vitta

vitta, ae, f. [vieo],

• a band, esp. a fillet or chaplet worn round the head; and, in relig. lang., a head-band, a sacrificial or sacerdotal fillet, Ov. M. 2, 413; 4, 6; 5, 110; Prop. 4 (5), 11, 34; Verg. A. 2, 133; 10, 538; Luc. 5, 142; Val. Fl. 1, 480; Ov. M. 13, 643; Juv. 12, 118.—Represented as worn by poets, a symbol of their sacred office, or, acc. to Serv., in token of divine honors, Verg. A. 6, 665.—Also by brides and Vestal virgins, regarded as a symbol of chastity: capite compto crinis vittasque habeat, adsimuletque se Tuam esse uxorem, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 197 (792); Tib. 1, 6, 67; Ov. P. 3, 3, 51; Prop. 4 (5), 11, 34; cf. Ov. A. A. 1, 31; id. Tr. 2, 247; id. R. Am. 386.—Bound around the altar, Verg. E. 8, 64; id. A. 3, 64; or on sacred trees, Ov. M. 8, 744; borne by suppliants for protection or pardon, Verg. A. 7, 237; 8, 128; Hor. C. 3, 14, 8; Ov. A. A. 2, 401 al.

vitta, ae, f. (zu vieo; vgl. vimen), die Binde, I) im allg.: vitta lorea, Tragband, Plin. 18, 317. – II) insbes.: 1) die Kopfbinde, a) der Opfertiere, Verg. u. Ov.: auch der Menschen als Opfer, Verg. u. Iuven. – b) der Priester u. Priesterinnen, Verg. u.a.: vittas spiceis coronati, Corp. inscr. Lat. 6, 2104, 23 (Act. Arv. a. 218): auch anderer heiliger Personen, wie der Dichter, Verg. Aen. 6, 665. – c) der freigeborenen Frauen, der unverheirateten u. der verheirateten, Ov. – 2) die Binde, womit der Altar umbunden wurde, Verg. ecl. 8, 64; Aen. 3, 64. – u. als Schmuck heiliger Bäume, Ov. met. 8, 744. – 3) die Binde der um Schutz, Gnade und Hilfe Bittenden, womit die Friedenszweige umwunden waren, Verg. Aen. 7, 237. Hor. carm. 3, 14, 8.

vitta [CL] 1 woman's hairband, headband, or headdress. b nun's headdress. pulla capitis velamina candidis et coloratis mafortibus cedunt, quae ~arum [gl.: snoda] nexibus assutae talo tenus prolixius dependunt Aldh. VirgP 58; Eumenides ‥ quasdam mulieres vana historia depromit quae vipereum crinem habuerunt sanguineis ~is innexum Lib. Monstr. I 45; c980 (12c) dedit ‥ unam torquem auream de xl mancis auri, et unum cupam argenteam, et dimidiam ~am capitis auream [AS: healfne bænd gyldenne] Ch. Roff. 35b; crinis solutus humeris involitabat, quem ~a aurea superne constrinxerat W. Malm. GR II 205; qua visa fugit Thisbe et, dum fugeret, ~a sibi decidit Natura Deorum 42; peplum est nomen equivocum ad ~as mulierum, G. guynpel, et ad quoddam genus cardonis in cujus summitate nascuntur fila quasi folia subtilissima que qualibet levi impulsu volant per aera Alph. 142; vita, A. a fylet WW.  b alicui sororum de ~a sacrati capitis porciunculam paranti abscidere testantur illud vitale caput se contra erexisse ac presumtricem minaci indignatione absterruisse Gosc. Edith 271. 2 ribbon, headband, or other headdress worn or used in ancient Roman religious ritual. hec ~a, -e i. infula unde ligatur caput sacerdotis Osb. Glouc. Deriv. 610; laneis ~is, simul ad limen mariti venissent, postes, antequam ingrederentur, ornabant Alb. Lond. DG 4. 4; ~is etiam victime coronabantur Ib. 6. 32; sane infula, qua sacerdotes in sacris ornatos legimus, fascia erat in modum diadematis, a qua ~e ab utraque parte dependebant Ib. 6. 34. 3 ribbon worn as part of Jewish ritual clothing (cf. Exod. xxviii 28, Num. xv 38). filii ‥ Israhel in palliorum angulis fimbrias et ~as habent hyacinthinas cum electi quique et qui Deum videre desiderant Bede Tab. 428D; anuli ‥ illi ‥ habebant contra se et in utroque latere superumeralis aeque anulos alios, quibus ipsi ~is ligantibus jungerentur Ib. 472C; qualiter ‥ tiara ‥ fuerit facta Josephus docet dicens: ‘super caput autem gestat pilleum ‥ habens ~as quae convolutae saepius conectuntur, nec facile delabatur’ Ib. 481C; hoc [sc. rationale] super palliolum lineum commune omnium sacerdotum in pontifice additur, ut in fronte hyacinthina ~a constringatur, totamque pontificis pulchritudinem nomen Dei coronet et protegat Andr. S. Vict. Hept. 176. 4 band, cord, tape. ~a coccinea doctrina veritatis intelligitur [cf. Cant. iv 3] Alcuin Exeg. 651C; recursus ‥ ~ae aureae animam significat, quae illuc recurrit unde descenderat [cf. Eccles. xii 6] Ib. 717D; 796 forte adpropinquat dies metuendus quo conteratur hydria super fontem et recurrat ~a aurea Id. Ep. 114; videtur nobis quod unaqueque cortina in utraque parte secundum longitudinem suam et in summitatibus (id est in angulis) laterum quinquaginta ansulas habuerit, et quod vel ~is vel quibusdam aliis ligaturis per ansulas firmiter sibi connexe fuerint Andr. S. Vict. Hept. 146; ex sanguine ejus fiant sicut ~a coccinea labia tua, et eloquium tuum dulce Ailr. Inst. Inclus. 31 p. 671; a parte posteriori [corone] pendebant albe due tanquam ~e instar episcopalis mitre, descendentes usque ad renes ejus V. Chris. Marky. 52.

vitta, (10) æ, f. , ¶ 1 lien : Plin. 18, 317 ¶ 2 bandelette [des victimes ou des prêtres] : Virg. En. 2, 133 ; 10, 538 ; Ov. M. 2, 418 ; etc. ; [des pers. dʼun caractère sacré, comme les poètes] Virg. En. 6, 665 || [ornant les autels] : Virg. B. 8, 64 ; En. 3, 64 || [des suppliants] : Virg. En. 7, 237 ; Hor. O. 3, 14, 8 ¶ 3 ruban [nouant les cheveux, caractéristique des femmes de naissance libre] : Pl. Mil. 792 ; Tib. 1, 6, 67 ; Ov. P. 3, 3, 51.

vitta , ae. f.
髮帶。冠帶。

Suggest a Translation
See an image

vitta ae, f

• VI-, a band, fillet, chaplet, headband(worn by victims led to sacrifice; by priests as a badge of office; by brides and vestals as an emblem of chastity): circum tempora vittae (as sacrificial decorations), V.: Vitta coercuerat alba capillos, O.: Omnibus his cinguntur tempora vittā, V.: vittae tenues, insigne pudoris, O.—An altar band, chaplet placed on an altar: molli cinge haec altaria vittā, V.—A chaplet worn by a suppliant, badge of supplication: Praeferimus manibus vittas ac verba precantia, V.: decorae Supplice vittā, H.

VITTA

VITTAor plural VITTAE, a ribbon or fillet, is to be considered (1) as an ordinary portion of female dress; (2) as a decoration of sacred persons and sacred things.

1. When considered as an ordinary portion of female dress, it was simply a band encircling the head. and serving to confine the tresses (crinales vittae); the ends, when long (longae taenia vittae), hanging down behind (Verg. A. 7.351, 403; Ovid, Ov. Met. 2.413, 4.6-Z2; Isidor. 19.31.6). It was worn (1) by maidens (Verg. A. 2.168; Prop. 4.11, 34; Val. Flacc.; Serv. ad Verg. A. 2.133); (2) by married women also, the vitta assumed on the nuptial day being of a different form from that used by virgins (Ovid, Ov. Tr. 2.252; Prop. 5.3, 15, and 11, 34; Plant. Mil. Gl. 3.1, 194; Val. Max.). From the word altera in Prop. 5.11, 34, Marquardt is probably right in deducing that the vitta of married women was a double band, whereas the fillet of maidens was single (Marquardt, Privatleben, 46; cf. Becker-Göll, Gallus, 2.31: for the wearing of ταίνιαι by Greek brides, see Becker-Göll, Charikles, 3.375;--Stephani, Compte Rendu, 1872, p. 192; 1874, p. 140).

The vitta was not worn by libertinae even of fair character (Tibull. 1.6, 67), much less by meretrices; hence it was looked upon as an insigne pudoris, and, together with the stola and instita, served to point out at first sight the freeborn matron (Ovid, A. A. 1.31; R. A. 386; Trist. 2.247; Ep. ex Pont. 3.3, 51).

The colour was probably a matter of choice: white and purple are both mentioned (Ovid, Ov. Met. 2.413; Ciris, 511;--Stat. Achill. 1.611). One of those represented in the cuts below is ornamented with embroidery, and they were in some cases set with pearls (vittae margaritarum, Dig. 34, 2, 25.2).

The following woodcuts represent back and front views of the heads of statues from Herculaneum, on which we perceive the vitta (Bronzi d'Ercolano, vol. ii. tav. 72, 75).

A full discussion of the dressing of the Lair and further illustration will be found under COMA

For ταίνιαι and vittae in Greek and Roman funerals as used for the decoration of the dead body and of the bier, see FUNUSVol. 1. pp. 886, 890 (woodcut), and compare Becker-Göll, Charikles, p. 122.

2. When employed for sacred purposes, it was usually twisted round the infula [INFULA], holding together the loose flocks of wool, and depending in streamers (Verg. G. 3.487, Aen. 10.537; Isidor. 19.30.4; Serv. ad Verg. A. 10.538; Lucan (Luc. 5.142). Under this form it was employed as an ornament for (1) priests, and those who offered sacrifice (Verg. A. 2.221, 10.537-Z2; Tac. Ann. 1.57); (2) priestesses, especially those of Vesta, and hence vittata sacerdos for a Vestal, κατ' ἐξοχήν (Verg. A. 7.418; Ovid, Ov. Fast. 3.30, 6.457; Juven. 4.9, 6.50-Z2; VESTALES); (3) prophets and poets, who may be regarded as priests, and in this' case the vittae were frequently intertwined with chaplets of olive or laurel (Verg. A. 3.81, 7.665-Z2;--Stat. Silv. 2.1, 26; Achill. 1.11; Theb. 3.466); (4) statues of deities (Verg. A. 2.168, 296; compare Stat. Silv. 3.3, 3); (5) victims decked for sacrifice (Verg. G. 3.487, Aen. 2.133, 156, 5.366; Ovid, Ep. ex Pont. 3.2, 74; Stat. Achill. 2.301); (6) altars (Verg. Ecl. 8.64, Aen. 3.64; ARAVol. 1. p. 158 a); (7) temples (Prop. 5.9, 27; compare Tac. Hist. 4.53); (8) the ἱκετηρία of suppliants (Verg. A. 7.237; 8.128-Z2). Here the vittae seem to have served to bind the festoons of wool upon the branches which were borne in the hand (Verg. A. 7.237, 8.128-Z2; Hom. Il. 1.14; Plut. Thes. 18; Soph. O. T. 3).

The sacred vittae, as well as the infulae, were made of wool, and hence the epithets lanea (Ovid, Ov. Fast. 3.30) and mollis (Verg. Ecl. viii. 64). They were white (niveae, Verg. G. 3.487; Ovid, Ov. Met. 13.643; Stat. Theb. 3.466), or purple (puniceae, Prop. 5.9, 27), or azure (caeruleae) when wreathed round an altar to the manes (Verg. A. 3.64).

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

Vitta

A ribbon or band worn round the forehead and head by free-born ladies, both before and after marriage (Verg. Aen. ii. 168), to confine the hair, and to distinguish them from women of the town (Ovid, Rem. Am. 386). The name also designates the sacred fillet (infula) worn by the Vestals and other priestesses, though strictly it was the ribbon which held together the flock of wool. (See infula.) The word also denotes a ribbon used for any other purpose, as in garlands, festoons, etc.