essedum

† † essĕdum, i, n. (in the poets, on account of the metre, as plur. only: esseda, ōrum, v. the foll.—essĕda, ae, f.: essedas transcurrentes, Sen. Ep. 56; cf.: bigae, quadrigae) [a Celtic word],

• a two-wheeled war-chariot of the Gauls and Britons (cf.: raeda, cisium, currus, vehiculum), Caes. B. G. 4, 32 sq.; 5, 9, 3; 5, 16, 2; 5, 19, 1; Verg. G. 3, 204; afterwards also among the Romans for pomp and show, and in sham fights, Cic. Phil. 2, 24; id. Att. 6, 1 fin.; Suet. Aug. 76; id. Calig. 51; Prop. 2, 1, 76; 2, 32, 5 (3, 30, 5 M.); Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 192 al.

essedum, ī, n. (keltisches Wort), ein zweiräderiger Streitwagen der Gallier, Belgier und Britannier (später auch in Rom der Gladiatoren in den zirzensischen Spielen), Caes. b. G. 4, 33. Verg. georg. 3, 204. Liv. 10, 28. – von den Römern auch als Reisewagen gebraucht, Cic. Phil. 2, 58; ad Att. 6, 1, 25. Ov. ex Pont. 2, 10, 33. Suet. Cal. 26; ja später als Lastwagen, Sidon. epist. 4, 18, 1. Vgl. Schmid Hor. ep. 2, 1, 192. – Nbf. esseda, ae, f., Plur., Sen. ep. 56, 4.

essedum [CL < Gall.], ~a , cart, chariot. b (astr.) Wain. ~um, vehiculum GlC E 312; bida vel basterna vel capsus vel currus vel ~a vel quadriga vel carpentum, cr“t Ælf. Gl.; ~um, i. currus, vehiculum GlH E 355; ~a, vehiculo, on cr“te GlP 376; esedum, genus curruum Osb. Glouc. Deriv. 196.  b sidereis stipor turmis in vertice mundi; / esseda famoso gesto cognomina [MSS: cognomine] vulgo Aldh. Aen. 53 (Arcturus) .

essĕdum, (12) ī, n. (mot gaulois), char de guerre [en usage chez les Belges, les Gaulois, les Bretons] : Cæs. G. 5, 9, 3 || char, voiture, sorte de cabriolet : Cic. Phil. 2, 58 ; Att. 6, 1, 25.

essedum , i. n.
馬車類。兵車。

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essedum ī, n, and (poet.) esseda, ōrum

• Celtic, a two-wheeled war-chariot, car(of Gauls and Britons), Cs., L., V.; sometimes displayed at Rome, C., H., O.

ESSEDUM

E´SSEDUMrarely E´SSEDA--AE (Sen. Ep. 56.4), said to be a Celtic word (Jornand. de Reb.Get. 100.2; cf. Ginzrot, 1.377), the name of a chariot used, especially in war, by the Britons, Gauls, and Belgae, perhaps also by the Germans, (Verg. G. 3.204; Serv. ad loc.; Pers. 6.47).

According to the account given by Caesar (Bell. Gall. 4.33), and confirmed by Diodorus Siculus (5.21, 29), the method of using the essedum in the ancient British army was very similar to the practice of the Greeks in the heroic ages, as described by Homer and in the article CURRUSThe principal difference seems to have been that the essedum was stronger and more solid than the δίφρος, that it was open before instead of behind; hence the driver was able to run along the pole (de temone Britanno excidet, Juven. 4.125), and then to retreat with the greatest speed into the body of the car, which he drove with extraordinary swiftness and skill. From the extremity of the pole he threw his missiles, especially the cateia (Val. Flacc. Argon. 6.83). It appears also that these cars were purposely made as noisy as possible, probably by the creaking and clanging of the wheels (strepitu rotaum, Caes. l. c.; compare Tac. Agric. 35; Esseda multisonora, Claud. Epigr. iv.); and that this was done in order to strike dismay into the enemy. The drivers of these chariots were called in Latin Essedarii (Caes. B. G. 4.24; Cic. ad Fam. 7.6); there were about 4,000 of them in the army of Cassibelaunus (Caes. B. G. 5.19). Tacitus (Agric. 12) observes that the driver of the car ranked above his fighting companion, which was the reverse of the Greek usage.

The essedum was adopted for purposes of convenience and luxury among the Romans (Propert. 2.1, 76; Cic. ad Att. 6.1; Ov. Am. 2.16, 49). Cicero (Phil. ii. 24.58) mentions the use of it by Antonius as a piece of effeminacy disgraceful to a tribune of the people: in the time of Seneca it seems to have become common; for he reckons esseda deaurata among things quae matronarum usibus necessaria sint (fr. 48, Haase). We find emperors and generals using it as a travelling carriage (Suet. Calig. 51; Galb. 6). As used by the Romans, the essedum had no seat for the driver: the traveller drove himself (Ov. l. c.), and always, it would seem, with a pair of horses, whereas with the cisium the number varied. The essedum, like the cisium, appears to have been kept for hire at the post-houses or stations (Salonem quinto esscdo videbis, Mart. 10.104). [MANSIO] The essedum must have been similar to the COVINUSexcept that the latter had a cover. (Marquardt, Privatl. 712 f.) The essedarii of inscriptions are explained by Marquardt (Privatl. 706) as the builders, not the drivers of esseda: but other essedarii at Rome seem to have been popular favourites in connexion with the gladiatorial shows, and these perhaps were captive Britons compelled to fight in the arena (Suet. Calig. 35; Claud. 21). [J. Y.]

[W.W]

Essĕdum

rarely Essĕda, said to be a Keltic word. The name of a chariot used, especially in war, by the Britons, Gauls, and Belgae, perhaps also by the Germans (Verg. Georg. iii. 204; Serv. ad loc.).

According to the account given by Caesar (B. G. iv. 35) the method of using the essedum in the ancient British army was very similar to the practice of the Greeks in the heroic ages, as described in the article Currus. The principal difference seems to have been that the essedum was stronger and more solid than the δίφρος—that it was open before instead of behind; hence the driver was able to run along the pole (de temone Britanno excidet, Juv.iv. 125) and then to retreat with the greatest speed into the body of the car, which he drove with extraordinary swiftness and skill. From the extremity of the pole he threw his missiles, especially the cateia ( Flacc. Argon. vi. 83). It appears also that these cars were purposely made as noisy as possible, probably by the creaking and clanging of the wheels ( Agric. 35; Claud. Epigr. 4); and that this was done in order to strike dismay into the enemy. The drivers of these chariots were called in Latin essedarii ( B. G. iv. 24). Tacitus (Agric. 12) observes that the driver of the car ranked above his fighting companion, which was the reverse of the Greek usage.

The essedum was adopted for purposes of convenience and luxury among the Romans (Propert. ii. 1, 76; cic. Ad Att. vi. 1; Ovid, Am. ii. 16, 49). Cicero (Phil. ii. 24. 58) mentions the use of it by Antonius as a piece of effeminacy disgraceful to a tribune of the people; but in the time of Seneca it seems to have become common ( Fr. 48, Hase). As used by the Romans the essedum had no seat for the driver; the traveller drove himself (Ovid, l. c.), and always, it would seem, with a pair of horses, whereas with the cisium the number varied. The essedum, like the cisium, appears to have been kept for hire at the post-houses or stations (Mart.x. 104). See Mansio.