Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1qI 4 - SEISACl1TIIHEIA. SELLA.
was sold in this way, and the Sector acquired the enslaved for debt. For further information onl this
hereditatis petitio. [PRAEDA.] [G. L.] measure, see Diet. of Biog'. art. Solon.
SECTOR. [SECTIO.] This great measure, when carried into effect,
SECTO'RIUM INTERDICTUM. [INTER- gave general satisfaction, for it conferred the greatDICTUM; SECTIO.] est benefits upon the poor, without depriving the
SECU'RIS, dinm. SECURICULA (&gvs1V, are- rich of too much, and the Athenians expressed their
AKIus), an axe or hatchet. The axe was either thankfulness by a public sacrifice, which they called
made with a single edge, or with a blade or head (ELadXOELa, and by appointing Solon to legislate
on each side of the haft, the latter kind being de- for them with unlimited power. (Plut. Sol. 16;
nominated bipennis (7reAE'Kus aoI'dTos, or j w1p0o'- compare Suidas, Hesych. Etym. Mag. s. v.; Cic.
uCos, Agathias, Hist. ii. 5. pp. 73, 74). As the axe de Re Publ. ii. 34; Wachsmuth, Hellen. Alt. vol.
was not only an instrument of constant use in the i. p. 472.) [L. S.]
hands of the carpenter and the husbandman, but SELIQUASTRUM. [SELLA, No. IV.]
was moreover one of the earliest weapons of attack SELLA. The general term for a seat or chair
(Hom. II. xv. 711; Suet. Galba, 18), a constituent of any description. The varieties most deserving
portion of the Roman fasces, and a part of the ap of notice are:paratus when animals were slain in sacrifice, we I. SELLA CURULIS, the chair of state. Curulis
find it continually recurring under a great variety is derived by the ancient writers from cure2s (Aul.
of forms upon coins, gems, and bas-reliefs. In the Gell. iii. 18; Festus, s. v. Cur'ules; Serviuss, ad
woodcut to the article SCEPTRUM, the young As- Viug. Aen. xi. 334; Isidor. xx. 11. ~ 11); but it
canius holds a battle-axe in his hand. Also real is more probably connected with curvus. The sella
axe-heads, both of stone and metal, are to be seen curulis is said to have been used at Rome from a
in many collections of antiquities. Besides being very remote period as an emblem of kingly power
made of bronze and iron, and more rarely of silver (hence curuli sregia sella adornavit, Liv. i. 20), havingc
(Virg. Aes. v. 307; Wilkinson, Asan. and Cust. of been imported, along with various other insignia of
E#,gypt. vol. i. p. 324), axe-heads have from the royalty, from Etruria (Liv. i. 8), according to one
earliest times and among all nations been made of account by Tullus Itostilius (Macrob. Sat. i. 6); acstone. They are often found in sepulchral tumuli, cording to another by the elder Tarquinius (Flor.
and are arranged in our museums together with i. 5); while Silius names Vetulonii as the city
chisels, both of stone and of bronze, under the name from which it was immediately derived (viii. 487).
of celts [DOLABRA]. Under the republic the right of sitting upon this
The prevalent use of the axe on the field of chair belonged to the consuls, praetors, curule
battle was generally characteristic of the Asiatic aediles, and censors (Liv. ii. 54, vii. 1, ix. 46, x. 7,
nations (Curt. iii. 4), whose troops are therefore x. 45; Aul. Gell. vi. 9, &c.); to the Flamen
called securigerae catefrvse. (Val. Flacc. Argonz. v. Dialis (Liv. i. 20, xxvii. 8) [FrAMEN]; to the
138.) As usual, we find the Asiatic custom pro- dictator, and to those whom he deputed to act
pagating itself over the north of Europe. The bi- under himself, as the msagister equitunz, since he
pennis and the spear were the chief weapons of the might be said to comprehend all magistracies
Franks. (Agathias, 1. c.) [J. Y.] within himself. (Dion Cass. xliii. 48; Liv. ii. 31;
SECUTO'RES. [GLADImTORES, p. 576, a.] Festus, s. v.,Sellae curzlis). After the downfal of
SEISACHTHEIA (oaesciXXOeta), a disburden- the constitution it was assigned to the emperors
ing ordinance, was the first and preliminary step in also, or to their statues in their absence (Tacit.
the legislation of Solon. (Plut. Sel. 15; Diog. Annsz. xv. 29, Hist. ii. 59; Servius, 1. c.); to the
Lalrt. i. 45.) The real nature of this measure Augustales (Tacit. Ann. ii. 83), and, perhaps, to
was a subject of doubt even among the ancients the praefectus urbi. (Spanheim, de Pirest. et Usit
themselves, for while some state that Solon thereby Numnisnm. x. 3. ~ 1.) It was displayed upon all
cancelled all debts, others describe it as a mere re- great public occasions, especially in the circus and
duction of the rate of interest. But from the theatre (Liv. ii. 31; Suet. Octtav. 43; Dion Cass.
various accounts in Plutarch and the grammarians lviii. 4), sometimes, even after the death of the
it seems to be clear that the owes'cXOEla consisted person to whom it belonged, a mark of special
of four distinct measures. The first of these was honour, bestowed on Marcellus, Germanicus, and
the reduction of the rate of interest, and if this Pertinax (Dion Cass. liii. 30, lxxiv. 4 * Tacit. Asn2.
was, as it appears, retrospective, it would naturally ii. 83, and Comm. of Lips.; Spanheim, x. 2. ~ I);
in many cases wipe off a considerable part of the and it was the seat of the praetor when he addebt. The second part of the measure consisted ministered justice. (Cic. Veri-. ii. 38; Val. Max. iii.
in lowering the standard of the silver coinage, that 5. ~ 1; Tacit. Ann. i. 75; Martial, xi. 98. 18.)
is, Solon made 73 old drachmas to be worth 1 00 In the provinces it was assumed by inferior magisnew ones; so that the debtor, in paying off his trates, when they exercised proconsular or prodebt, gained rather more than one fourth. Bbckh praetorian authority, as we infer from its ap(Publ. Econ. p. 16) supposes that it was Solon's pearing along with fasces on a coin of the Gens
intention to lower the standard of the coinage only Pupia, struck at Nicaea in Bithynia, and bearing
by one fourth, that is, to make 75 old drachmas the name AVAOC IOVIIOCr TAMIAC. We find
equal to 100 new ones, but that the new coin it occasionally exhibited on the medals of foreign
proved to be lighter than he had expected. The monarchs likewise, on those of Ariobarzanes II. of
third part consisted in the release of mortgaged Cappadocia, for it was the practice of the Romans
lands from their incumbrances and the restoration to present a curule chair, an ivory sceptre, a toga
of them to their owners as full property. How praetexta, and such like ornaments, as tokens of
this was effected is not clear. Lastly, Solon respect and confidence to those rulers whose friendabolished the law which gave to the creditor a ship they desired to cultivate. (Liv. xxx. 11, xlii.
right to the person of his insolvent debtor, and he 14; Polyb. Exrc. Leg. cxxi.; Cic. ad Facn. xv. 2;
restored to their full liberty those who had been Spanheim, Ibid. x. 4.)