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 p517  F

The entries on pp517‑565 of

William Smith, D.C.L., LL.D.:
A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray, London, 1875.

FABRI: see separate page.

FABULA. [Comoedia.]

Factio′nes auriga′rum: [Circus, p287.]

Fala′rica: [ Hasta.]

Falsa′rius: [Falsum.]

Falsum: see separate page.

Falx: see separate page.

Familia: see separate page.

FAMILIAE ERCISCUNDAE ACTIO: see separate page.

Famosi libelli: [Libellus.]

Fanum: [Templum.]

Fa′rreum: [Matrimonium.]

FARTOR (σιτευτής), was a slave who fattened poultry (Colum. VIII.7; Hor. Sat. II.3.228; Plaut. Truc. I.2.11). Donatus (ad Terent. Eun. II.2.26) says that the name was given to a maker of sausages; but compare Becker, Gallus, vol. II p190.

The name of fartores or crammers was also given to the nomenclatores, who accompanied the candidates for the public offices at Rome, and gave them the names of such persons as they might meet (Festus, s.v. Fartores).

Fas: [Fasti; Jus.]

Fasces: see separate page.

Fascia: see separate page.

Fa′scinum: see separate page.

Fasti: see separate page.

Fastigium: see separate page.

Fauces: [Domus, p428A.]

Fax: see separate page.

Februum: [Lupercalia.]

Feciales: [Fetiales.]

FEMINALIA, were worn in winter by Augustus Caesar, who was very susceptible of cold (Sueton. Aug. 82). Casaubon supposes them to have been bandages or fillets [Fascia] wound about the thighs; it seems more probable that they were breeches resembling ours, since garments for the thighs (περιμήρια) were worn by the Roman horsemen (Arrian, Tact. p14, ed. Blanc.); and the column of Trajan, the arch of Constantine, and other monuments of the same period, present numerous examples of both horse and foot soldiers who wear breeches, closely fitted to the body, and never reaching much below the knees (see woodcuts, pp2, 117, 136).

Fenestra: [Domus, p432.]

Fenus: see separate page.

Fera′lia: [Funus.]

Ferculum: see separate page.

Ferentarii: [Exercitus, p502B.]

Feretrum: [Funus.]

Feriae: see separate page.

Fescennina: see separate page.

Festi dies: [Dies.]

Festu′ca: [Manumissio.]

Fetia′les: see separate page.

Fi′bula: see separate page.

Fi′ctile: see separate page.

Fi′ctio: see separate page.

Fideicommissum: see separate page.

Fidejussor: [Intercessio.]

Fidepromissor: [Intercessio.]

Fides: [Lyra.]

FIDICULA is said to have been an instrument of torture, consisting of a number of strings. According to some modern writers, it was the same as the equuleus, or at all events formed part of it. [Equuleus.] The term, however, appears to be applied to any strings, whether forming part of the equuleus or not, by which the limbs or extremities of the individuals were tied tightly. (Sueton. Tib. 62, Cal. 33; Isid. Orig. V.27.20; Cod. Theod. 9 tit. 35 s1; Sigonius, De Jud. III.17.)

Thayer's Note: A more comprehensive article Fidicula may be found in Daremberg & Saglio's Dictionnaire des Antiquités Grecques et Romaines (in English translation); and for the constellation, see Allen's Star Names, s.v. Lyra.

Fiducia: see separate page.

Fiducia′ria actio: [ Fiducia.]º

Figli′na ars: [Fictile.]

Figli′nae: [Fictile.]

Fi′gulus: [Fictile.]

Filiusfamilias: [Familia.]

Fi′mbriae: see separate page.

Finitores: [Agrimensores.]

Fi′nium regundo′rum actio: If the boundaries of contiguous estates were accidentally confused, each of the parties interested in the re-establishment of the boundaries might have an action against the other for that purpose. This action belonged to the class of duplicia judicia. [Familiae Erciscundae Actio.] In this action each party was bound to account for the fruits and profits which he had received from any part of the land which did not belong to him, and also to account for any injury which it had sustained through his culpa. Each party was also entitled to compensation for improvements made in the portion of land which did not belong to him (Dig. 10 tit. 1). There is an article entitled 'Ueber die Gränzscheidungsklage' by Rudorff in the Zeitschrift für Geschichtliche Rechtswissenschaft, vol. X. [Ager.]

Fiscales: [Gladiatores.]

Fiscus: see separate page.

Fistu′ca: see separate page.

Flabellum: see separate page.

Flagrum: see separate page.

Flamen: see separate page.

Fla′mmeum: [Matrimonium.]

Flexu′mines: [Equites.]

Floralia: see separate page.

FOCALE, a covering for the ears and neck, made of wool and worn by infirm and delicate persons (Hor. Sat. II.3.255; Senec. Qu. Nat. IV.13; Quintil. XI.3.144;​a Mart. I.121,​b XIV.142).

Focus: see separate page.

FOEDERA′TAE CIVITA′TES, FOEDERA′TI, SO′CII: see separate page.

Foedus: [Foederatae Civitates.]

Foenus: [Fenus.]

Follis: see separate page.

Fons: see separate page.

FORCEPS (πυράγρα), tongs or pincers, need no further explanation here, as they were used in antiquity for the same purposes as they are in modern times. They were invented, as the etymology indicates, for taking hold of what is hot (forvum, Festus, s.v.; Servius, ad Virg. Georg. IV.175, Aen. VIII.453, XII.404), used by smiths, and therefore attributed to Vulcan and the Cyclopes. (Virg. ll. cc.; Hom. Il. XVIII.477, Od. III.434; Callim. in Del. 144; forcipe curva, Ovid, Met. XII.277.) [Incus; Malleus.]

Fores: [Janua.]

Forfex: see separate page.

Fori: [Navis, Circus, p283B.]

Forma: see separate page.

Fo′rmula: [Actio.]

Fornacalia: see separate page.

Fornax: see separate page.

Fornix: see separate page.

Forum: see separate page.

Fossa: [Castra.]

Framea: [Hasta.]

Fratres arva′les: [Arvales Fratres.]

Fraus: [Poena.]

Frenum: see separate page.

Frigidarium: [Balneae.]

Fritillus: see separate page.

Frontale: [Ampyx.]

Fructus: [Ususfructus.]

FRUMENTARIAE LEGES: see separate page.

FRUMENTARII, officers under the Roman empire, who acted as spies in the provinces, and reported to the emperors anything which they considered of importance (Aurel. Vict. De Caes. 39, sub fin.; Spartian. Hadrian. 11; Capitol. Macrin. 12, Commod. 4). They appear to have been called Frumentarii because it was their duty to collect information in the same way as it was the duty of other officers, called by the same name, to collect corn.º They were accustomed to accuse persons falsely, and their office was at last abolished by Diocletian. We frequently find in inscriptions mention made of Frumentarii belonging to particular legions (Orelli, Inscr. 74, 3491, 4922), from which it has been supposed that the frumentarii, who acted as spies, were soldiers attached to the legions in the provinces; they may, however, have been different officers, whose duty it was to distribute the corn to the legions.

Thayer's Note: For somewhat different details and sources, see the Loeb edition footnote to the Historia Augusta, Hadr. 11.4, and the article Castra Peregrina in Platner & Ashby's Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome.

Frumentatio: [Frumentariae Leges.]

Fucus: see separate page.

Fuga lata: [Exsilium.]

Fuga libera: [Exsilium.]

Fugitivarius: [Servus.]

Fugitivus: [Servus.]

Fulcrum: [Lectus.]

Fullo: see separate page.

Fullonica: [Fullo.]

FUNALE (σκολάξ, Isid. Orig. XX.10), a link, used in the same manner as a torch [Fax], but made of papyrus and other fibrous plants, twisted like a rope, and smeared with pitch and wax (Virg. Aen. I.727; Servius, ad loc.; Hor. Carm. III.26.7; Val. Max. III.6 §4). It was indeed, as Antipater describes it, "a light coated with wax" (λαμπάς κηροχίτων, Brunck, Anal. II.112; Jacobs, ad loc.). For this reason it was also called cereus. Funalia are sculptured upon a monument of considerable antiquity preserved at Padua (Pignor. De Servis, p259). At the Saturnalia they were presented by clients to their superiors, and were lighted in honour of Saturn (Antipater, l.c.; Macrob. Sat. I.7).º [J.Y.]

Funa′lis equus: [Currus, p379B.]

Funa′mbulus: see separate page.

Fumarium: [Vinum.]

Funda: see separate page.

Funditores: [Funda.]

Fundus: see separate page.

Funes: [Navis.]

Funus: see separate page.

Furca: see separate page.

Furcifer: [Furca.]

Furiosus: [Curator.]

Furnus: [Fornax.]

Furor: [Curator.]

Furti actio: [Furtum.]

Furtum: see separate page.

Fuscina: see separate page.

Fustuarium: see separate page.

Fusus: see separate page.


Thayer's Notes:

a Notice that the Loeb edition translates "bandages used to protect the legs"; this is probably a slip by the translator, however, confusing focalia with fasciolaeq.v.; notice the passage in Ammian cited in my note there.

b There is no epigram 121 in Book I of Martial, nor, as far as I can tell, does he mention focalia elsewhere than in Book XIV.


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