. The life of the Greeks and Romans. he punishment ofcowardice, which was at once executed by his lictors * ; from here *• We add a few remarks about the fasces, seen in the hands of the lictors, (compare Fig. 540). The fasces were bundles of rods (virgm) of elm or birch-wood, tied together round the handle of an axe (securis) with (most likely red)straps. The iron of the axe, which was the executioners tool, protiuded from thesticks. The fasces were carried on their left shoulders by the lictors, who walkedin front of certain magistrates, making room for them, and compelling all peopl
. The life of the Greeks and Romans. he punishment ofcowardice, which was at once executed by his lictors * ; from here *• We add a few remarks about the fasces, seen in the hands of the lictors, (compare Fig. 540). The fasces were bundles of rods (virgm) of elm or birch-wood, tied together round the handle of an axe (securis) with (most likely red)straps. The iron of the axe, which was the executioners tool, protiuded from thesticks. The fasces were carried on their left shoulders by the lictors, who walkedin front of certain magistrates, making room for them, and compelling all people tomove out of the way (summovere), barring Vestals and Roman matrons. To about 584 MILITAR Y DECORA TIONS. he divided the prizes awarded by him, or the army itself, to tinbravest among them. 108. Military decorations and rewards of valour (dona, prcemiamilitaria) occur in many forms amongst the Romans. We passover such dona as a share of the booty, advancement, or mentioning of a soldiers name before the assembled. Fig. 530. legion. The highest military decoration was the crown of grass(corona graminea), awarded, according to Pliny ( Hist. Nat.,XXII. 3, 4), only after a desperate deed of valour, and bycommon consent of the whole army. All other rewards weregiven by the general to the soldiers, but this the soldiers gave totheir leader. It was also called crown of siege (corona obsidionalis) the end of the Republic, when a special executioner was appointed, the lictorsinflicted capital punishment. The king was entitled to twelve fasces, the samenumber being granted to the consuls (after the passing of P. Valerius Publicolaslaw de provocatione ad populum, only one of the two consuls within the walls ofEome was allowed to have the axe carried in front of him), or the officials endowedwith eonsularis potestas, also to decemviri, war-tribunes, and proconsuls outside dictator was entitled to twenty-four lictors, the magister equitum appointed byhim to six,
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