Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Sarculum

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. 

SAR'CULUM and -US (σκαλίς). A hoe, of a lighter and smaller description than the ligo; employed chiefly for weeding in fields and gardens (Plin. H. N. xviii. 65. § 2. Id. xix. 33. Columell. ii. 11. 10.); and in mountain districts, where the soil is usually of little depth, and the inequalities of surface forbid the use of a plough, the sarculum was employed instead of that implement. (Plin. H. N. xviii. 49. § 2.) The example (Sarculum/1.1) is copied from a Roman bas-relief representing a race in the circus; and an accessory of the same kind is commonly introduced by the ancient sculptors in scenes of this description, where it was used for hoeing out a trench across that part of the arena in which athletic contests were conducted, as explained s. SCAMMA.

2. Sarculum bicorne (Pallad i. 43. 3.). A two-pronged hoe, specially called BIDENS; where see the illustration.

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  Sarculum/1.1