Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Phaleratus

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. 

PHALERA'TUS. Wearing bosses (phalerae) of the precious metals, as a decoration to the person; a practice originally characteristic of foreign nations (Suet. Nero, 30.), but adopted from Etruria by the Romans (Florus, i. 5, 6.), amongst whom they were chiefly employed as a military decoration for distinguished services, and worn in front of the chest (phaleris hic pectora fulget Sil. Ital. xv. 255.), attached to a broad belt, fastened over the bust, as exemplified by the annexed figure (Phaleratus/1.1), representing the portrait of a centurion in his military accoutrements, from a carving on his tomb; seven phalerae are exhibited on his person, three down the front of the breast, and two, the halves only of which appear in the drawing, on each side.

2. When applied to horses (Liv. xxx. 17. Suet. Cal. 19. Claud. 17.), it designates an ornament of similar description, sometimes affixed to the headstall or to a throat collar, as in the example (Phaleratus/2.1) from a fictile vase, or to a martingale over the chest, as in the woodcuts at p. 264.; where they hung as pendants (Plin. H. N. xxxvii. 74. Compare Claud. iv. Cons. Honor. 549.), shaking and shining with every motion of the animal.

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  Phaleratus/1.1
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  Phaleratus/2.1