TORMENTUM (ἀφετήρια ὄργανα), a military engine, so called from the
twisting (_torquendo_) of hairs, thongs, and vegetable fibres. The
principal military engines were the _balista_ and _catapulta_. The
_balista_ (πετροβόλος) was used to shoot stones; the _catapulta_
(καταπέλτης, καταπελτική) to project darts, especially the falarica
[HASTA], and a kind of missile, 4½ feet long, called _trifax_. Whilst
in besieging a city the ram [ARIES] was employed in destroying
the lower part of the wall, the balista was used to overthrow the
battlements (_propugnacula_, ἐπαλξεῖς), and the catapult to shoot
any of the besieged who appeared between them: the forms of these
machines being adapted to the objects which they were intended to
throw; the catapult was long, the balista nearly square. Instances
are recorded in which the balista threw stones to the distance of
a quarter of a mile. Some balistae threw stones weighing three
hundredweight. Of the _scorpio_ or _onager_, which was also a species
of tormentum, we know next to nothing.
TORMENTUM (βάσανος), torture. (1) GREEK.--By a decree of Scamandrius
it was ordained that no free Athenian could be put to the torture,
and this appears to have been the general practice. The evidence
of slaves was, however, always taken with torture, and their
testimony was not otherwise received. From this circumstance their
testimony appears to have been considered of more value than that
of freemen. Any person might offer his own slave to be examined by
torture, or demand that of his adversary, and the offer or demand
was equally called πρόκλησις εἰς βάσανον. The parties interested
either superintended the torture themselves, or chose certain persons
for this purpose, hence called βασανισταὶ, who took the evidence
of the slaves. (2) ROMAN.--During the time of the republic freemen
were never put to the torture, and slaves only were exposed to this
punishment. Slaves, moreover, could not be tortured to prove the
guilt of their own master, except in the case of incestus, which was
a crime against the gods, or unless the senate made an exception in
some special instance. At a later time slaves might be tortured to
bear witness against their masters in cases of majestas and adultery.
Under the emperors even free persons were put to the torture to
extract evidence from them in cases of majestas; and although this
indignity was confined for the most part to persons in humble
circumstances, we read of cases in which even Roman senators and
equites were exposed to it.
TORQUES or TORQUIS (στρεπτός), an ornament of gold, twisted spirally
and bent into a circular form, which was worn round the neck by men
of distinction among the Persians, the Gauls, and other Asiatic and
northern nations. It was by taking a collar from a Gallic warrior
that T. Manlius obtained the cognomen of _Torquatus_. Such collars
were among the rewards of valour bestowed after an engagement upon
those who had most distinguished themselves.
TŎRUS, a bed covered with sheets or blankets, called _Toralia_.