A dictionary of Greek and Roman . lances (Virg. Aen. xii. 725 ;Pers. iv. 10; Cic. Acad. iv. 12). [Lanx.] Hencethe verb rahauTevw is employed as equivalent toa-rad/Adco, and to the Latin libro, and is applied asdescriptive of an eagle balancing his wings in theair. (Philostrat. Jun. Imag. 6 ; Welcker, ad loc.)The beam was made without a tongue, being heldby a ring or other appendage {ligula, pv/Aa), fixedin the centre. (See the woodcut.) Specimens of bronze balances may be seen in the British Museumand in other collections of antiquities, and also ofthe steel-yard [Statera], which
A dictionary of Greek and Roman . lances (Virg. Aen. xii. 725 ;Pers. iv. 10; Cic. Acad. iv. 12). [Lanx.] Hencethe verb rahauTevw is employed as equivalent toa-rad/Adco, and to the Latin libro, and is applied asdescriptive of an eagle balancing his wings in theair. (Philostrat. Jun. Imag. 6 ; Welcker, ad loc.)The beam was made without a tongue, being heldby a ring or other appendage {ligula, pv/Aa), fixedin the centre. (See the woodcut.) Specimens of bronze balances may be seen in the British Museumand in other collections of antiquities, and also ofthe steel-yard [Statera], which was used for thesame purposes as the libra. The woodcut to thearticle Catena shows some of the chains by whichthe scales are suspended from the beam. In theworks of ancient art, the balance is also introducedemblematically in a great variety of ways. Theannexed woodcut is taken from a beautiful bronzepatera, representing Mercury and Apollo engagedin exploring the fates of Achilles and Memnon, byweighing the attendant genius of the one against. that of the other. (Winckelmann, Mon. hied. 133;Millin, Peintures de Vases Ant. i. pi. 19. p. 39.)A balance is often represented on the reverse ofthe Roman imperial coins ; and to indicate moredistinctly its signification, it is frequently held bya female in her right hand, while she supportsa cornucopia in her left, the words aeqvitasavgvsti being inscribed on the margin, so as todenote the justice and impartiality with which theemperors dispensed their bounty. The constellation Libra is placed in the Zodiacat the equinox, because it is the period of the yearat which day and night are equally balanced.(Virg. Georg. i. 208 ; Plin. H. N. xviii. 69 ; Arat. 89.) The masons or carpenters level was called libraor libella (whence the English name), on accountof its resemblance in many respects to a balance.(Varro, de Re Rust. i. 6; Columella, iii. 13; N. xxxvi. 52.) Hence the verb libro meant tolevel as well as to weigh. The w
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