Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Cingulum

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

CIN'GULUM (ταινία). A band, sash, or girdle worn by females over the tunic, and close under the bosom, in order to make the dress sit close, and becomingly on the person, as shown by the figure annexed (Cingulum/1.1), from a Greek statue. Isidor. Orig. xix. 33. 1. Virg. Aen. i. 492.

2. (ζώνη). A girdle or sash also worn by females, and especially young unmarried women, but fastened lower down the body, just above the hips, as shown by the annexed illustration (Cingulum/2.1), representing Electra, from a marble found at Herculaneum, with the sash drawn by its side, from a Greek vase. In this sense the term is also applied to the Cestus of Venus. Festus. s. v. Val. Flacc. vi. 470. and CESTUS.

3. (ζωστήρ). A man's girdle, worn round the waist, and outside the tunic, as shown by the example (Cingulum/3.1), from a statue at Naples. It served for carrying any small article suspended from it, and especially to shorten the tunic, when the wearer was engaged in active exercise, by drawing up the lower part to any desirable height. Pet. Sat. 21. 2. and ALTICINCTUS.

4. (μίτρα, ζωστήρ, ζώνη). A soldier's belt, made of metal, or of leather plated with metal, worn round the loins to secure the bottom of the cuirass (see the illustration s. CLIPEATUS 1.), and protect the belly. It was fastened by hooks, as in the example (Cingulum/4.1), from an original of bronze found in a warrior's tomb at Paestum; and over this the sword belt (cinctorium) was also strapped, whence Virgil, in describing the armour of Pallas (Aen. xii. 942.), includes both of these by the plural cingula, for the shoulder band (balteus), which supported the shield, is separately mentioned.

5. (διάζωμα, περίζωμα). An article in female attire similar to the Cinctus of males (Varro, L. L. v. 114.), viz. a short petticoat reaching from the waist to the knees, which was worn in early times instead of a tunic, especially by women who led an active or laborious life; whence it is very commonly assigned to the Amazonian women on the fictile vases, from one of which the illustration (Cingulum/5.1) is copied.

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  Cingulum/1.1
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  Cingulum/2.1
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  Cingulum/3.1
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  Cingulum/4.1
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  Cingulum/5.1