Culter
dim. cultellus (
μάχαιρα, κοπίς,
σφαγίς). A knife with only one edge, which formed a straight
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Cultri. (From Tombstone of a Cultrarius.)
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line, the blade being pointed and its back curved. It was used chiefly for killing
animals, either in hunting, in the slaughter-house, or at the altar. The
minister, or attendant on the priest, is called
cultrarius, since
he and not the priest did the actual killing. The accompanying illustration is taken from
Gruter (
Inscript. vol. ii. p. 640,
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Cultrarius. (Bas-relief from Pompeii.)
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no. 11). The name
culter was also applied to razors,
pruningknives, and kitchen knives. That in these cases the
culter was
different from those above represented, and most probably smaller, is certain; since, whenever
it was used for shaving or domestic purposes, it was always distinguished
from the common culter by some epithet, as
culter tonsorius, culter
coquinaris.