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

LICTOR. LIMBUS. 707
(1. c.) says that the librarii copied both old and also find him called primes lictor (Cic. ad Quiet. i.
new books, while the antiquarii copied only old 1. ~ 7), which expression some modern writers
books. Becker (Gallus, vol. i. p. 164), however, have erroneously supposed to refer to the lictor who
thinks that, when the cursive character came into went first.
general use, the name of antiquarii was applied to The iictors had to inflict punishment on those
the copyists who transcribed books in the oId uncial who were condemned, especially in the case of
character. The name of librarii was also given to Roman citizens (Liv. ii. 5, viii. 7); for foreigners
those who bound books (Cic. ad Att. iv. 4), and to and slaves were punished by the carnifex; and
those who had the care of libraries. they also probably had to assist in some cases in
2. Librarii a studiis were slaves who were em- the execution of a decree or judgment in a civil
ployed by their masters when studying to make suit, The lictors also commanded (animsaadverterunt)
extracts from books, &c. (Orell. lscr. 719; Suet. persons to pay proper respect to a magistrate
Claud. 28; Cic. ad Fano. xvi. 21.) To this class passing by, which consisted in dismounting from
the 2otarii, or short-hand writers, belonged, who hiorseback, uncovering the head, standing out of the
could write down rapidly whatever their masters, way, &c. (Liv. xxiv. 44; Sen. Ep. 64.)
dictated to them. (Plin. Ep. iii. 5; Martial, xiv. The lictors were originally chosen from the plebs
208.) [NoTARIi.] (Livi. 55), but afterwards appear to have been
3. Librarii ab epistolis, whose principal duty generally fieedmen, probably of the magistrate on
was to write letters from their master's dictation. whoim they attended. (Comp. Tacit. Ann. xiii.
(Orelli, Inser. 2437, 2997, &c.; Becker, Gatlls, 27.)
vol. i. p. 180.) To this class belonged the slaves Lictors were properly only granted to those macalled ad msanum, a manu, or amanuenses. [AMA- gistrates who had the Imperium. Consequently
NUENSIS.] the tribunes of the plebs never had lictors (Plut.
LIBRA'TOR is in general a person who ex- Quaest. Romn. 81), nor several of the other magisamines things by a LIBRA; but the name was, in trates. Sometimes, however, lictors were granted
particular, applied to two kinds of persons. to persons as a mark of respect or for the sake of
1. Librator aquae, a person whose knowledge protection. Thus by a law of the Triumvirs every
was indispensable in the construction of aquae- Vestal virgin was accompanied by a lictor, whenducts, sewers, and other structures for the purpose ever she went out (Dion Cass. xlvii. 19), and the
of conveying a fluid from one place to another. He honour of one or two lictors was usually granted
examined by a hydrostatic balance (libra aquaria) to the wives and other female members of the Imthe relative heights of the places from and to which perial family.. (Tacit. Ann. i. 14, xiii. 2.)
the water was to be conducted. Some persons at There were' also thirty lictors called Lictores
Rome made this occupation their business, and Cariati, whose' duty it was to summon the curiae
were engaged under the curatores aquarum, though to the comitia curiata; and when these meetings
architects were also expected to be able to act as became little more than a form, their suffrages
libratores. (Plin. Epist. x. 50; Frontin. de Aquaed. were represented by the thirty lictors. (Gell. xv.
105; compare Vitruv. viii. 6; Cod. 10. tit. 66. 27; Cic. Aq4.; ii. 12; Orelli, Inscr. 2176, 2922,
s. 1.) 3240.)
2. Libratores in, the' armies were probably sol- LIGO (aKcexxa or /ceAiXXa) was a hatchet
diers who attacked the enemy by hurling with formed eith er of one broad iron or of two curved
their own hands (libsrando) lances or spears against iron prongs,. whic-h was used by the ancient husthem. (Tacit. Ann. ii. 20, xii. 39; ink both these bandmen to clear the fields from weeds. (Ovid, ex
passages some MSS. have libritores.) Lipsius (ad Pont. i. 8. 59; Mart. iv. 64; Stat. Tlheb. iii. 589;
Tacit. Ann. i. c.) thinks that the libratores were Colum. x. 89.) The ligo seems also to have been
men who threw darts or stones against the enemy used in digging the soil and breaking the clods.
by means of machines, torimients (compare his Po- (Hor. Care,. iii. 6. 38, Epist. i. 14. 27; Ovid,
liorcet. iv. 3).. But this supposition can scarcely Amor. iii. 10. 31; compare Dickson, On the Husbe supported by any good authority. During the bandry of the Ancients, i. p. 41.5.) [L. S.]
time of the republic libratores are not mentioned LI'GULA, a Roman measure of fluid capacity,
in the Roman avsmies. [L. S.] containing onefdsa-rth of the CYATHUS. (Columella,
LI'BRIPENS. [MANCIPATIvo.] R. R. xii. 21; Plin, H. N. xx. 5. s. 18.)
LIBURNA, LUTBU'RNICA. [NAyIS.] it signifies' a spoonful, like cochlear; only the
LICHAS (tXxds). [PEs.] ligula was larger than the coc/dear. The spoon
LI'CIA, LICIATO'RIUM. [TELA.] which was called liguqla, or lingula (dim. of linLICTOR, a public officer, who attended on the gun) from its shape,. was used for various purposes,
chief Roman) magistrates. The number which especially to clean out small and narrow vessels,
waited on the different magistrates is stated in the and to eat jellies and suclh things. (Cato, R. R.
article FA-sc~E. 84; Colum. ix. 5; PIin H. N. xxi. 14. s. 49;
The office of lictor is said to have been derived Martial, viii. 33. 23. 71.. 9, xiv. 120; Becker,
by Romulus from the Etruscans. (Liv. i. 8.) The Gallus, ii. p. 156.) The word is also used for the
etymology of the name is doubtful; Gellius (xii. leather tongue of a shoe (Pollux, ii. 109, vii. 80;
3) connects it with the verb ligare, because the Festus s. v.). [P. S.]
lictors had to bind the hands and feet of criminals LIMA, a file, was made of iron or steel, for the
before they were punished. The lictors went be- purpose of polishing metal or stone, and appears to
fore the magistrates, one by one in a line; he who have been of the same form as the instruments
went last or next to the magistrate was called used for similar purposes in modern times. (Plin.
peroximuis lictor, to whom the magistrate gave his H. N. xxxvii. 8. s. 32, ix. 35. s. 54, xxviii. 9. s. 41;
commands (Liv. xxiv. 44; Sall. Jug. 12; Cic. Plant. Menaech. i. 1. 9.) [L. S.]
Verr. v..54, de Div. i. 28; Orelli, Inser. 3218), LIMBUS (7rapvuq)), the border of a tunic
and as this lictor was always the principal one, we (Corippus, de Laud. Just. ii. 117) or a scarf. (Virg.
zz2