PHALANGAE
PHALANGAE (
φάλαγγες), any long
cylindrical pieces of wood, such as trunks of trees (
Hdt. 3.97;
Plin. Nat. 12.17),
truncheons (
Plin. Nat. 7.200). Hence it
had two special meanings: (1) poles used to carry burdens, being supported
on the shoulders of the carriers with the burden hanging below by ropes. The
carriers were called
phalangarii, and also
hexaphori, tetraphori, &c., according to
their number (
C. I. L. 6.1785; Non. p. 163, 26;
Vitr. 10.8). (2) The word also signified
rollers placed under ships to move them on dry land,
so as to draw them up on shore (
subducere) or
down into the water (
deducere). They are
[p. 2.380]the
machinae of Hor.
Od. 1.4,
2
(cf.
δουράτεοι κύλινδροι, Brunck,
Anal. 3.89;
Apollon.
1.375-
389). The rollers were
aided by levers (for which the oars were sometimes used) and ropes, often
doubled so that the sailors pressed with their breasts, as in ordinary
towing (Orph.
Arg. 239-273). They were employed in the same
manner to move military engines (
Caes. Civ.
2.10).
[
W.S] [
G.E.M]
