FUNA´LIS
FUNA´LIS a link or taper, used in the same manner as
a torch [
FAX], but made of papyrus
and other fibrous plants, twisted like a rope, and smeared with pitch and
wax. It was indeed, as Antipater describes it, “a light coated with
wax” (
λαμπὰς κηροχίτων, Brunck,
Anal. 2.112 =
Anth. Pal. 6.249).
Cereus is both adjective and substantive, and either
an epithet or a synonym of funalis: “funalem cereum,”
V. Max. 3.6.4; “delectabatur cereo (old
edd.
crebro) [funali] et tibicine,”
Cic.
de Sen. 13.44, where
funali is bracketed, perhaps unnecessarily, as a gloss on
cereo (Reid);
cereus subst., Plaut.
Curc. 1.1, 9;
Cic. de Off. 3.2. 0,
§ 80; Senec.
de Brev. Vit. extr.;
Epist. 122.10;
Mart. 5.18,
14.42; Macrob
Sat.
1.7.33. Funales are sculptured upon an ancient sepulchral marble preserved
in the church of Santa Giustina at Padua (Pignor.
de
Servis, p. 259) and figured by Rich (s. v.
“Funale” ). At the Saturnalia they were presented by clients to
their superiors, and were lighted in honour of Saturn (Antipater,
l.c.; Macrob.
l.c.),
sometimes on other occasions (Cic.
de Off. l.c.). Compare the
preceding article.
[
J.Y] [
W.W]
