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

HIASTA. HASTA..587
that the haruspices were instituted by Romulus, and AX6yX-. Even the more especial term AEAta,
and that one was chosen from each tribe, is op- meaning an ash-tree, is used in the sanme mannel;
posed to all the other authorities, and is manifestly because the pole of the spear was often the stem of a
incorrect. In the time of the emperors, we read young ash, stript of its bark and polished. (Ii. xix.
of a collegium or order of sixty haruspices (Tacit. 390, xx. 277, xxii. 328, Od. xxii. 259; Plin.
jAnn. xi. 15; Orelli, Iszscr. i. p. 399); but the time HI. N. xvi. 24; Ovid, 3M1et. xii. 369.) Ili like
of its institution is uncertain. It has been sup. manner the spear is designated by the term icatCia
posed that such a collegium existed in the time of (Aesch. Ag. 65; Eurip. Hec. 1155, 1kloen. 1421;
Cicero, since he speaks of a siunzmus zmagister (de Brunck, Anal. i. 191, 226; Ant. Sid. 34), meaningl
Div. ii. 24); but by this we are probably to un- properly the strong tall reed of the south of Europe,
derstand not a iayister collegii, but merely the which served both for spears and for various other
most eminent of the haruspices at the time. uses. (Hes. Scut. 298; Schol. in loc.; Xen. de Ke
The art of the haruspices, which was called Eqolest. xii. 12.)
zaruospicina, consisted in explaining and interpret- The bottom of the spear was often inclosed in
ing the will of the gods from the appearance of the a pointed cap of bronze, called by the Ionic writers
entrails (exta) of animals offered in sacrifice, whence'avpoporrp (Homn. II. x. 153; Herod. vii. 40, 41;
they are sometimes called extispices, and their art also Polyb. vi. 23), and oepaXos (II. xiii. 443,
exiispicium (Cic. de Div. ii. 11; Suet. lNer. 56); xvi. 612, xvii. 528), and in Attic or common Greek
and also from lightning, ealthquakes, and all orSpae. (Xen. flellen. vi. 2. ~ 19; Athen. xii. p.
extraordinary phenomena in nature, to which the 514, b; Yrvpdctov,, Thuc. ii. 4; Aen. Tact. 18.)
general name of portenta was given. (Valer. Max. By forcing this into the ground the spear was fixed
i. 1. ~ 1.) Their art is said to have been invented erect. (Virg. Aenz. xii. 130.) Many of the lancers
by the Etruscan Tages (Cic. de Div. ii. 23; Festus, (6opudpopot, aiXIuoSppoi, ~-XoXoe'poi, woodcut, p.
s. v. Tacges), and was contained in certain books 237), who accompanied the king of Persia, had,
called libsi haruspiCini, Jilofurales, and tonitrs2ales. instead of this spike at the bottom of their spears,
(Cic. de Div. i. 33; conlpare Macrob. SaturnL. iii. anl apple or a pomegranate, either gilt or silvered.
7). (Herod.; Athen.; II. cc.) With this, or a similar
This art was considered by the Romans so im- ornament, the spear is often terminated both on
portant at one time, that the senate decreed that a Persian and Egyptian monuments. Fig. 1. in the
certain number of young Etruscans, belonging to annexed woodcut shows the top and bottom of a
the principal families in the state, should always spear, which is held by one of the king's guards in
be instructed in it. (Cic. deDiv. i. 41.) Niebuhr the sculptures at Persepolis. (Sir It. K. Porter's
appears to be mistaken in supposing the passage in T?'avels, vol. i. p. 601.) It may be compared with
Cicero to refer to the children of Roman families. those in the hand of the Greek warrior at p. 135,
(See Orelli, ad loc.) The senate sometimes con- which have the spike at the bottom. The spike at
sulted the haruspices (Cic. de Div. i. 43, ii. 35; the bottom of the spear was used in fighting by
Liv-. xxvii. 37), as did also private persons. (Cic. the Greeks and Romans, when the head was
de Div. ii. 29.) In later times, however, their art broken off. (Polyb. vi. 25.)
fell into disrepute among well-educated Romans; A well-finished spear was kept in a case (&opaand Cicero (de Div. ii. 24) relates a saying of roOclj), which, on account of its form, is called
Cato, that he wondered that one haruspex did not by Homer a pipe (oVpty, II. xix. 387).
laugh when he saw another. The Emperor Clau- The spear was used as a weapon of attack in
dius attempted to revive the study of the art, three different ways: — 1. It was thrown from catawhich had then become neglected; and the senate, pults and other engines [TORimENTUM]. 2. It was
under his directions, passed a decree that the thrust forward as a pike. In this imanner Achilles
pontifices should examine what parts of it should
be retained aIld established (Tacit. Ann. xi. 15)j
but we do not know what effect this decree produced.
The name of haruspex is sometimes applied to
any kind of soothsayer or prophet (Prop. iii. 13.
59); wvhence Juvenal (vi. 550) speaks of Armle-
ziuzs vel C07mm7agcUS haruispex.
The latter part of the word haruspex contains
the root sFec; and Donatus (ad Ter. Phorm. iv.
4. 28) derives the former part from hadro/a, a
victim. Compare Festus, s. v. FtIarvi~ga, and Varro,
De Linzg. Lat. v. 98, ed. MUiller. (Gdttling, Gescl.
der Rom. Staatsv. p. 213; Walter, Gesclh. des R1ol.
Beechts, ~~ 142, 770, 2nd ed.; Brissonlius, De Forullis, i. 29, &c.)
HASTA (?yXos, a7-rdov), a spear. The spear
is defined by Homer, 84pv Xoa Xcpes, " a pole fitted
with bronze" (II. vi. 3), and Udpu xaXAcoCa'pes,
W" a pole heavy with bronze " (Od. xi. 531). The
bronze, for which iron was afterwards substituted,
was indispensable to form the point (aleXxu, dacwmcic),
Homer; A6yX?1, Xenophon; cties, cuspis, spic- 3 4
luIZ, Ovid, JMet. viii. 375) of the spear. Each of
these two essential parts is often put for the whole, killed Hector by piercing him with his spear
so that a spear is called 86pv and aopcriov, aeX/,u, through the mneck. (II. xxii. 326.) The Euboeans