Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Infula

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

IN'FULA. A flock of wool died red and white, and knotted at regular intervals with a riband (vitta), so as to form a long fillet, which was worn by the priesthood and vestals, employed as an ornament for the victim dressed for a sacrifice, and to decorate temples and altars upon festive occasions. (Virg. Aen. x. 538. Id. Georg. iii. 487. Festus, s. v. Cic. Verr. ii. 4. 50. Lucan ii. 355.) It is frequently represented in sculpture, though the natural elasticity of the wool, swelling out between the ties which fasten the flocks at intervals, gives to such works a strong resemblance to a row of large and small beads strung together, for which, in fact, it has been generally mistaken; see the two next woodcuts, where this appearance is very decided, though upon inspection it will be clear that the forms are intended to represent the same objects as those shown in the annexed engraving (Infula/1.1), which represents two genii making infulae, from a painting discovered at Resina. The number of flocks tied together to make a length also explains why the prose writers mostly use the word in the plural, infulae.

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  Infula/1.1