CARBA´TINA
CARBA´TINA (
καρβατίνη）
probably in strictness means “made of dried skin,” connected
with
κάρφω; but is generally applied to
shoes worn by rustics, with sole and upper leather all in one--
ἀγροικικὸν ὑπόδημα μονόδερμον (or
μονόπελμον)--Hesych., cf. Phot. s.v. Lucian,
Alex. p. 246. It was, in fact, a piece of untanned
ox-hide placed under the foot and tied up by several thongs, so as to cover
the whole foot and part of the leg. The
crepidae
carbatinae,
“coarse ox-hide shoes,” of Catull. 98, 4, are of the same
nature. Thus there was no manufacture in it at all; and so we find it
resorted to in an emergency by the Ten Thousand (Xen.
[p. 1.362]An. 4.5, 14). The same term was
applied to the covering put on the feet of camels when they got sore from
the march (Aristot.
Hist. An. 2.1, 27 = 499
a, 30); and also to a skin-covered
structure used by besiegers (Philo in
Math. Vet. 101).
[
L.C.P]
