Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Rorarii

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. 

RORA'RII. A class of soldiers in the Roman armies, forming part of the levis armatura, or light-armed troops. They were drawn up in the third line behind the triarii, and in a position between them and the accensi (Liv. viii. 8. Compare Plaut. Fragm. ap. Varro, L. L. vii. 58.); their duty being to rush forward, as opportunities offered, and make desultory attacks upon the enemy's columns, with showers of missiles discharged amidst the ranks formed by the first and second lines of the heavy legionary soldiers (Liv. viii. 9.). It is probable enough that the term was derived from rores, drops of rain, as the grammarians say (Varro, l. c. Festus, s. v. Non. s. v. p. 552.); but it by no means follows therefrom, as they, and the modern lexicographers after them, have inferred, that the name was given to these troops because they commenced the action by a shower of missiles, like the drops which precede a storm; for that was the duty of the ferentarii, who, for that purpose, were conveniently posted upon the wings (Veg. Mil. i. 20.), whereas the rear ranks of the army, the post of the rorarii, would be a most unfit one for such a purpose. Rores are any drops of water which fall during a shower, as well as before it. The post, moreover, assigned them by Livy, immediately before the accensi, who constituted the lowest grade of the whole army, indicates sufficiently that they formed a distinct class from them, as well as from the ferentarii, holding an intermediate position between both in regard to rank and accoutrements. The figure (Rorarii/1.1) in the woodcut from the column of Trajan, represents a soldier of the Imperial army fighting, as above mentioned, between two heavy-armed legionaries. Though his weapon ist not seen, it is plain enough from the attitude that he is in the act of discharging a missile. Similar figures occur on two other parts of the column, with shields of the same character, and appointed in the same manner, naked to the waist, with short drawers (femoralia) and military boots (caligae): in one instance standing amongst a body of troops of all arms, heavy and light, who are listening to an harangue (allocutio) from the emperor; and in the other one, on the field of battle, engaged amongst the heavy infantry like the one here selected. In early times no doubt a kilt (campestre) was worn instead of drawers, which were not introduced until the Imperial age; but that will not impair the genuine evidence of the other details, while the use of a missile and shield, in connection with the defenceless state of the rest of the body, accords perfectly with the rank which these men occupied, and the duties they had to perform, and shows a ground of distinction betweem them and the ferentarii, who had no shield nor defensive arm whatever, and the accensi, who had not even an offensive weapon beyond what nature supplied them, their fists and stones.

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  Rorarii/1.1