Calĭga
A strong and heavy shoe, or rather sandal, worn by the Roman soldiers. Although the use of
this species of
calceamentum extended to the centurions, it was not worn
by the superior officers. Hence the common soldiers, including centurions, were distinguished
by the name of
caligati (
Suet.
Aug. 25). Service in the ranks was also designated after this article
of attire. Thus Marius was said to have risen to the consulship
a caliga,
i. e. from the ranks. The emperor Caligula
 |
|
Caliga. (Arch of Trajan.)
|
(q. v.) received that cognomen when a boy, in consequence of wearing the
caliga, which his father, Germanicus, put upon his son in order to please the
soldiers (
Tac. Ann. i. 41). The triumphal
monuments of Rome show most distinctly the difference between the
caliga
of the common soldier and the
calceus worn by men of higher rank. (See
Calceus). The
caliga exhibits
a number of straps, through which the foot is partially seen; while the
calceus (q. v.) is an ordinary closed shoe. The sole of the
caliga
was thickly studded with hobnails.
The
caliga speculatoria (
Calig. 52), made for the use of
couriers, was probably much lighter than the ordinary shoe worn by the soldiers. See
Speculator.
