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

32G

SALII.

opinion appears to have been the most com-
mon in later times, so that saeculum answered
to our century.

SAGITTARII. [Arcus.]

8AGMINA, were the same as the verbenae,
namely, herbs torn up by their roots from
within the inclosure of the Capitoline, which
were always carried by the Fetiales or am-
bassadors, when they went to a foreign
people to demand restitution for wrongs
committed against the Romans, or to make a
treaty. [Fetiales.] They served to mark
the sacred character of the ambassadors, and
answered the same purpose as the Greek

SAGUM, the cloak worn by the Roman
soldiers and inferior officers, in contradis-
tinction to the paludamentum of the general
and superior officers. [Paludamextum.] It
is used in opposition to the toga or garb of
peace, and we accordingly find, that when
there was a war in Italy, all citizens put on
the sagum even in the city, with the excep-
tion of those of consular rank (saga sumere,
ad saga ire, in sagis esse). The sagum was
open in the front, and usually fastened across
the shoulders by a clasp : it resembled in
form the paludamentum (see cut, p. 281).
The cloak worn by the general and superior
officers is sometimes called sagum, but the
diminutive sagnhim is more commonly used in
such cases. The cloak worn by the northern
nations of Europe is also called sagum. The
German sagum is mentioned by Tacitus : that
worn by the Gauls seems to have been a spe-
cies of plaid (versicolor sagum).

SALAMINIA. [Paralus.]

SALII, priests of Mars Gradivus, said to
have been instituted by Numa. They were
twelve in number, chosen from the patricians
even in the latest times, and formed an eccle-
siastical corporation. They had the care of
the twelve Aneilia, which were kept in the
temple of Mars on the Palatine hill, whence
these priests were sometimes called Salii Pa-
latini, to distinguish them from the other
Salii mentioned below. The distinguishing
dress of the Salii was an embroidered tunic
bound with a brazen belt, the trabea, and
the apex, also worn by the Flamines. [Apex.]
Each had a sword by his side, and in his
right hand a spear or staff. The festival of
Mars was celebrated by the Salii on the 1st
of March and for several successive days ; on
which occasion they were accustomed to go
through the city in their official dress, carry-
ing the aneilia in their left hands or sus-
pended from their shoulders, and at the same
time singing and dancing, whence comes
their name. The songs or hymns which
they sang on this occasion were called Asa-

menta, Assamenta, or Axamenta, and were
chiefly in praise of Mamurius Veturius. ge-
nerally said to be the armourer, who made
eleven aneilia like the one that was sent
from heaven (ancile), though some modern
writers suppose it to be merely another name
of Mars. The praises of the gods were also
celebrated in the songs of the Salii. In later
times these songs were scarcely understood
even by the priests themselves. At the con-
clusion of the festival the Salii were accus-
tomed to partake of a splendid entertainment
in the temple of Mars, which was proverbial
for its excellence. The members of the col-
legium were elected by co-optation. We read
of the dignities of praesul, vates, and ma-
gister in the collegium. The shape of the
ancile is exhibited in the annexed cut, which
illustrates the accounts of the ancient writers
that its form was oval, but with the two
sides receding inwards with an even curv-
ature, and so as to make it broader at the
ends than in the middle. The persons en-
gaged in carrying these aneilia on their
shoulders, suspended from a pole, are pro-
bably servants of the Salii. At the top of
the cut is represented one of the rods with
which the Salii were accustomed to beat the
shield in their dance, as already described.

■---- - ■lOCtp

Salii carrying the Aneilia. (From an ancient Gem.)

Tullus Hostilius established another colle-
gium of Salii, in fulfilment of a vow which
he made in a war with the Sabines. These
Salii were also twelve in number, chosen
from the patricians, and appear to have been
dedicated to the service of Quirinus. They
were called the Salii Collini, Agonales or
Agonenses. It is supposed that the oldest
and most illustrious college, the Palatine
Salii, were chosen originally from the oldest
tribe, the Ramnes, and the one instituted by