tessera

tessĕra, ae, f., = τέσσερες, α (Ion. for τέσσαρες, α, four), a square, square piece of stone, wood, etc., for various purposes.

• I Most freq., a die for playing, numbered on all the six sides (while the tali, prop. pastern-bones, were marked only on four sides; v. talus; syn. alea): ludere tesseris, Ter. Ad. 739: ut homines ad pilam se aut ad talos aut ad tesseras conferunt, Cic. de Or. 3, 15, 58: tesseras jacere, id. Div. 2, 41, 85; id. Sen. 16, 58: in tesserarum prospero jactu, Liv. 4, 17, 3; Mart. 14, 15, 1; 4, 66, 15; 14, 17, 1: mittere, Ov. A. A. 3, 354; id. Tr. 2, 475; Plin. 37, 2, 6, § 13 al.; cf. Becker, Gallus, 3, p. 257 sq. (2d ed.).—
• II In milit. lang., a square tablet on which the watchword was written, a watchword, parole, countersign: tessera per castra a Livio consule data erat, ut, etc., Liv. 26, 46, 1; 7, 35, 1; 7, 36, 7; 9, 32, 4; Auct. B. Hisp. 36, 5; Suet. Galb. 6: it bello tessera signum, Verg. A. 7, 637; Sil. 15, 475: Stat. Th. 10, 17: missam ad se tesseram finxit redeundi, a private token, Amm.30, 10, 3. — Hence,
• • B Transf., the watchword, signal: militem levi tesserā colligi posse, Amm.25, 7, 2 al.—
• III Tessera hospitalis, a tally, token, which was divided between two friends, in order that, by means of it, they or their descendants might always recognize each other (the Greek σύμβολα): Ag. Ego sum ipsus, quem tu quaeris ... Ha. Si ita est, tesseram conferre si vis hospitalem, Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 87 (1047); 5, 1, 25 (954); 5, 2, 92 (1052): TESSERAM HOSPITALEM CVM EQ FECERVNT, have entered into a bond of friendship, Inscr. Orell. 1079; cf. Becker, Gallus, 2, p. 133 (2d ed.); hence: hic apud nos jam confregisti tesseram, i.e. have broken our friendship, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 27 (229).—
• IV A square tablet or block, a checker for the construction of pavements, ornamenting garments, etc., Plin. 36, 25, 62, § 187 (al. tessella); Pall. 1, 9, 5; Mart. 10, 33; Plin. 35, 9, 36, § 62.—
• V A token, ticket, billet for the distribution of corn or money: frumentariae, Suet. Ner. 11; cf. frumenti, Juv. 7, 174; Mart. 8, 78, 10; and absol., Suet. Aug. 40: nummariae, id. ib. 41.

tessera, ae, f. (v. τέσσαρες, α), ein viereckiger Körper, das Viereck, der Würfel, I) von Holz, Stein usw., zum Einsetzen, zum Schmucke, od. die Fußböden damit auszulegen, palliorum, Plin.: tesseris struere pavimenta, mit würfelförmigen Platten auslegen, Vitr.: so auch pavimentum struere ex tessera grandi, Plin. – II) der Würfel zum Spielen, auf dem sechs Seiten bezeichnet waren (s. tālus), tesseras iacĕre, Cic., od. mittere, Ov.: tesseris ludere, Ter.: ludere tabulā et tesseris, Hieron. – III) die Marke, das Kennzeichen, 1) im allg., das hölzerne Täfelchen mit Aufschrift, als Kennzeichen, Iustin. 3, 5, 10. – 2) insbes.: a) ein Täfelchen, auf dem die Parole od. das Kommando stand; dah. meton. = die Parole, Losung, das Feldgeschrei, Kommando (σημεῖον, lat. auch signum), it bello tessera signum, Verg.: omnibus tesseram dare, Liv.: dare tesseram, ut, Suet. – b) ein Täfelchen, gegen dessen Vorzeigen man Naturalien od. Geld empfing, die Marke, frumentaria od. frumenti, Suet. u. Iuven.: nummaria, Suet. – c) hospitalis, die Marke-, das Wahrzeichen der Gastfreundschaft, an dem sich Gastfreunde erkannten, Plaut. Poen. 1407 u.a.: apud nos confregisti tesseram, du hast die Gastfreundschaft gebrochen, unsere Gastfreundschaft hat ein Ende, Plaut. cist. 503: tesseram hospitalem cum eo fecerunt, haben Freundschaft geschlossen, Corp. inscr. Lat. 6, 1684.

tessera [CL] 1 small square or cubical block. petalum ‥ i. forma marmorea ad instar ~e quadrate unde pavimenta templorum et palatiorum quondam sternebantur Osb. Glouc. Deriv. 420. 2 die; b (symbolic of fate, chance). c (in gl.). aleator calculis et ~is ludens per aleam Aldh. PR 120; ludis ‥ alearum et ~arum plerunque indulgebat Ord. Vit. V 3 p. 311; tessera pro psalmis, pro dulci pocula cantu, / pro varia vigilat fabula multa prece L. Durh. Dial. II 441; nonne tibi videtur aleator ineptus qui thessararum non tam vivit quam perit ex gratia J. Sal. Pol. 399A; tunc de ludis ‥ hic pirgus vel talus, hec ~a vel calixus, deiz Gl. AN Glasg. f. 20rb; 1519 idem ludit ad taceras communiter Vis. Linc. I 44.  b una dies ridet, casus cras altera planget, / nil fixum faciet tessera laeta tibi Alcuin Carm. 9. 14; piratas Danorum ‥ non semel ‥ contudit, quanvis (ut est ~a bellorum) ipse in eisdem frequentes et insignes calamitates acceperit W. Malm. GR II 108; sors propemodum idem est quod micare, quod talos jacere, quod ~as, quibus in rebus temeritas et casus, non ratio nec consilium ualet Andr. S. Vict. Sal. 14; lex est quam tessera dictat Nig. SS 1419.  c dayly [? l. des play] or play, thessera, -e PP. 3 chess-man or other gaming piece or token. milites aureos conspicatur ~is aureis colludentes [Trevisa: pleyenge wiþ dees of gold, MS BL Harley 2261: playenge with chesses of golde] Higd. VI 14; 1552 chest-men, or table men, ~ae (Huloet Abc.) OED s. v. chess-men. 4 bushel. videbamus in horreis ‥ cylindros, tribulas, palas, pastinatas, furcillas, et tessaras [gl.: mesures, bussel] Balsh. Ut. 50; a buschelle ‥ modius, batillus, modiolus, ~a CathA; a multer dische, metreta, ~a Ib.. 5 a inn-sign. b banner. a senny of an ine or hostry, texera ‥ tessera -e PP.  b a baner, vexillum, signum, ~a CathA; 1527 item tres ~as seu vela cum baculis convenientibus pro processionis decoramento Reg. Aberd. II 251.

tessĕra, (12) æ, f. , ¶ 1 dé à jouer [marqué sur les six côtés] : ad tesseras se conferre Cic. de Or. 3, 58, sʼadonner aux dés, cf. Cic. Div. 2, 85 ; CM 58 ¶ 2 tessère [tablette portant le mot dʼordre ou les ordres dans lʼarmée] : Liv. 26, 46, 1, etc.; it bello tessera signum Virg. En. 7, 637, les ordres circulent, signal en vue de la guerre ¶ 3 tessère [servant de reconnaissance pour les hôtes entre eux], tessère dʼhospitalité : Pl. Pœn. 901 ; tesseram confringere Pl. Cist. 232, rompre lʼhospitalité ¶ 4 tessère [en échange de laquelle le peuple recevait de lʼargent ou du blé] : Suet. Nero 11 ; Aug. 40 ; Juv. 7, 174 ; Mart. 8, 78, 10 ¶ 5 tessère [servant à la marqueterie ou à la mosaïque] : Plin. 35, 62 ; Pall. 4, 10, 33.

tessera , ae. f.
立方。飾物件之立方。鋪地之四方石。骰。暗號。— hospitalis 可留人之暗號。— nummaria 銀票。— frumemaria 粮票。

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tessera ae, f

• , τέσσαρα, a die, cube (marked on six sides): ludere tesseris, T.: tesseras iacere: in tesserarum prospero iactu, L.: mittere, O.—A square tablet bearing a watchword, watchword, parole, countersign: tessera per castra a Livio consule data erat, ut, etc., L.: omnibus tesseram dare iubet, L.—A token, ticket, billet: frumenti, i. e. a ticket for a share in the distribution of corn, Iu.

TESSERA

TE´SSERAdim. TESSE´TULA and TESSELLA (κύβος), a square or cube; a die; a token.

The use of small cubes of marble, earthenware, glass, precious stones, and mother-of-pearl for making tessellated pavements (pavimenta tessellata, Suet. Jut. 46) is noticed under EMBLEMAin Vol. I.; cf. PICTURAp. 397.

The dice used in games of chance [ALEA] had the same form, and were commonly made of ivory, bone, or some close-grained wood, especially privet (ligustra tesseris utilissima, Plin. Nat.16.77). They were numbered on all the six sides like the dice still in use (Ovid, Ov. Tr. 2.473ff.); and in this respect as well as in their form they differed from the tali, which are often distinguished from tesserae by classical writers (Gellius (Gell. 18.13.2; Cic. de Sen. 16.58). [TALUS] Whilst four tali were used in playing, only three tesserae were anciently employed. Hence arose the proverb, ἢ τρὶς ἕξ, ἢ τρεῖς κύβοι, either three sizes or three aces, meaning, all or none (Plat. Legg. 12.968 E; Schol. in loc. p. 946 a, ed. Turic.; Pherecrates, fr. 123 M. = Zenob. Cent. 4.23); for κύβος was used to denote the ace, as in the throw δύο κύβω καὶ τέτταρα, 1, 1, 4 = 6 (Eupolis, fr. 358 M.; Aristoph. Ran. 1400; Schol. in loc.). Three sizes is mentioned as the highest throw in the Agamemnon of Aeschylus (33). As early as the time of Eustathius (in Od. 1.107) we find that the modern practice of using two dice instead of three had been established.

The ancients sometimes played with dice πλειστοβολίνδα, when the object was simply to throw the highest numbers. For other games with dice, see DUODECIM SCRIPTA, LATRUNCULI, TALUS; for the boards on which they were played, ALVEUS, TABULA LUSORIA; cf. Becq de Fouquières, Jeux des Anciens, ed. 2, pp. 302-324.

Objects of the same materials as dice, and either formed like them or of an oblong shape, were used as tokens for different purposes. The tessera hospitalis was the token of mutual hospitality, and is spoken of under HOSPITIUMp. 981 b. This token was probably in many cases of earthenware, having the head of Jupiter Hospitalis stamped upon it (Plant. Poen.v. 1, 25; 2, 87-99). Tesserae frumentariae and numariae were tokens given at certain times by the Roman magistrates to the poor, in exchange for which they received a fixed amount of corn or money (Suet. Aug. 40, 42; Nero, 11). [FRUMENTARIAE LEGES] Similar tokens were used on various occasions, as they arose in the course of events. For example, when the Romans sent to give the Carthaginians their choice of peace or war, they sent two tesserae, one marked with a spear, the other with a CADUCEUSrequesting them to take either the one or the other (Gellius (Gell. 10.27).

Various tesserae are preserved in museums, the British Museum being particularly rich in such specimens: the materials are ivory, bone, porcelain, and stone, One class of these are theatrical, i. e. were used as tickets of admission, and answer to the σύμβολα of the Greeks; another class are agonistic, thought to have been issued on the occasion of public games or contests. Others, again, are believed to have been distributed as sortes convivales or as sparsiones. The sortes convivales were a kind of lottery drawn by guests at a banquet, through which they were entitled to prizes varying in amount (Lamprid. Heliog. 22). In the sparsiones the tickets were scrambled for, instead of being drawn (Dio Cass.; Martial (Mart. 8.78, 7). There are other miscellaneous tesserae, not included under the above headings. The most interesting class of tesserae are the gladiatorial, of which the British Museum contains about a dozen probably genuine, and other doubtful examples. These are usually carved out of a piece of ivory or bone, of a long shape, and inscribed on the four long sides (cf. TALUS). On the first line is the gladiator's name in the nominative case, on the second his trainer's in the genitive; the third gives the letters SP, followed by the date of the month and day; the fourth the consuls, marking the year. At one end is a hole by which it was suspended. The abbreviation SP stands for SPECTATUS, as is proved by the letters SPECTAT. on a tessera found at Arles. These tesserae were given by the munerarius, or exhibitor of the games, to a gladiator when spectatus or approved by passing successfully through a certain number of contests (cf. Hor. Epist. 1.2, 2). In one or two exceptional instances the word is SPECTAVIT, explained to mean either (1) that the gladiator, fighting no longer (emeritus), became a spectator of the games, or (2) that he became an inspector of other gladiators. For special discussions of this subject, see Ritschl in Abh. Bayer. Akad. 1866, pt. 2. p. 223; Hübner, in Monatsbericht Berl. Akad. 1867, p. 747; Mommsen, in Hermes, 21.266; A. Elter, in Rhein. Mus. 1886, p. 517; P. J. Meier, ib. 1887, p. 122; Guide to the Second Vase Room, British Museum.

From the application of this term to tokens of various kinds, it was transferred to the word used as a token among soldiers. This was the tessera militaris, the σύνθημα of the Greeks. Before joining battle it was given out and passed through the ranks as a method by which the soldiers might be able to distinguish friends from foes. Thus at the battle of Cunaxa the word was Zeus the Saviour and Victory, and on a subsequent engagement by the same troops Zeus the Saviour, Heracles the Leader (Xen. Anab. 1.8, § 16; 6.3.25). The soldiers of Xenophon used a verbal sign for the same purpose when they were encamped by night (7.3.34). Aeneas Tacticus (100.24) gives various directions necessary to be observed respecting the word. On the tessera or watchword in the Roman camp, see CASTRAp. 377 b.

[J.Y] [W.W]

Tessĕra

A square or cube; a die; a token. (1) For the tessera used in making pavements, see pavimentum.

(2) As dice the tesserae were used in gambling. (See alea.) These were of the same form, and were commonly made of ivory, bone, or some close-grained wood. They were numbered on all the six sides like the dice now in use (Ovid, Trist. ii. 473 foll.); and in this respect as well as in their form they differed from the tali, which are often distinguished from tesserae by classical writers (See talus.) Whilst four tali were used in playing, only three tesserae were anciently employed. Hence arose the proverb, ἢ τρὶς ἕξ, ἢ τρεῖς κύβοι, i. e. “either three sixes or three aces,” meaning all or none ( Legg. xii. 968 E). Three sixes are mentioned as the highest throw in the Agamemnon of Aeschylus (33). The die used for gambling was called tessera lusoria.

(3) Tessera hospitalis (σύμβολον). A token of mutual hospitality and friendship; consisting of a small die, which was given by a host to his guest at the time of departure, when it was broken into two parts, each party retaining one-half, in order that if either of them or their descendants should again meet, they might recognize each other, and renew or repay their ancient family obligations (Plaut. Poen. v. 2, 86-93).

(4) Tessera frumentaria and nummaria. A voucher or ticket given upon certain occasions by the magistrates to the poor, in exchange for which they received the quantities of bread, corn, wine, and oil, or sums of money inscribed upon it (Suet. Nero, 11; Aug. 40, 41); or sometimes scattered in a bounty (congiarium) amongst the crowd by the emperors, or wealthy personages, for the purpose of courting popular favour (Suet. Dom. 4). See Frumentariae Leges.

(5) Tessera theatralis. A ticket of admission to the theatre, or other place of public amusement (Mart. viii. 78), distributed by the duumvir and entitling the holder to a place at the representation. On it were inscribed the number of the seat, the division and row in which it was situate, and in some cases the title of the play performed. See theatrum.

(6) Tessera militaris (σύνθημα). A billet or wooden tablet (Polyb. vi. 34) with the watchword inscribed upon it, which was given out by the officers to their soldiers, in order that they might have a test for distinguishing friends from foes; it was also employed as a means by which the orders of the commander were distributed through the different divisions of an army (Livy, vii. 35; xxvii. 46; Veg. Mil. ii. 7; Verg. Aen. vii. 637).