DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13855#0340
SELLA. 832 SENATUS.
-
of sitting upon this chair belonged to the j authority. We find it occasionally exhibited
consuls, praetors, curule acdiles, and censors
to the fiumen dialis ; to the dictator, and to
those whom he deputed to act under himself,
as the matjister eqttitum, since he might be
said to comprehend all magistracies within
himself. After the downfal of the constitu-
tion, it was assigned to the emperors also, or
to their statues in their absence; to the
augustales, and perhaps, to the praefeetus
urbi. It was displayed upon all great public
occasions, especially in the circus and the-
atre ; and it was the seat of the praetor when
on the medals of foreign monarchs likewise,
as on those of Ariobarzanes II. of Cappadocia,
for it was the practice of the Romans to
present a curule chair, an ivory sceptre, a
toga praetexta, and such-like ornaments, as
tokens of respect and confidence to those
rulers whose friendship they desired to culti-
vate. The sella curulis appears from the
first to have been ornamented with ivory ; and
at a later period it was overlaid with gold.
In shape it was extremely plain, closely re-
sembling a common folding camp-stool with
he administered justice. In the provinces it crooked legs. The sella curulis is frequently
was assumed by inferior magistrates, when 1 represented upon the denarii of Roman fami-
tliey exercised proconsular or propraetorian lies. In the following cut are represented
Sellae Curules. (The top figure from the Vatican collection ; the two bottom figures from the Museum at Naples.)
two pair of bronze legs, belonging to a sella
curulis, and likewise a sella curulis itself.
—(2) Sf.li.a Gestatoria, or Fertoria, a
sedan used both in town and country,
and by men as well as by women. It
is expressly distinguished from the Lectica,
a portable bed or sofa, in which the per-
son carried lay in a recumbent position,
while the sella was a portable chair, in
which the occupant sat upright. It differed
from the cathedra also, but in what the dif-
ference consisted, it is not easy to determine.
[Cathedra.] It appears not to have been
introduced until long after the lectica was
common, since we scarcely, if ever, find any
allusion to it until the period of the empire.
The sella was sometimes entirely open, but
more frequently shut in. It was made some-
times of plain leather, and sometimes orna-
mented with bone, ivory, silver, or gold,
according to the fortune of the proprietor.
It was furnished with a pillow to support the
head and neck (cervical) ; the motion was so
easy that one might study without inconve-
nience, while at the same time it afforded a
healthful exercise.-—(3) Chairs for ordinary
domestic purposes have been discovered in
excavations, or are seen represented in ancient
rescoes, many displaying great taste.
Sellae, Chairs. (The nght-fannd figure from the Vatican
collection ; the left-hand figure from a Painting at
Pompeii.)
SEMIS, SEMISSIS. [As.]
BEMUNCIA. [U.ncia.]
SEMUNCIARIuM FEXTJS. [Fents.]
SENATUS. In all the republics of an-
tiquity the government was divided between
a senate and a popular assembly; and in
cases where a king stood at the head of
-
of sitting upon this chair belonged to the j authority. We find it occasionally exhibited
consuls, praetors, curule acdiles, and censors
to the fiumen dialis ; to the dictator, and to
those whom he deputed to act under himself,
as the matjister eqttitum, since he might be
said to comprehend all magistracies within
himself. After the downfal of the constitu-
tion, it was assigned to the emperors also, or
to their statues in their absence; to the
augustales, and perhaps, to the praefeetus
urbi. It was displayed upon all great public
occasions, especially in the circus and the-
atre ; and it was the seat of the praetor when
on the medals of foreign monarchs likewise,
as on those of Ariobarzanes II. of Cappadocia,
for it was the practice of the Romans to
present a curule chair, an ivory sceptre, a
toga praetexta, and such-like ornaments, as
tokens of respect and confidence to those
rulers whose friendship they desired to culti-
vate. The sella curulis appears from the
first to have been ornamented with ivory ; and
at a later period it was overlaid with gold.
In shape it was extremely plain, closely re-
sembling a common folding camp-stool with
he administered justice. In the provinces it crooked legs. The sella curulis is frequently
was assumed by inferior magistrates, when 1 represented upon the denarii of Roman fami-
tliey exercised proconsular or propraetorian lies. In the following cut are represented
Sellae Curules. (The top figure from the Vatican collection ; the two bottom figures from the Museum at Naples.)
two pair of bronze legs, belonging to a sella
curulis, and likewise a sella curulis itself.
—(2) Sf.li.a Gestatoria, or Fertoria, a
sedan used both in town and country,
and by men as well as by women. It
is expressly distinguished from the Lectica,
a portable bed or sofa, in which the per-
son carried lay in a recumbent position,
while the sella was a portable chair, in
which the occupant sat upright. It differed
from the cathedra also, but in what the dif-
ference consisted, it is not easy to determine.
[Cathedra.] It appears not to have been
introduced until long after the lectica was
common, since we scarcely, if ever, find any
allusion to it until the period of the empire.
The sella was sometimes entirely open, but
more frequently shut in. It was made some-
times of plain leather, and sometimes orna-
mented with bone, ivory, silver, or gold,
according to the fortune of the proprietor.
It was furnished with a pillow to support the
head and neck (cervical) ; the motion was so
easy that one might study without inconve-
nience, while at the same time it afforded a
healthful exercise.-—(3) Chairs for ordinary
domestic purposes have been discovered in
excavations, or are seen represented in ancient
rescoes, many displaying great taste.
Sellae, Chairs. (The nght-fannd figure from the Vatican
collection ; the left-hand figure from a Painting at
Pompeii.)
SEMIS, SEMISSIS. [As.]
BEMUNCIA. [U.ncia.]
SEMUNCIARIuM FEXTJS. [Fents.]
SENATUS. In all the republics of an-
tiquity the government was divided between
a senate and a popular assembly; and in
cases where a king stood at the head of