[Much of my site will be useless to you if you've got the images turned off!]

p944 Portisculus

Unsigned article on p944 of

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

PORTIS′CULUS, (κελεύστης), an officer in a ship, who gave the signal to the rowers, that they might keep time in rowing. The same name was also given to the pole or hammer, by the striking of which he regulated the motion of the oars (Festus, s.v.). The duties of this officer are thus described by Silius Italicus (VI.360, &c.):—

"Mediae stat margine puppis,

Qui voce alternos nautarum temperet ictus,

Et remis dictet sonitum, pariterque relatis

Ad sonitum plaudat resonentia caerula tonsis."

This officer is sometimes called Hortator (Ovid, Met. III.618; Plaut. Merc. IV.2.5; Virg. Aen. III.128) or Pausarius (Cf. Blomfield, ad Aesch. Pers. 403).

Images with borders lead to more information.
The thicker the border, the more information. (Details here.)

UP TO:

Smith's
Dictionary

LacusCurtius

Home

A page or image on this site is in the public domain ONLY if its URL has a total of one *asterisk. If the URL has two **asterisks, the item is copyright someone else, and used by permission or fair use. If the URL has none the item is © Bill Thayer.

p944 Portisculus

Unsigned article on p944 of

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

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