LIMUS
LIMUS was the apron tied round the waist and reaching nearly
to the feet worn by the
popa, or slaughterer
who attended on the priest at a sacrifice (
Serv. ad Aen. 12.120), and by
servi
publici in general (Isid.
Orig. 19, 33). Hence
servi publici were known as
limo cincti; and when (as in
C. I. L.
5.3401)
apparitores and
limo
cincti are mentioned together as attending on a magistrate,
the former are free, the latter slave attendants (see Mommsen,
Staatsrecht, i.3 324). It would
appear from Gellius,
12.3, that the word
licium was synonymous with
limus, and he states that the lictors were girded with this limus
or licium in former times; but Mommsen throws doubt upon this
(
Staatsrecht, 1.375), and thinks it arose from a
confusion of lictors with
servi publici and a
desire to derive their title from
licium, since
lictors are never represented in such a dress. That the
licium alone should be worn by a person seeking stolen
property (whence phrase
per licium quaerere) no
doubt was arranged to prevent his bringing in the goods concealed in his
dress (see
Gel. 11.18, and cf. Gaius,
Inst. 3.192).
[
G.E.M]
