Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Biga

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

BI'GA (συνωρίς). A pair of horses yoked together; which was effected by a cross-bar resting on their withers, like our curricle-bar, as is very plainly shown by the illustration (Biga/1.1), from a Pompeian painting. In this sense the plural, bigae, is generally and most appropriately used. Plin. H. N. vii. 57. Virg. Aen. ii. 272. Catull. lv. 26.

2. In the singular, more accurately, though the plural is also used, a car drawn by a pair of horses; a two-horsed carriage (Suet. Tib. 26. Tac. Hist. i. 86.), and equally applied to a war-car, or racing chariot, which latter is represented by the engraving (Biga/2.1) from a fictile lamp.

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  Biga/1.1
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  Biga/2.1