42 THE HISTORY AND ART 



people, as flaves or grooms, who lifted the rider upon 

 the horfe, and helped him to get down. Soldiers ge- 

 nerally made ufe of their fpears upon this occafion. 

 Others of Ihort ladders ; others again had their horfes 

 taught to kneel, when the rider was to mount or 

 get down. Beiides thefe helps, piles of flones were 

 ere6led in the public roads for the conveniency of 

 paflTengers ; and the officer, who had the fuperinten- 

 dency of the highways, was obliged to fee that they 

 were furniilicd with them. Thefe different expedients 

 all feem to confefs the ignorance of ftirrups in the. 

 ancient world, and are arguments of force enough, 

 to induce us to believe, that they are a difcovery of 

 modern da^e. Euflathius fpeaks of them as inftru^ 

 ments in which a man putting his foot, could mount 

 his horfe without farther affiftance. Suidas and Plu- 

 tai'ch feem to intimate the fame thing *. To what 



other. 



* The Greek word ava^^xsu?, and the Latin term Strator, are 

 jbppofed to fignify in thefe languages Si.'rrups. But they muft not be 

 taken in a literal fenfe, but vinderftood figuratively. In their literal 

 fignification they mean no more than any thing by which a man 

 caii be enabled to mount or difmount from his horfe, as a ladder,, 

 chain, rope, ftep •, or horfe-block ; or a man, as a fervant, or groom, 

 who affilled the rider to get up and down. Performing, therefore, one 

 part of the office of ftirrups, they were,, in after-ages^ called ftirrups j. 

 but in the fame fenfe as a man who lies upon the ground may call ic 

 his bed, and the heavens his canopy. Suidas gives this explanation. 

 Pitifcus thinks it might have been a rope ladder, which was flung over 

 the horfe to enable the rider to mount, and then taken off (a method: 

 praftifed at this day) j and that it was not till a long time after, that, 



they. 



<; 



