A complete dictionary of the Greek and Roman antiquities explaining the obscure places in classic authors and ancient historians relating to the religion, mythology, history, geography and chronology of the ancient Greeks and Romans, their ... rites and customs, laws, polity, arts and engines of war : also an account of their navigations, arts and sciences and the inventors of them : with the lives and opinions of their philosophers / compiled originally in French ... by Monsieur Danet ; made English, with the addition of very useful mapps.

ANNULUS,

a Ring which the Antients wore on their Fingers. There are Three sorts of 'em; one sort was call'd Annuli Sponsalitii, Pronubi, or Geniales, Rings of Espousals, or Marriage-Rings, which the Bride-groom gives his Bride at their Marriage; others were call'd Annuli Honorarii, Rings of Honour, which were us'd as Marks of Honour, and distinction between the different Orders of Men, and with which those also were rewarded, who had done some signal Service to the Common-wealth; the Third sort were call'd Annuli Signa∣torii, or Sigillatorii, which they used to seal their Letters with.

The Rings which the Romans used to give the Women betrothed to them, were ordina∣rily of Iron, and they put them upon the 4th Finger of the hand. I have seen some also of Copper and Brass, with little Knobs in the fa∣shion of a Key, to signifie, that the Husband, by giving this Nuptial-Ring to his Wife, puts her in possession of the Keys of his House, of which she ought to have the care. Some of them are found with these Inscriptions, Bonam Vitam. Amo te, ••na me.

Rings of Honour, were Marks of Merit in the Persons who wore them. The first Romans wore only Rings of Iron, as fittest for a war∣like Nation, and they prefer'd 'em before Rings of value. Tarquinius Priscus was the first that wore one of Gold; but for a long time the Senators durst not wear 'em. Afterwards a Custom prevail'd of giving Gold Rings to them that went on an Embassy into strange Countries about the Affairs of the Common-wealth; but yet they wore them only upon the days of their Entries, or Audiences, as a Badg of their Dignity.

But afterwards the Senators wore them of Gold, as also the Knights, to distinguish them∣selves from the common People; as they were known from Senators by a Robe woven with Gold, and by their large Buttons. This hap∣pen'd about the Second Punick or Carthaginian-War.

We read in Appian of Alexandria, that only Colonels in an Army had a Right to wear Gold Rings, which they used as a Mark of Nobility.

It is true, that in the Disorder and Confusion of Civil-Wars, the People, and Soldiers took the liberty to wear 'em, as also Women-Slaves, and those who were made free, which obliged the Consuls, C. Asinius Pollio and C. Antistius, un∣der the Emperor Tiberius, to make an Order for∣bidding the Common-People to wear Gold Rings, at least those whose Father, or Grand-father by the Fathers side, had not a Revenue of 400 great Sesterces with a right to take place in the Fourteenth Ascent of the Theatre, which was granted to the Roman Knights when they were present at those Shows.

It is also true, that from the time of the Em∣peror Commodus, the Slaves made free were ho∣noured with a Gold Ring.

Aurelius Victor says, That the infamous Ma∣crinus, the Son of an enfranchis'd Slave, re∣ceiv'd a Gold Ring, and was thereby equall'd to the Knights, as these Verses of the Poet Statius shew:

Mutavitque genus, laevâque ignobile ferrum Exuit, & celso natorum aequavit honori.

They affected to wear 'em of an extraordi∣nary weight; I have seen some that weighed Four Pistoles and a half of Gold; which puts me in mind of what Juvenal says wittily in his Seventh Satyr, That no body will give 200 Pieces to an Orator to plead his Cause, although he be as eloquent as Cicero, unless they see an extraordinary great Ring shining on his Finger:

—Ciceroni nemo ducentos Nunc dederit nummos, nisi fulserit annulus ingens. Satyr. VII. v. 139.

Pliny tells us, That in his time the Excess was so great, that it seem'd to him, as though every one would be valu'd only by the Number and Weight of his Gold Rings, with which they loaded rather than adorned their Fingers. This is the same that Se∣neca, the Philosopher, says, Oneramus annulis di∣gitos, & m omni articulo gemma disponitur.

These Rings were often adorned with Bea∣zels made of the same Matter, or precious Stones graved several ways.

Under the Emperor Claudius, Seals were or∣dered to be made of the same Metals, and not of precious Stones. The several sorts of Engravings which were set in the Beazels of Rings made the Seals, which we name Annuli Signatorii, or Sigillatorii, with which they seal'd their Letters, which they impress'd upon their Records; as also in their Houses upon their Cellars, where they kept their Provisions.

They seal'd their Letters, as we do at this day, saving, that instead of Silk they used Thread or Flax, with which they wrapt about the Letter on the outside, and then laying upon it a sort of soft Clay or Wax, they stampt the figure of their Seal upon it, after they had a little softened it with Spittle. Cicero has de∣scrib'd the manner of it to us in his Third Ora∣tion against Catiline; Tabellas proferri jussimus, quae à quoque dicebantur datae; primùm oftendimus Cethege, signum cognovit, nos linum incidimus, legi∣mus: We caused the Letters to be brough:, shew'd 'em to Cethegus, who acknowledg'd the Seal, we cut the Thread, and read them.

Plautus has describ'd the same thing to us more elegantly in his Bacchides: Cedo tu ceram, & linum, actutum age, obliga ob signa citò: Give me the Wax, and Thred, quickly; bind up the Let∣ter, and seal it: This Flax was call'd Vinculum Epistolae; and Juvenal calls the Impression of the Seal upon the Wax, that was softened with Spittle, Gemma Uda.

They seal'd their Contracts in the same man∣ner, as also their Wills; for as soon as the Witnesses had heard the Will read, it was seal'd in their presence, and they fix'd Three Labels to it, upon which they put Wax, and set their Seals. This was decreed by the Se∣nate, in the time of Nero, as Suetonius relates. It was likewise necessary, when a Will was opened, that either all the Witnesses, or at least most of 'em, should be present, to own their Seals: Tabellae testamenti aperiuntur hoc mo∣do, ut testes vel maxima pars eorum adhibeantur, qui signaverint testamentum, ut ita agnitis signis, rupto lino, aperiatur & recitetur. Jul. Paul.

These Seals were also made use of to seal their Cellars and Pantries, where they kept Provisions for their Families; for Plautus brings in a Mistris of a House, who was going to visit her Neighbour, thus speaking in his Comedy, entituled Casina, Obsignate cellas, referte annulum ad me; And the same Poet brings in a Slave complaining of his Master for sealing the Salt-Box, for fear he should take any Salt; Isti parci promi qui salinum servis ob∣signant cum sale.