DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13855#0330
IiHEDA.
322
ROSTRA.
was always elected and inaugurated in the
comitia curiata under the presidency of the
pontiffs, and as long as a rex sacrificulus was
appointed at Rome, he was always a patri-
cian, for as he had no influence upon the
management of political affairs, the plebeians
never coveted this dignity. Considering that
this priest was the religious representative of
the kings, he ranked indeed higher than all
other priests, and even higher than the
pontifex maximus, hut in power and influence
he was far inferior to him. lie held his
office for life, was not allowed to hold any
civil or military dignity, and was at the same
time exempted from all military and civil
duties. His principal functions were : 1. To
perform those sacra publica which had before
been performed by the kings ; and his wife,
who bore the title of reyina sacrorum, had
also, like the queens of former days, to per-
form certain priestly functions. These sacra
publica he or his wife had to perform on all
the Calends, Ides, and the Nundines ; he to
Jupiter, and she to Juno in the regia. 2. On
the days called regifugium he had to offer a
sacrifice in the comitium. [Regifugium.]
3. AVhen extraordinary portenta seemed to
announce some general calamity, it was his
duty to try to propitiate the anger of the gods.
4. On the nundines, when the people assem-
bled in the city, the rex sacrorum announced
(edicebat) to them the succession of the festivals
for the month. This part of his functions,
however, must have ceased after the time of
Cu. Flavius. He lived in a domus publica on
the via sacra, near the regia and the house of
the vestal virgins.
RIIEDA or REDA, a travelling carriage
with four wheels. Like the Covinus and the
Essedum it was of Gallic origin, and may
perhaps contain the same root as the German
rciten and our ride. It was the common
carriage used by the Romans for travelling,
and was frequently made large enough not
only to contain many persons, but also bag-
gage and utensils of various kinds. The
word Epirhedium, which was formed by the
Romans from the Greek preposition «rt and
the Gallic rheda, is explained by the Scholiast
on Juvenal as " Ornamentum rhedarum aut
plaustrum."
RHETRAE (pjjTpai), specially the name of
the ordinances of Lycurgus. The word Rhetra
means a solemn compact, either originally
emanating from, or subsequently sanctioned
by the gods, who are always parties to such
agreements. The Rhetra of Lycurgus ema-
nated from the Delphian god : but the kings,
senators, and people all bound themselves,
both to each other and to the gods, to
obey it.
RHYTON (puToe), a drinking-horn (/ce'pas).
Its original form was probably the horn of
the ox, but one end of it was afterwards
ornamented with the heads of various ani-
mals and birds. The rhyton had a small
opening at the bottom, which the person who
drank put into his mouth, and allowed the
wine to run in : hence it derived its name.
Rhyton, drinking-horn. (Museo burbonico.)
RlCA. _ [Flamen.]
RICIXIUM, an article of female dress,
appears to have been a kind of mantle, with
a sort of cowl attached to it, in order to cover
the head. The mavortium, mavorte, or ma-
rors of later times was thought to be only
another name for what had formerly been
called ricinium.
ROBlGALIA, a public festival in honour
of the god Robigus, to preserve the fields
from mildew, is said to have been instituted
by Numa, and was celebrated April 25th.
The sacrifices offered on this occasion con-
sisted of the entrails of a clog and a sheep,
accompanied with frankincense and wine:
a prayer was presented by a flamen in the
grove of the ancient deity, whom Ovid and
Columella make a goddess. A god Robigus
or a goddess Robigo is a mere invention from
the name of this festival, for the Romans
paid no divine honours to evil deities.
ROGATIO. [Lex, p. 225.]
ROGATORES. [Comitia, p. 107.]
ROGUS. [Funus, p. 188, b.]
ROMPHEA. [Hasta.]
RORARII. [Exercitus, p. 165.]
ROSTRA, or The Beaks, was the name ap-
plied to the stage (suggestus) in the Forum,
from wh*ich the orators addressed the people.
This stage was originally called templum, be-
cause it was consecrated by the augurs, but
obtained its name of Rostra at the conclusion
of the great Latin war, when it was adorned
with the beaks [rostra) of the ships of the
Antiates. The Greeks also mutilated galleys
in the same way for the purpose of trophies :
this was called by them cucpwrnpia^eii'. [Acito-
terium.] The rostra lay between the Comi-
tium or place of meeting for the curies, and
the Forum or place of meeting for the tribes,
322
ROSTRA.
was always elected and inaugurated in the
comitia curiata under the presidency of the
pontiffs, and as long as a rex sacrificulus was
appointed at Rome, he was always a patri-
cian, for as he had no influence upon the
management of political affairs, the plebeians
never coveted this dignity. Considering that
this priest was the religious representative of
the kings, he ranked indeed higher than all
other priests, and even higher than the
pontifex maximus, hut in power and influence
he was far inferior to him. lie held his
office for life, was not allowed to hold any
civil or military dignity, and was at the same
time exempted from all military and civil
duties. His principal functions were : 1. To
perform those sacra publica which had before
been performed by the kings ; and his wife,
who bore the title of reyina sacrorum, had
also, like the queens of former days, to per-
form certain priestly functions. These sacra
publica he or his wife had to perform on all
the Calends, Ides, and the Nundines ; he to
Jupiter, and she to Juno in the regia. 2. On
the days called regifugium he had to offer a
sacrifice in the comitium. [Regifugium.]
3. AVhen extraordinary portenta seemed to
announce some general calamity, it was his
duty to try to propitiate the anger of the gods.
4. On the nundines, when the people assem-
bled in the city, the rex sacrorum announced
(edicebat) to them the succession of the festivals
for the month. This part of his functions,
however, must have ceased after the time of
Cu. Flavius. He lived in a domus publica on
the via sacra, near the regia and the house of
the vestal virgins.
RIIEDA or REDA, a travelling carriage
with four wheels. Like the Covinus and the
Essedum it was of Gallic origin, and may
perhaps contain the same root as the German
rciten and our ride. It was the common
carriage used by the Romans for travelling,
and was frequently made large enough not
only to contain many persons, but also bag-
gage and utensils of various kinds. The
word Epirhedium, which was formed by the
Romans from the Greek preposition «rt and
the Gallic rheda, is explained by the Scholiast
on Juvenal as " Ornamentum rhedarum aut
plaustrum."
RHETRAE (pjjTpai), specially the name of
the ordinances of Lycurgus. The word Rhetra
means a solemn compact, either originally
emanating from, or subsequently sanctioned
by the gods, who are always parties to such
agreements. The Rhetra of Lycurgus ema-
nated from the Delphian god : but the kings,
senators, and people all bound themselves,
both to each other and to the gods, to
obey it.
RHYTON (puToe), a drinking-horn (/ce'pas).
Its original form was probably the horn of
the ox, but one end of it was afterwards
ornamented with the heads of various ani-
mals and birds. The rhyton had a small
opening at the bottom, which the person who
drank put into his mouth, and allowed the
wine to run in : hence it derived its name.
Rhyton, drinking-horn. (Museo burbonico.)
RlCA. _ [Flamen.]
RICIXIUM, an article of female dress,
appears to have been a kind of mantle, with
a sort of cowl attached to it, in order to cover
the head. The mavortium, mavorte, or ma-
rors of later times was thought to be only
another name for what had formerly been
called ricinium.
ROBlGALIA, a public festival in honour
of the god Robigus, to preserve the fields
from mildew, is said to have been instituted
by Numa, and was celebrated April 25th.
The sacrifices offered on this occasion con-
sisted of the entrails of a clog and a sheep,
accompanied with frankincense and wine:
a prayer was presented by a flamen in the
grove of the ancient deity, whom Ovid and
Columella make a goddess. A god Robigus
or a goddess Robigo is a mere invention from
the name of this festival, for the Romans
paid no divine honours to evil deities.
ROGATIO. [Lex, p. 225.]
ROGATORES. [Comitia, p. 107.]
ROGUS. [Funus, p. 188, b.]
ROMPHEA. [Hasta.]
RORARII. [Exercitus, p. 165.]
ROSTRA, or The Beaks, was the name ap-
plied to the stage (suggestus) in the Forum,
from wh*ich the orators addressed the people.
This stage was originally called templum, be-
cause it was consecrated by the augurs, but
obtained its name of Rostra at the conclusion
of the great Latin war, when it was adorned
with the beaks [rostra) of the ships of the
Antiates. The Greeks also mutilated galleys
in the same way for the purpose of trophies :
this was called by them cucpwrnpia^eii'. [Acito-
terium.] The rostra lay between the Comi-
tium or place of meeting for the curies, and
the Forum or place of meeting for the tribes,