ARMA, ARMĀTŪRA (ἔντεα, τεύχεα, Hom.; ὅπλα), arms, armour. Homer
describes in various passages an entire suit of armour, and we
observe that it consisted of the same portions which were used by
the Greek soldiers ever after. Moreover, the order of putting them
on is always the same. The heavy-armed warrior, having already a
tunic around his body, and preparing for combat, puts on--1. his
greaves (κνημῖδες, _ocreae_); 2. his cuirass (θώραξ, _lorica_), to
which belonged the μίτρη underneath, and the zone (ζώνη, ζωστῆρ,
_cingulum_), above; 3. his sword (ξίφος, _ensis_, _gladius_), hung on
the left side of his body by means of a belt which passed over the
right shoulder; 4. the large round shield (σάκος, ἀσπίς, _clipeus_,
_scutum_), supported in the same manner; 5. his helmet (κόρυς, κυνέη,
_cassis_, _galea_); 6. he took his spear (ἔγχος, δόρυ, _hasta_), or
in many cases, two spears. The form and use of these portions are
described in separate articles, under their Latin names. The annexed
cut exhibits them all. Those who were defended in the manner which
has now been represented are called by Homer _aspistae_ (ἀσπισταί),
from their great shield (ἀσπίς); also _angemachi_ (ἀγχεμάχοι),
because they fought hand to hand with their adversaries; but much
more commonly _promachi_ (πρόμαχοι), because they occupied the
front of the army. In later times, the heavy-armed soldiers were
called _hoplitae_ (ὁπλίται), because the term _hopla_ (ὄπλα) more
especially denoted the defensive armour, the shield and thorax. By
wearing these they were distinguished from the light-armed (ψιλοί,
ἄνοπλοι, γυμνοί, γυμνῆται, γυμνῆτες), who, instead of being defended
by the shield and thorax, had a much slighter covering, sometimes
consisting of skins, and sometimes of leather or cloth; and instead
of the sword or lance, they commonly fought with darts, stones, bows
and arrows, or slings. Besides the heavy and light-armed soldiers,
another description of men, the _peltastae_ (πελτασταί), also
formed a part of the Greek army, though we do not hear of them in
early times. Instead of the large round shield, they carried a
smaller one called the _pelté_ (πέλτη), and in other respects their
armour, though heavier and more effective than that of the psili,
was much lighter than that of the hoplites. The weapon on which they
principally depended was the spear. The Roman legions consisted, as
the Greek infantry for the most part did, of heavy and light-armed
troops (_gravis et levis armatura_). The preceding figure represents
two heavy-armed Roman soldiers. All the essential parts of the Roman
heavy armour (_lorica_, _ensis_, _clipeus_, _galea_, _hasta_) are
mentioned together, except the spear, in a well-known passage of St.
Paul (_Eph._ vi. 17).
ARMĀRĬUM, originally a place for keeping arms, afterwards a cupboard,
in which were kept not only arms, but also clothes, books, money, and
other articles of value. The armarium was generally placed in the
atrium of the house.
ARMILLA (ψάλιον, ψέλιον, or ψέλλιον, χλιδών, ἀμφιδέα), a bracelet or
armlet, worn both by men and women. It was a favourite ornament of
the Medes and Persians. Bracelets do not appear to have been worn
among the Greeks by the male sex, but Greek ladies had bracelets of
various materials, shapes, and styles of ornament. They frequently
exhibited the form of snakes, and were in such cases called snakes
(ὄφεις) by the Athenians. According to their length, they went once,
twice, or thrice round the arm, or even a greater number of times.
The Roman generals frequently bestowed armillae upon soldiers for
deeds of extraordinary merit.
[Illustration: Armillae, Bracelets. (Museo Borbonico, vol. ii. tav.
14 vol. vii. tav. 46.)