plaustrum

plaustrum (plostrum, Cato R. R. 2, 10; 62; Varr. R. R. 1, 22, 3; cf. Suet. Vesp. 22: plaustra, ae, f., v. infra), i, n. [Sanscr. plavas, ship; prop., that which sways hither and thither; root plu-; Gr. πλέω, πλύνω], a vehicle for carrying heavy loads, a wagon, wain, cart.

• I Lit. (class.): vendat plostrum vetus, Cato R. R. 2, 7; Plaut. Aul. 3, 5, 31 (505): in plaustrum conici, Cic. Div. 1, 27, 57: stridentia plaustra, Ov. Tr. 3, 10, 59; id. M. 2, 177: sicut stridet plaustrum onustum foeno, Vulg. Amos, 2, 13: tecta, id. Num. 7, 3.—Prov.: plaustrum perculi, I have upset! I am done for! Plaut. Ep. 4, 2, 22 (591).—
• II Transf., the constellation Charles's Wain, the Great Bear (poet.): flexerat obliquo plaustrum temone Bootes, Ov. M. 10, 447; id. P. 4, 10, 39; Amm.15, 10, 2 (called plaustra Parrhasis, Sid. Carm. 5, 282 sq.).

plaustrum (plōstrum), ī, n., I) der Wagen, bes. Last-, Frachtwagen, iugum plaustri, Iustin.: plaustri tecta, Lucr.: plostrum vetus, Cato: plostra ducenta, Hor.: plaustrum sordidum, Val. Max.: plostro aut aratro iuvencum consuescere, Colum.: plaustro vehi, Val. Max. u. Iustin.: plaustro coniuges liberosque habere, Liv.: virgines sacraque in plaustrum imponere, Liv.: in Iovis templum ire plaustro, Iustin.: plaustro descendere, Val. Max.: plaustrum oneratum percellere, Cato fr.: petere, ut mane ad portam adesset, priusquam plaustrum ex oppido exiret, Cic.: omnia ex fanis, ex locis publicis plaustris evecta exportataque esse, Cic.: saucios suos iubet in plostris deligatos (verbunden) Hadrumetum deportari, Auct. b. Afr. – Sprichw., plaustrum perculi (s. percello), Plaut. Epid. 592. – II) übtr., der Wagen als Gestirn, der große Bär, Ov. met. 10, 447 u. ex Pont. 4, 10, 39.

1 plaustrum v. plastrum

2 plaustrum, plostrum [CL], ~a, ~us 1 cart, wagon. b (w. sb. gen.) cartload (of), wagonload (of). quidam pater familias filium suum a demonio fatigatum ‥ in plaustro ad insulam nostram vehebat V. Cuthb. IV 15; 732 dedi in omni anno centum xx plaustra onusta de lignis ad coquendum sal CS 148; 866 v plaustros plenas [sic] de virgis bonis CS 513; si ‥ adjudicetur alicui et venerit cum palustro, id est carr Leg. Wall. A 131; hoc plaustrum, car Gl. AN Glasg. 20vb; 1333 consimilia brevia diriguntur priori Dunolm’ de uno plaustro cum decem bobus sufficientibus RScot 231b; 1468 pro cariagio x plaustrarum del Ryss a Rilley usque le Westorcharde Ac. Durh. 92; plostrum, A. a chare of ij whelys WW.  b 1219 quatuor plaustra bosci Eyre Yorks 106; 1290 in dccc plaustris petarum, cum cariagio, et aliis ExchScot 38; 1492 dicunt quod dictus R. T. illam gutteram de novo faciet et R. T. dabit ad eandem faciend’ unum plaustrum lapid’ CourtR Ottery St. M. m. 98; 1527 ducendo duos plaustros glebarum Reg. Aberbr. II 468; ipsa sibi accersit quae plurima plaustra malorum J. Herd Hist. IV Regum 146; 1583 quatuor plaustur’ feni annuatim percipiend’ extra pratum Pat 1234 m. 26. 2 item of bed furniture. 1388 sunt ibidem ‥ j blanket, j materace, j mappa, j plaustram, iij flasketz, j coverlit IMisc 239/3j.. 3 (astr.) Charles’s Wain, the Great Bear. Aldh. Met. 6, Neckam DS I 351, CathA (v. Arcturus); ut stellam cingant septem splendore triones, / sol novus in plaustro vult rutilare novo Garl. Epith. I 206.

plaustrum (10) (plos-, Cato , Varro ), ī, n. , chariot, charrette, voiture : Cic. Div. 1, 57 ; plaustrum perculi Pl. Epid. 592 [prov.], jʼai bousculé ma voiture [pleine], jʼai fait la culbute, je suis perdu || le Chariot [constellation] : Ov. M. 10, 447.

plaustrum , i. n.
牛車。北斗星宿。— percellere 翻車。敗事。

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plaustrum (plōstrum) ī, n

• PLV-, a vehicle for freight, wagon, wain, cart: plaustris vectare ornos, V.: in plaustrum conici: robusta plaustra, H.—The Great Bear, Charles's Wain(a constellation), O.

PLAUSTRUM

PLAUSTRUMor PLOSTRUM, a cart or waggon. The plaustrum, strictly so called, was a heavy two-wheeled cart (Isid. Or. 20.12): the four-wheeled waggon was properly distinguished as plaustrum majus (Cato, Agr. 10.2; Varro, R. R. 1.20). The plaustrum was of simple construction--a platform of boards, with a strong pole projecting from it, fastened upon the pair of wheels and axle. The blocks of stone or other things to be carried were either laid upon this platform without any other support, or were secured by upright boards forming sides to the platform (ὑπερτερία Hom. Od. 6.70; Plat. Theaet. p. 270 A), or openwork rails (palae, Varr. L. L. 5.140); or a large wicker basket was fastened on the platform (scirpea, πείρινς). The annexed woodcut shows a cart the body of which is supplied by a basket.

The wheels ordinarily had no spokes (non sunt radiatae, Prob. ad Verg. G. 1.165), but were solid, of the kind called tympana or drums, nearly a foot in thickness, and made either by sawing them whole from the trunk of a tree or by nailing together boards of the requisite shapes and size. These wheels were fastened to the axle, which moved within wooden rings (arbusculae, ἁμαξόποδες) attached to the under-side of the platform (Vitr. 10.20, 14; Varro, R. R. 3.5; Verg. G. 2.444). Although these wheels were excellent for the preservation of the roads, they turned with a long circuit, and advanced slowly and with a creaking sound (stridentia, gementia, Verg. G. 3.536, Aen. 11.138). They were drawn usually by oxen, but sometimes by mules (Oppian. Hal. 5.20). They could, of course, upon a necessity, be used for transporting people as well as goods, but we are not to conclude from Liv. 5.40, that it was constructed for that purpose, nor (as Ginzrot does) that the plaustrum there mentioned differed from the ordinary kind. The plaustrum majus, or four-wheeled waggon, had sometimes solid wheels, sometimes spoked wheels, and sometimes also a body of open-work rails (palae), as shown in the cut under AMPHORA, representing part of a plaustrum majus carrying wine-skins.

The Greek ἅμαξα corresponded both to the plaustrum and the plaustrum majus. The four-wheeled ἅμαξα is mentioned in Od. 9.241; Hdt. 1.188: but the word also was used to express a vehicle to convey people (Hdt. 1.31, &c.). [HARMAMAXA] Probably it had usually four wheels, differing little from the ἀπήνη [APENE], used for travelling (e. g. Diog. Laert.), for the use of the bride in weddings (Poll. 10.33, &c.), in processions [DIONYSIAVol. 1. p. 639]. Baumeister (Denkm. Taf. xc.) shows boat-shaped ἅμαξαι, which he conceives to have been used at some time in processions. (Ginzrot, Wagen, 1.166, 228; Guhl and Koner, 277; Marquardt, Privatleben, 732; Becker-Göll, Charikles, 2.16.)

[J.Y] [G.E.M]

Plaustrum

(ἅμαξα). A wagon or two-wheeled cart. If it had four wheels, it was styled plaustrum maius (Cato , R. R. x. 2). It was used for heavy burdens, and was generally drawn by oxen, but sometimes by mules. The wheels of the plaustrum had no spokes.