DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13855#0331
110 STRUM.
323
SACERDOS.
so that the speaker might turn either to the
one or the other ; but down to the time of
C. Gracchus, even the tribunes in speaking-
used to front the Comitium; he first turned
his back to it and spoke with his face towards
the forum. The rostra was a circular build-
ing-, raised on arches, with a stand or plat-
form on the top, bordered by a parapet, the
access to it being by two flights of steps, one
on each side. It fronted towards the comi-
tium, and the rostra were affixed to the front
of it, just under the arches. Its form has
been in all the main points preserved in the
ambones or circular pulpits of the most an-
cient churches, which also had two flights of
steps leading up to them, one on the east
side, by which the preacher ascended, and
another on the west side, for his descent.
The speaker was thus enabled to walk to
and fro, while addressing his audience. The
suggestus or rostra was transferred by Julius
Caesar to a corner of the Forum, but the
spot where the ancient rostra had stood still
continued to be called Rostra Vetera, while
the other was called Rostra Nova or Rostra
Julia. Both the rostra contained statues of
illustrious men.
Rostra on Coin of U. Lollius Pahcanus. (British Museum.)
ROSTRUM. [Xavis.]
ROTA. [Crititrs.]
RUDIARII. [Gladiatores.]
RUDIS. [Gladiatores.]
SACCUS (o-aKKo?) signified in general any
kind of sack or bag made of hair, cloth, or
other materials. "We have only to notice here
its meaning as—(1) Ahead-dress. [Coma.]—
(2) A sieve for straining wine. [Count.]—(3)
A purse for holding money. Hence the phrase
in Plautus ire ad saceum, " to go a begging."
SACELLUM is a diminutive of sacer, and
signifies a small place consecrated to a god,
containing an altar, and sometimes also a
statue of the god to whom it was dedicated,
but it was without a roof. It was therefore
a sacred inclosure surrounded by a fence
or wall, and thus answered to the Greek
SACERDOS, SACERDOTlUM. As all the
different kinds of priests are treated of sepa-
rately in this work, it is only necessary here
to make some general remarks. In com-
parison with the civil magistrates, all priests
at Rome were regarded as homines privatij
though all of them, as priests, were sacerdotes
publici, in as far as their office (sacerdotittm)
was connected with any worship recognised
by the state. The appellation of saeerdos
publicus was, however, given principally to
the chief pontiff and the fiamen dialig, who
were at the same time the only priests who
were members of the senate by virtue of
their office. All priestly offices or sacerdotia
were held for life, without responsibility to
any civil magistrate. A priest was generally
allowed to hold any other civil or military
office besides his priestly dignity ; some
priests, however, formed an exception, for
the duumviri, the rex sacrorum, and the
flamen dialis were not allowed to hold any
state office, and were also exempt from
service in the armies. Their priestly cha-
racter was, generally speaking, inseparable
from their person as long as they lived :
hence the augurs and fratres arvales retained
their character even when sent into exile, or
when they were taken prisoners. It also
occurs that one and the same person held
two or three priestly offices at a time. Thus
we find the three dignities of pontifex maxi-
mus, augur, and decemvir sacrorum united
in one individual. Bodily defects incapaci-
tated a person at Rome, as among all ancient
nations, from holding any priestly office. All
priests were originally patricians, but from
the year B.C. 367 the plebeians also began to
take part in the sacerdotia [Plebes] ; and
those priestly offices which down to the latest
times remained in the hands of the patricians
alone, such as that of the rex sacrorum, the
flamines, salii, and others, had no influence
upon the affairs of the state. As regards the
appointment of priests, the ancients unani-
mously state, that at first they were appointed
by the kings, but after the sacerdotia were
once instituted, each college of priests—for
nearly all priests constituted certain corpora-
tions called collegia—had the right of filling
up, by cooptatio, the vacancies which oc-
curred. [Pontifex.] Other priests, on the
contrary, such as the vestal virgins and the
| flamines, were appointed {capiebantur) by
j the pontifex maximus, a rule which appears
to have been observed down to the latest
I times; others again, such as the duumviri
sacrorum, were elected by the people, or by
the curiae, as the curiones. But in whatever
manner they were appointed, all priests after
their appointment required to be inaugurate 1
y 2
323
SACERDOS.
so that the speaker might turn either to the
one or the other ; but down to the time of
C. Gracchus, even the tribunes in speaking-
used to front the Comitium; he first turned
his back to it and spoke with his face towards
the forum. The rostra was a circular build-
ing-, raised on arches, with a stand or plat-
form on the top, bordered by a parapet, the
access to it being by two flights of steps, one
on each side. It fronted towards the comi-
tium, and the rostra were affixed to the front
of it, just under the arches. Its form has
been in all the main points preserved in the
ambones or circular pulpits of the most an-
cient churches, which also had two flights of
steps leading up to them, one on the east
side, by which the preacher ascended, and
another on the west side, for his descent.
The speaker was thus enabled to walk to
and fro, while addressing his audience. The
suggestus or rostra was transferred by Julius
Caesar to a corner of the Forum, but the
spot where the ancient rostra had stood still
continued to be called Rostra Vetera, while
the other was called Rostra Nova or Rostra
Julia. Both the rostra contained statues of
illustrious men.
Rostra on Coin of U. Lollius Pahcanus. (British Museum.)
ROSTRUM. [Xavis.]
ROTA. [Crititrs.]
RUDIARII. [Gladiatores.]
RUDIS. [Gladiatores.]
SACCUS (o-aKKo?) signified in general any
kind of sack or bag made of hair, cloth, or
other materials. "We have only to notice here
its meaning as—(1) Ahead-dress. [Coma.]—
(2) A sieve for straining wine. [Count.]—(3)
A purse for holding money. Hence the phrase
in Plautus ire ad saceum, " to go a begging."
SACELLUM is a diminutive of sacer, and
signifies a small place consecrated to a god,
containing an altar, and sometimes also a
statue of the god to whom it was dedicated,
but it was without a roof. It was therefore
a sacred inclosure surrounded by a fence
or wall, and thus answered to the Greek
SACERDOS, SACERDOTlUM. As all the
different kinds of priests are treated of sepa-
rately in this work, it is only necessary here
to make some general remarks. In com-
parison with the civil magistrates, all priests
at Rome were regarded as homines privatij
though all of them, as priests, were sacerdotes
publici, in as far as their office (sacerdotittm)
was connected with any worship recognised
by the state. The appellation of saeerdos
publicus was, however, given principally to
the chief pontiff and the fiamen dialig, who
were at the same time the only priests who
were members of the senate by virtue of
their office. All priestly offices or sacerdotia
were held for life, without responsibility to
any civil magistrate. A priest was generally
allowed to hold any other civil or military
office besides his priestly dignity ; some
priests, however, formed an exception, for
the duumviri, the rex sacrorum, and the
flamen dialis were not allowed to hold any
state office, and were also exempt from
service in the armies. Their priestly cha-
racter was, generally speaking, inseparable
from their person as long as they lived :
hence the augurs and fratres arvales retained
their character even when sent into exile, or
when they were taken prisoners. It also
occurs that one and the same person held
two or three priestly offices at a time. Thus
we find the three dignities of pontifex maxi-
mus, augur, and decemvir sacrorum united
in one individual. Bodily defects incapaci-
tated a person at Rome, as among all ancient
nations, from holding any priestly office. All
priests were originally patricians, but from
the year B.C. 367 the plebeians also began to
take part in the sacerdotia [Plebes] ; and
those priestly offices which down to the latest
times remained in the hands of the patricians
alone, such as that of the rex sacrorum, the
flamines, salii, and others, had no influence
upon the affairs of the state. As regards the
appointment of priests, the ancients unani-
mously state, that at first they were appointed
by the kings, but after the sacerdotia were
once instituted, each college of priests—for
nearly all priests constituted certain corpora-
tions called collegia—had the right of filling
up, by cooptatio, the vacancies which oc-
curred. [Pontifex.] Other priests, on the
contrary, such as the vestal virgins and the
| flamines, were appointed {capiebantur) by
j the pontifex maximus, a rule which appears
to have been observed down to the latest
I times; others again, such as the duumviri
sacrorum, were elected by the people, or by
the curiae, as the curiones. But in whatever
manner they were appointed, all priests after
their appointment required to be inaugurate 1
y 2