fidicula

fidicula, ae, f., gew. Plur. fidiculae, ārum, f. (Demin. v. fides, is, s. Paul. ex Fest. 89, 16. Prisc. 3, 30), I) ein Saiteninstrument, a) eig.: fidiculae sonantes, Cic. de nat. deor. 2, 22. – b) übtr. als Gestirn, Sing. fidicula = Lyra, die Lyra, Leier, Col. 11, 2, 36. Plin. 18, 222. – II) als Folterwerkzeug, Stricke, Seile, durch die der Delinquent auf einem Gerüste (nach Isid. 5, 27, 20 der eculeus) so ausgespannt wird, daß seine Glieder aus den Gelenken gerissen werden, Sen. de ira 3, 3, 6 (neben eculei); 3, 19, 1 (neben eculeus u. talaria). Val. Max. 3, 3. ext. 3. Amm. 29, 1, 23 (neben eculei): tendebam fidiculas ratione saevitiae, ut leviter sedibus suis emota compago per singulos artus membra laxaret, Ps. Quint. decl. 19, 12 extr.: exquisiturum se vel fidiculis de Caesonia sua, cur etc., Suet. Cal. 33.

fidicula [CL] 1 small lyre or harp. b string of lyre, harpstring; c (used in torture; cf. PrudentiusPeristephanon X 481). ~am ‥ modulationis armonia resonantem vij constare fidibus ‥ musicorum regula declarat Aldh. Met. 3 p. 73; tibia vulgaris, regina fidicula cantu Hanv. IX 420; Gir. IK I 4 (v. fidicen 1).  b ~ae, cordae citharae GlC F 184; ~ae, catenae Ib. 195; ~ae, i. chordae citharae vel genera tormentorum vel catenae GlH F 350 (v. 1c infra).  c ~ae, genera tormentorum GlC F 181 (cf. GlH F 350); ~a, ‥ i. parva chordula unde ligabantur manus martyrum Osb. Glouc. Deriv. 207. 2 lyre-player, harpist. ~a, citharedus GlC F 198; ~a, citharedus vel fidicen GlH F 349.

fĭdĭcŭla, (14) æ, f. , surt. au plur. fĭdĭcŭlæ, ārum (fides 4), petite lyre : Cic. Nat. 2, 22 || la Lyre [constellation] : Plin. 18, 222 || instrument de torture [cordes du chevalet] : Sen. Ira 3, 3, 6 ; Suet. Tib. 62 ; Cal. 33.

fidicula , ae. f.
小琵琶。牛郞星。

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FIDICULA

FIDI´CULAor plural--AE, an instrument of torture, consisting of a number of strings (Suet. Tib. 62, Calig. 33; Mart. 5.51; Cod. Theod. 9, tit. 35, s. 1). The reticence of the ancients on these subjects has been noticed under ECULEUS; there is, however, a passage which throws some light on the mode of its operation (Quintil. Decl. 19.12, p. 373, Burmann: tendebam fidiculas,. . .ut leviter sedibus suis emota compago per singulos artus membra laxaret: cf. ib. 8, pp. 126, 127). We see that, like the eculeus and the modern rack, it stretched the limbs until the joints were dislocated (Marquardt, Privatl. 180).

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Fidicŭla

or plural Fidicŭlae. An instrument of torture, consisting of a number of strings (Suet. Tib. 62, Calig. 33). Like the eculeus and the modern rack, it stretched the limbs until the joints were dislocated (Marquardt, Privatl. 180). See crux; eculeus; tormentum.