lituus

lituus , ī, m.: an augur's staff or wand, 7.187; a cornet, trumpet, clarion, 6.167.

lĭtŭus, i (gen. plur. lituum, Luc. 1, 237; Val. Fl. 6, 166; Sil. 13, 146), m. [prob. Etruscan; prim. signif. crooked].

• I Lit.
• • A The crooked staff borne by the augurs, an augur's crook or crosier, augural wand: dextra manu baculum sine nodo aduncum tenens, quem lituum appellaverunt, Liv. 1, 18, 7; cf.: lituus iste vester, quod clarissimum est insigne auguratus, Cic. Div. 1, 17, 30; Gell. 5, 7, 8: Quirinalis, Verg. A. 7, 187: lituo pulcher trabeaque Quirinus, Ov. F. 6, 375.—
  • B A crooked wind-instrument (used to give signals in war), a curved trumpet, cornet, clarion: lituus sonitus effudit acutos, Enn. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 116 Müll. (Ann. v. 522 Vahl.); Verg. A. 6, 167: jam lituus pugnae signa daturus erat, Ov. F. 3, 216: lituo tubae Permixtus sonitus, Hor. C. 1, 1, 23: stridor lituum clangorque tubarum, Luc. 1, 237: cornua cum lituis audita, Juv. 14, 200.—
• II Transf., a signal: de lituis, βοώπιδος, Cic. Att. 2, 12, 2.—
• III Trop., an instigator, author: lituus meae profectionis, Cic. Att. 11, 12, 1.

lituus, ī, m. (zu Wz. lei(t), krümmen); vgl. obliquus, I) der Krummstab der Auguren, der Augurenstab, Cic. u. Liv. – II) das ebenso gekrümmte Signalhorn im Kriege, u. zwar bei dem Fußvolke, entsprechend der tuba bei der Reiterei, die Zinke, Cic., Verg., Hor. u.a. – dah. meton., de lituis βοώπιδος, Signale, die (zu Hader u. Aufruhr) die zweite Juno (die Schwester des Klodius) gebe, Cic. ad Att. 2, 12, 2: v. Menschen, illum existimare Quintum fratrem lituum meae profectionis fuisse, habe mir das Signal zum Aufbruch gegeben (= habe meine Abreise veranlaßt), Cic. ad Att. 11, 12, 1. – ➳ Genet. Plur. auch lituum, Lucan. 1, 237. Val. Flacc. 6, 166 u. 504. Sil. 13, 146.

lituus, ~uum [CL] 1 trumpet (usu. to give signal in battle). ~us, truðhorn oððe sarga Ælf. Gram. 302; dinoto enim a paleariis et veredariis suorum armorum modo sonoque ~orum notorum concepto, haud facile memoratu est quam innumerabilem tempore sub modico peditum pariter ac equitum comparaverit manum V. Neot. A 14; in aggrediendo prelia ~a acutiora animos stimulant et in remittendo tuba gravior eosdem resides facit Adel. ED 26; donec ‥ ~um suum in signum ‥ sonaret G. Mon. I 8; qui socios sopore depressos sonitu liciorum [v. l. lituorum] excitaverunt Ib. VIII 18; lituus citator edendi Hanv. IX 421; excitatur ad clamores hominum et clangores ~orum monachus Map NC IV 7 f. 51; lites liteos solvere sepe vides Neckam DS VI 16 p. 463; hic ~us, gredle Gl. AN Glasg. f. 20rb; ~i et buccine perstrepentes in multiplici melodia G. Hen. V 15 p. 102; ~us, A. a lylkynghorn WW. 2 curved staff, crosier: a (of Roman augur); b (of Christian bishop). a Picus augur fuit, habens picum avem, per quam futura noscebat, sicut pontificales indicant libri; unde et ~um statue ejus dat Virgilius Alb. Lond. DG 11. 11.  b ~um proprium ebore decentissime formatum auroque decoratum super altare ‥ posuit W. Malm. GR II 149 p. 168n. 5; hoc donum ‥ ~o eburneo, quem linibus auri preterebat, super altare dato confirmavit Id. Glast. 78. 3 (math.) spiral, curve. areas ‥ ~o ‥ dividere J. Sal. SS 949C (v. embadum).

lĭtŭus, (12) ī, m. , gén. pl. lituum, ¶ 1 bâton augural : Liv. 1, 18, 7 ; Cic. Div. 1, 30 ¶ 2 trompette [à pavillon courbé, v. liticen ] : P. Fest. 116 ; Virg. En. 6, 167 || signal : Cic. Att. 2, 12, 2 || [fig.] qui donne le signal, promoteur : Cic. Att. 11, 12, 1.

lituus , i. m.
小號筒。術士杖。

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lituus m

• a crooked staff borne by an augur, augur's crook, crosier, augural wand: baculus sine nodo aduncus, quem lituum appellarunt, L.: lituus, insigne auguratūs: Quirinalis, V.: lituo pulcher trabeāque Quirinus, O.—A crooked wind-instrument, curved trumpet, cornet, clarion: lituos pati, V.: lituus pugnae signa daturus erat, O.: lituo tubae Permixtus sonitus, H.—A signal: meae profectionis.

LITUUS

LI´TUUSMüller (Die Etrusker, 4.1, 5) supposes this to be an Etruscan word signifying crooked, but more probably it is connected with the verb litare, its augural sense being the original, and the military lituus being so called from a resemblance in shape. In the Latin writers it is used to denote--

1. The crooked staff borne by the augurs, with which they divided the expanse of heaven, when viewed with reference to divination (templum), into regions (regiones); the number of these according to the Etruscan discipline being sixteen, according to the Roman practice four (Müller, 3.6, 1; Cic. de Div. 2.1. 8, 42). Cicero (de Div. 1.17, 30) describes the lituus as incurvum et leviter a summo inflexum bacillum; and Livy (Liv. 1.18) as baculum sine nodo aduncum (cf. Serv. ad Aen. 7.407; Marquardt, Staatsverwaltung, 3.402). It is very frequently exhibited upon works of art. The figure in the middle of the following illustrations is from a most ancient specimen of Etruscan sculpture in the possession of Inghirami (Monumenti Etruschi, tom. vi. tav. P. 5, 1), representing an augur; the two others are Roman denarii. It is thought with much probability that the pastoral staff of bishops (not the archiepiscopal crosier) was borrowed as regards its form from the augur's lituus, which in the earliest Christian representations it exactly resembles. (See Dict. of Christian Antiquities, s. v.)

2. A sort of trumpet slightly curved at the extremity (Festus, s. v.; Gell. 5.8). It differed both from the tuba and the cornu (Hor. Carm. ii, 1, 17; Lucan, i, 237), the former being straight, while the latter was bent round into a spiral shape. Lydus (de Mens. 4.50) calls the lituus the sacerdotal trumpet (ἱερατικὴν σάλπιγγα), and says that it was employed by Romulus when he proclaimed the title of his city. Ascon. (ad Hor. Carnm. 1.1, 23) asserts that it was peculiar to cavalry, while the tuba belonged to infantry. This is not quite correct, for in the armies of the Sabines and Romans (Ovid, Ov. Fast. 3.216), where the lituus is mentioned, it is clear that infantry are to be understood. The bucinator and the tubicen are both attached to the cavalry as well as the infantry (Marquardt, Staatsverwaltung, 2.553). As regards its shape, Seneca (Oedip. 733) says, Sonuit refiexo classicum cornu Lituusque adunco stridulos cantus elisit aere. Its tones are usually characterised as harsh and shrill (stridor lituum, Lucan (Luc. 1.237; sonitus acutos, Ennius, ap. Fest. s. v.; Stat. Theb. 6.228, &c.). The following representation is from Fabretti. See also the representation of a liticen [under CORNU] from the altar of Julius Victor (Vol. 1. p. 544).

[W.R] [G.E.M]

Lituus

A word probably containing the root of clino, κλίνω, and hence=(c)lituus, “the bent instrument.” (1) The crooked staff used by the Roman augurs. With it they divided the expanse of heaven for purposes of divination, as explained in the articles augur; divinatio; templum. It is probably the original of the archiepiscopal crosier of the Roman Church. On the derivation, see Müller, Die Etrusker, iv. 1, 5. An alternative etymology makes it from litare, “to get good omens.”

(2) A trumpet slightly curved at the end (Gell.v. 8). It differs from both the tuba, which was straight, and the cornu, which was spiral. The lituus was chiefly used for cavalry-signals.