them, was in most
cases intrusted to the aediles. [Aedii.es.]
If the lawful rites were not observed in the
celebration of the ludi, it depended upon the
decision of the pontiffs whether they were to
be held again [instaurari) or not. An alpha-
betical list of the principal ludi is subjoined.

Ludi Afollinares were instituted at Rome
during the second Punic war, after the battle
of Cannae (212 b. c.), at the command of an

oracle contained in the books of the ancient
seer JIarcius, in order to obtain the aid of
Apollo. They were held every year under
the superintendence of the praetor urbanus,
and ten men sacrificed to Apollo, according to
Greek rites, a bull with gilt horns and two
white goats also with gilt horns, and to La-
tonn. a heifer with gilt horns. The games
themselves were held in the Circus Maximus,
the spectators were adorned with chaplets,
and each citizen gave a contribution towards
defraying the expenses. In b. c. 208, it was
ordained that they should always be cele-
brated on the 6th of July.

Ludi Augustales. [Augustai.es.]

Ludi Capitolixi were instituted b. c. 387,
after the departure of the Gauls from Rome,
as a token of gratitude towards Jupiter Capi-
tolinus, who had saved the Capitol in the
hour of danger. The superintendence of the
games was entrusted to a college of priests
called Capitolini.

Ludi Circenses, Romani or Magxi, were
celebrated every year during several days,
from the fourth to the twelfth of September,
in honour of the three great divinities, Jupi-
ter, Juno, and Minerva, or, according to
others, in honour of Jupiter, Consus, and
Neptunus Equestris. They were superin-
tended by the curule aediles. For further
particulars see Circus.

Ludi Compitalicii. [Compitalia.]

Ludi Florales. [Floralia.]

Ludi Fuxebres were games celebrated a
the funeral pyre of illustrious persons. Sue'
games are mentioned in the very early legen
of the history of Greece and Rome, and the
continued with various modifications unr'
the introduction of Christianity. It was a
such a ludus funebris, in b. c. 264, tnat gla-
diatorial fights were exhibited at Rome for
the first time, which henceforwards were th"
most essential part in all funeral games.
[Gladiatori s.]

Ludi Liberales. [Dioxysia.]

Ludi Mega lenses. [Megalesia.]

Ludi Plebeii were instituted probably i
commemoration of the reconciliation betwee
the patricians and plebeians after the firs
secession to the Mons Sacer, or, according t
others, to the Avcntine. They were held o
the 16th, 17th, and 18th of November, an
were conducted by the plebeian aediles.

Ludi Saeculares. During the time of th
republic these games were called ludi Taren
tint, Terentiiii, or Taurii, and it was not til
the time of Augustus that they bore the nam
of ludi saeculares. The names Tarenti o
Taturii are perhaps nothing but dift'eren
forms of the same word, and of the same ro
its Tarquinius. There were various accoun