REMULCUM
REMULCUM (
ῥῦμα,
ῥυμουλκεῖν τὰς ναῦς), a rope for towing a ship
( “
Remulcum, funis, quo deligata navis
magna trahitur vice remi,” Isid.
Orig. 19.4.8;
“
Remulco est, quum scaphae remis
navis magna trahitur,” Festus, s.v. comp. Caes.
B.C. 2.23, 3.40; Hirt.
B. Alex. 11;
Liv. 25.30,
32.16;
Plb. 1.27,
28,
3.46). Looking to the form of the
[p. 2.542]word
ῥυμουλκεῖν,
and the frequent use of
ῥῦμα for the
tow-rope (
Plb. 1.26,
14, &c.), we can hardly doubt that the word
remulcum is borrowed from the Greek, and that the
connexion with
remus is false. The ships were
no doubt often towed by boats with oars, but this word would be used
whatever might be the method of towing. In Latin of the best age it is found
only in the ablative.
[
W.S] [
G.E.M]