I.a servant in the army, a soldier's servant: calones militum servi dicti, qui ligneas clavas gerebant, quae Graece κᾶλα vocant, Paul. ex Fest. pp. 46 and 62 Müll.; Serv. ad Verg. A. 6, 1; cf. Non. p. 62, 16; Veg. Mil. 3, 6; Dict. of Antiq.; so Caes. B. G. 6, 36; Liv. 27, 18, 12; 30, 4, 1; Tac. H. 1, 49; 3, 20 fin.; 3, 33; Suet. Calig. 51; id. Galb. 20.—On account of their stupidity: “sambucam citius caloni aptaveris alto,” Pers. 5, 95.—
II. Transf.
A. Any low servant, drudge, Cic. N. D. 3, 5, 11; Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 42; id. S. 1, 2, 44; 1, 6, 103; Sen. Ep. 110, 17.—
B. Acc. to Isidorus, some called the tragic buskins calones, because they were made of willow, Isid. Orig. 19, 34, 6.