LĬBĬTĪNĀRĬI. [[Funus].]
LĪBRA, dim. LĪBELLA σταθμός, a balance, a pair of scales. The principal parts of this instrument were, 1. The beam (jugum). 2. The two scales, called in Greek τάλαντα, and in Latin lances. The beam was made without a tongue, being held by a ring or other appendage (ligula, ῥῦμα) fixed in the centre.
LĪBRA or AS, a pound, the unit of weight among the Romans and Italians. The uncial division, which has been noticed in speaking of the coin As, was also applied to the weight.—(See [Tables] at the end.) The divisions of the ounce are given under [Uncia]. Where the word pondo, or its abbreviations P. or POND., occur with a simple number, the weight understood is the libra. The name libra was also given to a measure of horn, divided into twelve equal parts (unciae) by lines marked on it, and used for measuring oil.
LIBRĀRĬI, the name of slaves, who were employed by their masters in writing or copying, sometimes called antiquarii. They must be distinguished from the Scribae publici, who were freemen [[Scribae]], and also from the booksellers [[Bibliopola]], to both of whom this name was also applied.
LĪBRĀTOR, in general a person who examines things by a LIBRA; but specially applied to two kinds of persons.—(1) Libratores aquae, persons whose knowledge of hydrostatics was indispensable in the construction of aquaeducts, sewers, and other structures for the purpose of conveying a fluid from one place to another.—(2) Libratores in the armies were probably soldiers who attacked the enemy by hurling with their own hands (librando) lances or spears against them.
LIBRĬPENS. [[Mancipium].]
LĬBURNA, LĬBURNĬCA, a light vessel, which derived its name from the Liburni. The ships of this people were of great assistance to Augustus at the battle of Actium; and experience having shown their efficiency, vessels of a similar kind were built and called by the name of the people.
LICTOR, a public officer, who attended on the chief Roman magistrates. The number which waited on the different magistrates is stated in the article [Fasces]. The office of lictor is said to have been derived by Romulus from the Etruscans. The lictors went before the magistrates one by one in a line; he who went last or next to the magistrate was called proximus lictor, to whom the magistrate gave his commands; and as this lictor was always the principal one, we also find him called primus lictor. The lictors had to inflict punishment on those who were condemned, especially in the case of Roman citizens; for foreigners and slaves were punished by the Carnifex; and they also probably had to assist in some cases in the execution of a decree or judgment in a civil suit. The lictors likewise commanded persons to pay proper respect to a magistrate passing by, which consisted in dismounting from horseback, uncovering the head, standing out of the way, &c. The lictors were originally chosen from the plebs, but afterwards appear to have been generally freedmen, probably of the magistrate on whom they attended. Lictors were properly only granted to those magistrates who had the Imperium. Consequently, the tribunes of the plebs never had lictors, nor several of the other magistrates. Sometimes, however, lictors were granted to persons as a mark of respect or for the sake of protection. Thus by a law of the Triumvirs every vestal virgin was accompanied by a lictor, whenever she went out, and the honour of one or two lictors was usually granted to the wives and other female members of the Imperial family. There were also thirty lictors called Lictores Curiati, whose duty it was to summon the curiae to the comitia curiata; and when these meetings became little more than a form, their suffrages were represented by the thirty lictors.
LĬGŬLA, a Roman measure of fluid capacity, containing one-fourth of the [Cyathus]. It signifies a spoonful, like cochlear; only the ligula was larger than the cochlear. The spoon which was called ligula, or lingula (dim. of lingua) from its shape, was used for various purposes, especially to clean out small and narrow vessels, and to eat jellies and such things. The word is also used for the leather tongue of a shoe.
LĪMEN. [[Janua].]