Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Latro

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. 

LATRO (λάτρις). In its primary sense a servant who worked for hire; whence the word came to signify a mercenary soldier, who took foreign service for a stipulated pay, like the Italian condottieri of the middle ages, and the Swiss troops, formerly subsidized by the French kings, as they still are by the Pope and the King of Naples. But, as these bodies committed great excesses in the countries which employed them, the name became subsequently synonymous with that of robber, bandit, or assassin. Varro, L. L. vii. 52. Festus, s. v. Serv. ad Virg. Aen. xii. 7. Plaut. Mil. iv. 1. 2. Juv. x. 22. Val. Max. v. 9. 4.

2. A counter used for playing a game of skill, approaching to our draughts (ludus latrunculorum); also termed hostis and miles; for the game may be said to represent a party of freebooters or soldiers engaged in the attack and defence of a fortified position. (Ov. A. Am. iii. 357. Mart. vii. 72. Id. xiv. 20.) They were distinguished by different colours, black on one side and white or red on the other, as is clearly expressed by the illustration (Latro/2.1), representing two Egyptians playing at the game, and were made of various materials, wood, metal, glass, ivory, &c. The movements were made upon lines marked on the board, the art being to get into such a position that one of the adversary's pieces was brought between two of the player's, when it was taken; or to drive it into a place where it was unable to move, when it was said to be alligatus, or incitus, "in check;" for ciere is the word which answers to our move; and thence the expression ad incitas redactus, literally, reduced to extremities, corresponds with our phrase check-mated. Senec. Ep. 106. ib. 117. Ov. A. Am. iii. 357. Plaut. Poen. iv. 2. 86.

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  Latro/2.1