Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Crepundia

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

CREPUN'DIA (σπάργανα). Children's playthings; consisting of a variety of miniature objects, such as rattles, dolls, little swords, hatchets, &c., and other toys similar to those given to children at the present day. But the Greeks and Romans also included under the same name little tokens of the same description which they used to tie round their children's necks. (Plaut. Mil. v. 6.) for ornaments, or amulets, and also to serve as a means of recognition for those who were exposed, or put out to nurse. (Plaut. Cist. iv. 1. 13. Cic. Brut. 91. Soph. Oed. T. 1035.) Several of these are enumerated by Plautus (Rud. iv. 4. 111 — 126. Ep. v. i. 34.), and are seen round the neck of a child in a statue of the Pio-Clementine Museum, copied in the preceding engraving (Crepundia/1.1), of the same character as he mentions:  — viz. a half moon (lunula), on the top of the right shoulder; then a double axe (securicula ancipes); next a bucket (situla argenteola); a sort of flower, not mentioned; a little sword (ensiculus aureolus); a little hand (manicula); then another half-moon; a dolphin, instead of the little sow (sucula) mentioned by Plautus; with a recurrence of the same objects.

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  Crepundia/1.1