374

ON THE TOUC OF THE CELTS. Marcomanni, as proposed by Blackie°. Tlie barbarians have two kinds of torques, one on a prostrate figure at the side of the sarcophagus is funi- cular and bulbous, the other upon a prisoner at the cor- ner terminates in a bulbous clasp. The Dacians did not wear them, and the statue called the dying gladiator, which also has this decoration, may be referred to the same period?. Under Conniiodus it is men- tioned as the ornament of gladiators, probably because these men were universally Germans and Gauls i. Herodian under Gordianus Pius A.D. 247, alludes to the iron torques round the neck and loins of the British Celts'. A succession of authors down to the eleventh century continue to mention it, but, as it had been adopted by the Romans, probably in rela- tion to them only". A considerable change hoAvever took place in its application as the Romans came in contact with the Celtic population, and were forced by their political neces- sities to incorporate the hardy barbarians in their service. It gradually became with them a military order, bestowed upon the field of battle, especially after engagements with the Celtic or German races. The first mention of such an employment of it is by Julius Csesar, who bestowed a pair of golden torques on the praefect of the Cassian horse'. Augustus continued the custom", and an inscription records a donation of this emperor. Although few instances occur on monuments at Rome, of Romans wearing this decoration, it is not improbable that the provincial ofiicers wore it in their local jurisdictions. M. Coelius the officer who was killed in the fight with Arminius, and whose monument exists at Dusseldorfy, wears a funicular torques round the neck. This was under Augustus; and Flavins reproaches Arminius himself Avith receiving a torques' from the Romans. Blackic, .John, in the Annali del Iiistit. Archaeol. di Roma. III. p. 2S7. sq. P Osservazioni artistic! autiquarii sopra la statua vol;j;arnieiite appellata il gladia- tore moriboiulo del Prof. A. Nibbi estratto dell. Kpheineridi litterarie dl Roma. April! ]8;>l, pegg. 51. 1 Capitol, vita Com. r xxxiii. c. 2.

• Cf. Scheffer. p. 55. sq.

<■ Hirtius, Bell. Hisp. vi. 26. " Sueton., vita Aug. c. xxv. — xliii. Quint, vi. c. 4. " Gruter, Corp. Insc., p. xcii. y Wagener, Handbuch der vorziiglich- sten in Deutschland cntdeckten Alterthii- mer. 8vo. Weimar, 1842. pi. 138. 1323. z Tacit. Ann. ii. c. 29.