FOOTNOTES
[1321] J. Lipsii Poliorcet. seu de Militia Romana, lib. iii. dial. 7.
[1322] Lib. vii. cap. 56. Hyginns, fab. 274.
[1323] Coverings for horses made of the costly skins of animals are mentioned by Silius Italicus, lib. iv. 270, and lib. v. 148. Also by Statius. See Thebaid. lib. iv. 272. Costly coverings of another kind occur in Virgil, Æneid. lib. vii. 279; viii. 552; and Ovid. Metam. lib. vii. 33. Livy, lib. xxxi. cap. 7, comparing the luxury of the men and the women, says, “Equus tuus speciosius instructus erit, quam uxor vestita.”
[1324] Antiquité Expliquée, tom. ii. lib. 3. tab. 27, 28, 29, 30.
[1325] Seneca, Epist. 80: “Equum empturus, solvi jubes stratum.” Macrob. Saturnal. i. 11: “Stultus est, qui, empturus equum, non ipsum inspicit, sed stratum ejus et frenum.” Apuleius calls these coverings for horses fucata ephippia. They were called also στράματα.
[1326] Pæd. lib. viii.
[1327] Cæsar, De Bello Gallico, lib. iv. 2. An old saddle with stirrups was formerly shown to travellers at Berne in Switzerland, as the saddle of Julius Cæsar. The stirrups, however, were afterwards taken away, and in 1685 they were not to be seen. Mélanges Historiques, recueillis et commentez par Mons.——Amst. 1718, 12mo, p. 81.
[1328] Lib. lxiii. 14. After writing the above, I found with satisfaction that Le Beau, in l’Académie des Inscriptions, vol. xxxix. p. 333, forms the same conjecture. Before that period, the cavalry, when reviewed, were obliged to produce their horses without any covering, that it might be more easily seen whether they were in good condition. This useful regulation was abolished by Nero, in order that the cavalry might exhibit a grander appearance. He employed his soldiers for show, as many princes do at present.
[1329] Lamprid. Vita Alex. Severi, cap. 50.
[1330] De Re Equestri, p. 602. Respecting the stool or chair placed in carriages for people to sit on, see Pitisci Lexic. art. Sella curulis.
[1331] De Rebus Deperditis, lib. ii. tit. 16.
[1332] Ἕδρα and sella.
[1333] Zonaras, lib. xiii. cap. 5. Ἐκπέπτωε τῆς ἕδρας ὁ Κονσταντίνος. Nicetas in And. Comnenus, lib. i. Τῆς ἕδρας ἀποβάλλεται. The word ἕδρα occurs twice in Xenophon, De Re Equestri. He gives an account how the back of the horse should be shaped in order that the rider may have a fast and secure seat; τῷ ἀναβάτῃ ἀσφαλέστεραν τὴν ἕδραν; and where he speaks of currying, says that the hair on a horse’s back ought to be combed down, as the animal will then be less hurt by his rider. I have taken the trouble to consult other historians who give an account of the death of Constantine, but they do not mention this circumstance.
[1334] Antiq. Expliquée, vol. iv. lib. iii. cap. 75, tab. 30.
[1335] Codex Theodosian. lib. viii. tit. 5, leg. 47. Codex Justin. lib. xii. tit. 51, 12.
[1336] Casina. i. 37. See Scheffer, De Re Vehiculari. Frankf. 1671, 4to, p. 125; and Gesneri Thesaur. Ling. Lat.
[1337] De Arte Veterinaria, iv. 6, 2 and 4.
[1338] Lib. iii. epist. 3.
[1339] Codex Justin. lib. xi. tit. 11.
[1340] Mauricii Ars Militaris; edit. Schefferi, lib. i. cap. 2.
[1341] See art. Sellam gestare.
[1342] Lib. ii. Francicorum, p. 48.
[1343] Vegetius, De Arte Veterin. iv. 6, 4to, p. 1157.