A dictionary of Greek and Roman . ments, originally de-corated the arch of Trajan. [P. S.] ARCUS (Pi6s, t6£ov), the bow used for shoot-ing arrows, is one of the most ancient of all wea-pons, but is characteristic of Asia rather than ofEurope. Thus in the description given by Hero-dotus (vii. 61—80) of the various nations com-posing the army of Xerxes, we observe that nearlyall the troops without exception used the Scythians and Parthians were the most cele-brated archers in the East, and among the Greeksthe Cretans, Avho frequently served as a separatecorps in the Greek a
A dictionary of Greek and Roman . ments, originally de-corated the arch of Trajan. [P. S.] ARCUS (Pi6s, t6£ov), the bow used for shoot-ing arrows, is one of the most ancient of all wea-pons, but is characteristic of Asia rather than ofEurope. Thus in the description given by Hero-dotus (vii. 61—80) of the various nations com-posing the army of Xerxes, we observe that nearlyall the troops without exception used the Scythians and Parthians were the most cele-brated archers in the East, and among the Greeksthe Cretans, Avho frequently served as a separatecorps in the Greek armies, and subsequently alsoamong the auxiliary troops of the Romans. ( Anah. i. 2. § 9 ; Liv. xlii. 35.) The form of the Scythian and Parthian bowdiffered from that of the Greeks. The former wasin the shape of a half-moon, and is shown in theupper of the two figures here exhibited, which istaken from one of Sir W. Hamiltons fictile vases.(Comp. Amm. Marc. xxii. 8.) The Greek bow, onthe other hand, the usual form of which is shown. in the lower of the preceding figures, has a doublecurvature, consisting of two circular portions unitedin the middle (irrixvs). According to the descrip-tion in Homer (II. iv. 105—126), the bow wasmade of two pieces of horn, hence frequently calledKepas and cornu. The bow-string (vevpa) wastwisted, and was frequently made of thongs ofleather (uevpa fioeia). It was always fastened toone end of the bow, and at the other end therehung a ring or hook (tcopcavr)), usually made ofmetal (xpva-e77), to which the string was attached,when the bow was to be used. In the same pas-sage of Homer we have a description of a manpreparing to shoot, and this account is illustratedby the following outline of a statue belonging tothe group of the Aeginetan marbles. The bow,placed in the hands of this statue, was probablyof bronze, and has been lost. AREIOPAGUS.
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Keywords: ., bookauthorsmithwilliam18131893, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840
