[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.