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.

Arma,

Arms, which Men made use of, either for attacking others, or defending themselves. 'Tis certain that the Arms of the ancient Heroes, as well Defensive as Offensive, were of Copper or Brass. This is what the Poet Lucretius tells us.

The first Arms says this Poet, were Hands, Nails, Teeth, Stones, and Sticks: Afterwards some invented Arms of Iron or Brass; but those of Brass, were 1st. us'd.

Arma antiqua manus, ungues, den••es{que} fuere. Et Lapides, & item silvarum fragmina, rami; Post••riut ferri vis est aeris{que} reperta. Sed prior aeris erat quam ferri cognitus tisus, Lucr. l. 5. v. 1282.

Tubal-Cain, one of the Posterity of Cain, according to the Scripture, was the Master and Father of the Smiths, and of all those who work'd in Iron and Steel, Tubal-Cain fuit Malleator & Faber in cuncta opera area & ferri, Gen. 4. 8, 22. Now this Tubal-Cain was the Vulcan of the Pagans, as Diodorus Siculus tells us, [A Vulcano fabricationem aeris, auri, ferri, argenti, & caeterorum omnium quae ignis opera∣tionem rejiciunt inventam.] lib. 5. p. 341. Jose∣phus says that Moses was the first who arm'd any Troops with Iron, and that he gave them in Aegypt the Buckler and the Head-piece. Plutarch relates in the Life of Theseus, that Ci∣non, the Son of Miltiades having a mind to carry the Bones of this Hero from the Isle of Scyros to Athens, found the Point of a Lance which was of Brass, together with a Sword of the same Metal. 'Tis certain also from the former Passage of Lucretius, that Arms of Iron and Steel were used among the Greeks and Romans, both for their Cavalry and In∣fantry.

They divided their Infantry into those that were heavy arm'd, and those that were light arm'd, whom they call'd Velites, and who had casting Weapons: Such were the Slingers who threw Stones, the Darters who cast the Javelin, and the Archers who shot with Bows; these had their Head covered with a Murion; carried a little round Buckler up∣on their Arm, and a short dagger by their side. Under the Emperors, Trajan, Adrian, and Antoninus Pius, these Velites, or Skirmi∣shers wore a Corslet of Iron, or a Curiass, adorn'd with Scales resembling Fishes, like that of the Archers: But the Slingers were clad in nothing but their usual Habit, having the lappet of their Coat tuck'd up to put Stones in it: The Archers, or such as drew the Bow, were armed with a Helmet upon their Head, and Armour adorn'd with Scales, having on their right side a Quiver furnished with Arrows, on their left a Dagger, or Sword, holding a Bow in their Hand, with which they shot their Arrows.

As to the Souldiers which were heavy arm'd, their Head was guarded with a Casquet or Helmet of Iron, which came down very low before, and behind descended as far as their Shoulders: Their Body was arm'd with a Coat of Mail, together with Knee-Pieces and Bracelets. They carried on their Arm a Shield 2 Foot broad, and 4 Foot long strengthened with an Iron Plate that went round about it: In the middle was an Iron∣boss jurting out very serviceable to keep off Blows [or glance of Darts and Stones.] They had also a Sword by their left Side, and a Dag∣ger which cut with two edges. Besides all

this they were armed with a Dart, and two Spears 4 Foot long, having Iron Spikes at the top.

The Greeks were not so heavy arm'd; they carried long Pikes, or Sarissa's [a peculiar sort of Spear which was used by the Macedo∣nians] which were Staves 18 Foot long, wherewith they forced their way across the Battalions of their Enemies. Dio, in the life of Antoninus Caracalla the Son of Severus, re∣lates that the Macedonian Phalanx [being a Four-square Army consisting of 8000 Foot∣men set in close Array] in the time of Alex∣ander the Great, made use of a Salade or Head-piece made of the raw Hide of an Ox, and had their Body cover'd with a Jacket, or Coat of Mail, made of Flax or Hemp twisted into Cords, and 3 times doubled [which were cal∣led Thoraces trilices, from the number of Cords fix'd one upon another] Homer in the 3d. Book of his Iliads, arms thus the famous Paris: He first put on his Greaves, or the Armour of his Legs; then he clothed himself with the Coat of Mail, tied his Sword by his Side, took his Shield, and armed himself with a Helmet adorn'd with Feathers of divers Colours.

Now follow the Arms of the Roman Caval∣ry. A Horseman carried a Lance in his right Hand, and a Shield on his left (which was an ancient kind of offensive Weapon, made in the form of a light Buckler, which the Horse of the Houshold who fought with a Lance, in former times carried on their Arm) his Body was cover'd with a Coat of Mail (which is a piece of Armour made in the Form of a Shirt, and wrought over with ma∣ny rings or little marks of Iron) which came down as low as his Knees: His Hands were cover'd with Gantlets (which were large Gloves of Iron for arming the Hard of a Horseman) and his Fingers covered with thin Plates of Iron, join'd together in the Fashion of Scales; and his Arms with Bracelets (a Piece of defensive Armour which cover'd the Arms) as also his Knees with Greaves (a kind of Boots, or Armour for the Legs) on his Head he wore a Morion with a Crest adorn'd with Plumes of Feathers and various Figures of Beasts-upon it. Their Horse were arm'd with a Coat of Mail and Plates of Iron.

The light Horsemen carried a Javelin, or Half-Pike in their right Hand (which Jave∣lin was 5 Foot and a half long, and had a Head of Iron with three edges which was sharp-pointed) and in their left Hand they held a great Shield, and wore a Casque upon their Head.

There were also some Throwers of Darts which were light arm'd. They carried on their Back a Quiver full of Arrows, and had a Bow out of which they were to shoot them: They wore a Sword on their left Side, and some of them had a Dagger on the right side; their Head was arm'd with a Casquet, and their Legs with Greaves.

The ancient Names of the Greek and Roman Arms and Weapons with their Explication.

• A Slinger was one who threw Stones with a Sling. The Slingers were a part of the Roman Militia.
• 1. A Sling is an Instrument made up of two Strings, having a little Pouch like a Net in the middle for holding the Stones that are thrown out of it.
• 2. A Dart is a missive Weapon, made of Wood, that is arm'd with a sharp pointed Iron at the end, which is thrown with the Hand.
• 3. A little Shield, or a kind of a round Buckler, wherewith the Infantry in former times was arm'd.
• 4. Pilum, The ancients called any Shaft of Wood armed with Iron by this Name, and so all sorts of Arrows and Darts which they let fly were called Pila
• 5. A Dagger is a large Ponyard, which an∣ciently they us'd in fighting.
• 6. A Salade, is a slight covering for the Head, which the light Horsemen wore It differs from a Helmet in this, that it has no Crest, and is hardly any thing but a Wea∣pon.
• 7. A Morion, is the Armour of a Souldier being a Pot which he wore upon his Head to defend it: It was used by Foot Soul∣diers.
• 8. A Curiass, is a defensive Armour made of a Plate of Iron very well beaten, which co∣vers the Body from the Neck down to the Wast, both before and behind.
• 9. Greaves, a kind of Boots or Armour for the Legs.
• 10. A Bracelet, a piece of defensive Armour which covers the Arm.
• 11. A Pavice, is a Piece of defensive Ar∣mour which the ancients wore in the Wars, it was the largest sort of Bucklers, whose two sides bended inwards, like the Roof of a House, or a shed of Boards for Souldiers; and so it differ'd from a Target.
• 12. A Target, in Latin, Pelta, is a Buckler us'd by the Romans, which was bended in the Form of a half Moon, and of an oblong Fi∣gure.
• 13. A Coat of Mail was a piece of Armour made in the Form of a Shirt, and wrought over with many little Rings of Iron.
• ...

• 14. A Jacket is a short Coat which the Ca∣valry in ancient times wore over their Ar∣mour and Curiasses; it was made of Cotton or Silk stitch'd between two light Stuffs; and sometimes also of Cloth of Gold.
• 15. A Head-Piece, is a Piece of defensive Armour for covering the Head and Neck of a Cavalier, which is otherwise called a Hel∣met.

The offensive Arms or Engines which the Romans made use of in attacking Places.

• 1. A Rhalestra, a great Engine for throwing of Darts; the Invention of it is attribu∣ted to the Phaenicians. Vegetius says that in his time Scorpiones, which M. Perrault has transla∣ted Arbalestres were called Manubalista, to di∣stinguish them from their great Balistae or Cata∣pultae which were not portable, after the same manner as our Harquebusses and Pistols are distinguished from Cannon.
• 2. Balista, an Engine which the Ancients made use of for throwing Stones; it differ'd from the Catapulta in this, that the latter threw Darts, but both of them let fly after the same manner.
• ...

  3. Aries, the Ram, was a vast long Beam, strengthned at one end with a Head of Iron, which was hung on two Chains, wherewith they us'd anciently to batter the Walls of Ci∣ties. There were 3 sorts of them, one was hang'd upon Ropes, another run upon Wheels, and a 3d. Sort was sustain'd by the Arms of those who plaid it. When the Carthaginians besieg'd Gades, they judg'd it expedient sud∣denly to demolish a Castle which had been taken, but wanting proper Instruments for that purpose, they made use of a Beam which several Men bore up with their Hands, who thrust forward the end of it with so great Violence against the top of the Wall, that by their redoubled Blows they beat down the uppermost Lays of Stone, and so descending from one Lay to another, they at last demo∣lish'd the whole Fortification. After this a Carpenter of the City of Tyre, called Pephas∣••••••nos, taking the hint from this first Experi∣ment, hang'd one Beam to another, like a Ba∣lance, and by the force of the many great blows which the Beam gave while it was play'd, he batter'd down the Wall of the Ci∣ty of Gades.

  Cetras the Chalcedonian was the first who made a Car of Wood which was driven up∣on Wheels, and upon this Car he rear'd up many Posts standing upright, and Beams ly∣ing a-cross, whereof he made a Hut, and ha∣ving hang'd a Ram in it, he cover'd it over with Ox Hides, to secure those who play'd the Engine for battering down the Wall. Since that time this Hut was call'd a Tortoise to the Ram, because it advanc'd but very slowly. Such were the first Essays of this kind of Engine; but Polydus the Thessalian im∣prov'd them to the highest Perfection at the Siege which King Amyntas laid to Byzantium, who invented also many other sorts of them, which might be made use of with very much ease.

  Athenaeus, in his Book of Machines, says that Goras the Carthaginian was the Inventor of the basis of this Engine, and he adds, that this Architect did not hang the Ram up in it, as Vitruvius explains it, but that it was born up by many Men who thrust it forward: He says also that some others suppos'd it to run upon Wheels; besides, Turnebus had reason to think, that Vitruvius took from Athenaeus the greatest part of what he relates here of War∣like Engines, though Casaubon holds that Athe∣naeus liv'd a long time after Vitruvius, and grounds his Opinion upon the relation of Trebellius Pollio, who says that the Emperor Galienus caus'd many Cities to be fortified by Byzantine Architects, whereof one was called Cleodamas, and the other, Athenaeus. Vossius follows the Opinion of Turnebus, because Athe∣naeus's Book is dedicated to Marcellus, who liv'd before Vitruvius.

• 4. Catapulta, a Warlike Engine, which the Ancients us'd for casting the larger sort of Darts and Spears upon their Enemies. Some hold that the Catapulta was invented by the Syrians.
• 5. Corvus Eversor, the demolishing Crow, which was also called the Crane. It does not appear by the Descriptions we find in the Ancients, of the Engine called the Crow, that it could be of any use for demolishing; J. Pollux and Polybius speak of an Engine which is called the Crane, and another called the Crow, but both the one and the other were made for hooking in, drawing too, and taking away by Force; for the Crane of Pollux was us'd on the Theatre for raising Weights, and the Crow of Polybius was employ'd for grapling the Ships of the Enemies in a Fight.
• 6. Sambucus or Sambuca: This Engine is so call'd from a Greek Word which signifies a Triangular Instrument of Musick, made in the Form of a Harp, for this was a Triangle composed of Strings that made one of its Sides, and of the Body of an Engine, which made the other Two. The Warlike Engine of this Name was the same with that which we now call a Portable-Bridge. When this Bridge of the Sambuca was laid down, it was supported by Ropes, and thus the Besiegers made use of it for passing over from their

• Turrets of Wood unto the Walls of the Besieg'd.
• 7. Scorpiones, were the larger sort of Balista's, which the Ancients made use of for attack∣ing and defending Walls; they were Engines made up of unequal Circles, and were called Scorpions, either upon the account of the ef∣fect they produc'd, which was to wound with little Arrows, like a Scorpion which wounds with a small Sting, or else upon the account of the Figure of their Bow, which represented two Arms bending backwards like the Feet of a Scorpion. After this man∣ner Ammianus Marcellinus describes the Scor∣pion, which he supposes to resemble a Balista, rather than a Catapul••a, for he says, that the Scorpion was made for throwing Stones by the help of a Wooden Beam which he calls Sty∣lus, and which was join'd in the Ropes that were fasten'd to the two bended wooden Beams, (which are like those that are us'd in the Engine for sawing) after such a manner that the Stylus being drawn back by 4 Men, and after that let go, it throws out the Stone which was in one of the Slings fasten'd to the end of the Stylus.
• 8. Helepolis, was a Turret which destroy'd Ci∣ties. King D••••etrius, who was called Polioctetes; upon account of his resolute Attacks for ta∣king of Cities, caus'd Epimachus an Architect to build an Helopolis against the Rhodians: It was 125 Foot high, and 40 Foot broad, cover'd with Hair-Stuff, and Hides lately flead off. Diognetus rendered this design of it ineffectually against Rhodes, and freed the City. He brought the Helopolis into the City, and set it up in a publick Place with this In∣scription; Diognetus made this Present to the People of the Spoils of their Enemies.
• 9. Testudo, a Tortoise, is an Engine which the Ancients made use for undermining and battering of Places. It was a Fence made of Wood that run upon Wheels, which serv'd to cover the Souldiers when they were at work. Facere Testudinem was a kind of scaling us'd among the Ancients, which was done by the Souldiers when they stood close toge∣ther, and cover'd themselves with their Buck∣lers, for so they made a kind of Ladder for their Companions by which they might climb up upon the Walls. The Invention of this Testudo is attributed to Artemon the Son of Cla∣zomenes.
• 10. Malleoli, or Pyroboli, according to Non∣nus and Vegetius, were Engines set on Fire by a mixture of combuslible Matter where∣with they were besmear'd, and which being clos'd at the end, according to the Descri∣ption of Ammianus Marcellinus, were shot cut of a Bow, to set on Fire any military En∣gines or Ships on which they lighted. Cae∣sar in his Commentaries says, that the G••••s fir'd the Camp of Q. Cicero, by throwing into it with Slings such Balls of Earth as were kindled before they were thrown.

Armisalii, a sort of Dancers in Armour, who danc'd the Dance called Pyrricha, which is perform'd with Arms, by keeping time while they strike their Swords and Javelins against their Bucklers.

Arquites, Archers, who shot Arrows out of a Bow.

Ars, an Art, is a Collection of Precepts, Rules, Inventions and Experiments, which being observ'd give success to our underta∣kings in any Affairs, and render them use∣ful and pleasant. In this Sense Art is divided into two Branches, whereof one compre∣hends the Liberal, and the other the Mecha∣nick Arts.

The Liberal Arts are the Sciences, such as Poetry, Musick, Painting, Philosophy, Ma∣thematicks, Architecture Civil and Military, Physick, Geometry, Arithmetick, &c.

The Mechanical Arts are those which re∣quire more the Labour of the Hand and the Body, than of the Mine.

Thetzes says, that in the time of Noah a cer∣tain Aegyptian call'd Vulcan found out Fire, and invented those Arts in which Fire is em∣ployed, and that the Greek Poets having been Educated in Aegypt, transported them into Greece, and attributed the whole Glory of these Arts to their own Nation.

'Tis certain that Noah was the first Inventor of all Arts, as well as of the cultivating of the Vine; yet it cannot reasonably be deny'd, but that during the Sixteen Ages which pass'd between the Creation of the World and the Deluge, Men had invented many Arts and Sciences which Noah could not be ignorant of, having liv'd Six Hundred Years before the Deluge; these therefore he restor'd after the Deluge, or else invented some of these Arts a new.

Artemisia, was the Wife of Mausolus King of Caria: When he was dead and his Body burnt and reduc'd to Ashes, Artemisia mix'd these Ashes with sweet-scented Waters, and drank them up, because she thought she could not better restifie the extreme Love she had for her Husband, than by drinking his Ashes, and making her self by this means his Sepulchre. Yet she built him a stately Monu∣ment in the City of Halicarnassus, enrich'd with Images of Marble, which was accounted one of the Wonders of the World, and a Master-Piece of Architecture. This Work has so

far merited the approbation of all Ages, that all the magnificent Monuments of Kings and other Heroes are nam'd from it, Mausolea. Artemisia died 2 Years after her Husband, for grief that she had lost him. We must not here conceal a brave Action which she did after the Death of Mausolus, which was this.

Having taken upon her the Govern∣ment of the Kingdom, the Rhodians could not endure that a Woman should reign over all Caria, and therefore they equipt out a Fleet to make themselves Masters of the Kingdom. But Artemisia being inform'd of it, gave orders that a Fleet of Ships should he hid in the little Harbour which the King had caus'd to be cut, toge∣ther with Gally-Slaves, and such Military Men as had been accustom'd to fight at Sea, and that the rest should appear open∣ly upon the Ramparts. Then the Rhodians approaching with their Fleet very well equipp'd, as it was just ready to enter into the great Harbour, the Queen gave a sig∣nal from the Walls to give them to under∣stand that the City would surrender. Whereupon the Rhodians left their Ships and went into the City, and immediately Artemisia caus'd the little Harbour to be open'd, out of which came the Fleet, and went into the great Harbour, where the Rhodians had left their Ships; these her Fleet carried away with them into the open Sea, after they had furnish'd them with Seamen and Souldiers; and at the same time the Rhodians having no means left of escaping were all kill'd in the publick Place wherein they were found shut up. Nevertheless the Queen went streight to the Isle of Rhodes with the Ships of the Rhodians; and the Inhabitants seeing the Ships return crown'd with Laurel, receiv'd their Ene∣mies, whom they took for their own Peo∣ple returning Victorious: But Artemisia pos∣ses'd her self of their City.

Vetruvius, from whom I have taken this History, says that the Mausoleum was built in the City of Halicarnassus.

Although Mauso∣lus, says he, was born at Mylassus, yet he resolv'd to fix his abode at Halicarnassus, seeing that was a Place of a very advanta∣geous Situation, and very convenient for Commerce, as having a very good Har∣bour. The Place on which it stood, was bending after the manner of a Theatre; and in the lower part of it which was near the Harbour he design'd to build a pub∣blick Exchange, but in the middle of the Decsivity of the Hill, he made a great and wide Street, in which was built that excellent Work called the Mausoleum, which is one of the 7 Wonders of the World.

There is a Medal of Queen Artemisia; which on the Reverse has the Figure of the Pyramid of the Mausoleum which she built for her Husband: It is of Silver and well cut. On one side of it there is the Face of the Princess, having her Hair encompassed with a Royal Diadem; on the other there is the Pyramid of the Mausoleum, and on the top of it there is a Man standing upright leaning upon a half Pike, and upon the lowermost Leg of the Pyramid there is the Greek Letter Φ. to signifie the Affection which Artemisia had for her Husband, together with these words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

There is also another sort of Medal of Brass on which there is the perfect and entire Figure of the Mausoleum.