Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Amictus

Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon (Rich, 1849)

AMIC'TUS. A general term expressive of all the various articles of outer clothing, which were in fact wrapped round the person (from amicire), as distinguished from those of the inner apparel, which were drawn on (from induere); including therefore the Toga, Pallium, Sagum, Abolla, Paludamentum, &c. (Virg. Aen. v. 421. Quint. xi. 3. 137. Compare INDUTUS. The two figures here represented (Amictus/1.1), both from Etruscan works, will explain distinctly what is meant by the term. The one standing is just beginning to put on his amictus, a loose piece of cloth, one side of which is already passed from behind over the left arm and shoulder, whilst he is in the act of slipping his right elbow under the other side, in order to pull it up to the neck, so that both the ends will depend in front of the person in the manner represented by the left-hand figure, in the illustration to ANABOLIUM. He will then take up the right side, draw it across the chest, and turn the end over his left shoulder, so as completely to envelope the upper part of the body in the manner seen on the sitting figure, who is then amictus pallio. Cic. de Orat. iii. 32.

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  Amictus/1.1