festuca

festūca, ae, f., a stalk, stem, straw.

• I Lit.
• • A In gen.: qui homo in pratis per fenisecta festucas corradit, Varr. L. L. 5, § 136; Col. 8, 15, 6; Plin. 10, 41, 57, § 116; 18, 27, 67, § 254.—
  • B A rod with which slaves were touched in the ceremony of manumission: qui vindicabat festucam tenebat ... et homini imponebat, Gai. Inst. 4, 16; cf.: vindicta, A.: quid? ea ingenuan' an festuca facta e serva libera'st? Plaut. Mil. 4, 1, 15 (961); Pers. 5, 175.—
• II Transf., a straw-like weed which grows among barley, also called aegilops, Plin. 18, 17, 44, § 155.—
• • B A trifle, particle, mote: in oculo fratris, Vulg. Matt. 7, 3; id. Luc. 6, 41.

1. fēstūca, ae, f. (vermutlich aus *ferstuca, zu fastigium), I) der Halm, Grashalm, Varro LL. 5, 136. Col. 8, 15, 7, Plin. 10, 116: cum herba creverit in festucam, Plin. 18, 254. – ein halmartiges Unkraut, Plin. 18, 155. – II) übtr., die Rute od. das Stäbchen, womit nach röm. Sitte der assertor libertatis den Sklaven berührte, der für frei erklärt werden sollte, sonst auch vindicta gen., die Freiheitsrute, der Freiheitsstab, ingenuan an festucā facta e serva liberast? Plaut. mil. 961: non in festucā, lictor quam iactat ineptus, Pers. 5, 175.

2. fēstūca (nicht fīstūca), ae, f., ein Werkzeug zum Einrammen, der Schlegel, die Ramme, Plaut. mil. 961. Cato r. r. 28, 2. Caes. b. G. 4, 17, 4 codd. TU. Plin. 17, 87 u. 36, 185 D. Vulg. Matth. 7, 3 sqq.; Luc. 6, 41 u. 42. Augustin. serm. 49, 7. Gloss. II, 71, 45; II, 339, 23 u. ö. – ➳ fīstūca nur Gloss. III, 407, 16.

1 festuca [CL] 1 stalk, straw; b (used as bookmark); c (fig.). adsumens ‥ ventinulam posuit in ea ~am Felix Guthl. 39; 9‥ fistucam, strewn, eglan WW; rodere, nate, cave festucas, stramina, cirpos D. Bec. 1125; membra, que nec a ~a tangi sustinebat Mir. Fridesw. 37; Map NC II 23 (v. domus 14a); si cum manibus ~as aut pilos ‥ temptet de vestimentis ‥ removere J. Mirfield Brev. 58; ~a, A. the blaad of corn, or a strawe WW.  b paleas dispertitur innumeras, quas diversis in locis collocat †evidentur [l. evidenter] ut ~a reducat quod memoria non retentat R. Bury Phil. 17. 219.  c mala ‥ promocio quando homo ordinat ~am ubi poneret columpnam, i. e. qui ponit ‥ inscium ‥ ubi poneret scientem Gascoigne Loci 56. 2 (filia ~ae, fig.) ale. 1169 [episcopus] minus consiliosum ducit certum pro incerto domicilium mutare et Bacho Libero ancillam, ~e filiam, maritare Ep. G. Foliot 207. 3 sliver, splinter (w. ref. to Matth. vii 3–4, Luke vi 41–2). auferentes trabem de oculo nostro ‥ ut videamus eicere ~am de oculo fratris Bede Luke 410; si nostram, lector, festucam tollere quaeris Alcuin Carm. 80. 10. 9; festinas ‥ educere ~am de nostro opusculo (Lit.) M. Rievaulx 74; nummus omnem lavat labem, / in festucam vertit trabem Walt. Wimb. Van. 15; trabes gestantes in oculis propriis alienas ~as eruere non presumant R. Bury Phil. 18. 235. 4 pin. 1313 abstulit de A. C. unum capitium cum quadam ~a argenti pretii ij d. Leet Norw. 56. 5 (her.) cotise. clypeus argenteus, diagonius, festucarius (lateronibus seu ~is cinctus) niger. ~a ‥ virgulam significat Spelman Asp. 95.

2 festuca v. fisticus

1 festūca, (16) æ, f. , ¶ 1 fétu, brin de paille, tige : Varro L. 5, 136 ; Plin. 18, 254 ¶ 2 baguette, dont le préteur touchait la tête dʼun esclave pour lʼaffranchir : Pl. Mil. 961 ; Pers. 5, 175 ¶ 3 coquiole [herbe] : Plin. 18, 155.

2 festūca, (16) æ, c. fistuca : Cato Agr. 28, 2.

festuca , ae. f.
微草。小棍。官權。

Suggest a Translation
See an image

festūca, ae, f.: paglia, fuscello; ● pagliuzza

● erba; stelo [Plin].

FESTUCA

FESTU´CAis properly any stem, stalk, straw or haulm of corn, or blade of grass (Varr. L. L. 5.31.38, qui homo in pratis per fenisecta festucas corradit). In two passages it is generally explained as a synonym of the praetor's rod (vindicta) laid upon the slave's head in MANUMISSIO(Plaut. Mil. Glor. 4.1, 15, Quid? ea ingenuane an festuca facta e serva libera est? Pers. 5.175, non in festuca, lictor quam jactat ineptus). But Conington on the latter passage has pointed out that the ordinary use of festuca would suit these two places equally well ; so that after all the traditional rendering may be a mistake, though a very early one (the Schol. has virga qua a lictore percutitur). Plutarch says that one of the lictors threw stubble (κάρφος) on the manumitted slave (de Ser. Num. Vind. p. 550 B); and the words lictor jactat seem to imply something of this kind rather than touching with a staff. Probably both ceremonies accompanied the act of manumission, the praetor applying the vindicta with his own hand, the lictor throwing the stubble. Persius clearly had the passage of Horace in his mind (Sat. 2.7, 76, quem ter vindicta quaterque Imposita haud unquam misera formidine privet), but may have chosen the other part of the ceremony for his illustration. The confusion between the two may be as old as Gellius (Gell. 20.10.10); for the explanation of the phrase vis festucaria, see under DEDUCTOR. A glossary quoted by Conington gives both meanings: Festuca, κάρφος· ῥάβδος. Cf. also Gaius, Inst. 4.16.

[W.W]

Festūca

Properly any stem, stalk, or straw of grain, or blade of grass (Varr. L. L. v. 31. 38). In two passages it is generally explained as a synonym of the praetor's rod (vindicta) laid upon the slave's head in manumissio (Plaut. Mil. Glor. iv. 1, 15; Pers.v. 175). But Conington on the latter passage has pointed out that the ordinary use of festuca would suit these two places equally well; so that, after all, the traditional rendering may be a mistake. Plutarch says that one of the lictors threw stubble (κάρφος) on the manumitted slave (De Ser. Num. Vind. p. 550 B); and the words lictor iactat seem to imply something of this kind rather than touching with a staff. Possibly both ceremonies accompanied the act of manumission, the praetor applying the vindicta with his own hand, the lictor throwing the stubble. See manumissio.