146 WHIPS 



wire, but usually of knotted cord. A representa- 

 tion of the above scourge may be seen on a " bas- 

 relief of the statue of Cybele in the Capitoline 

 Museum at Rome. Some flagella found at 

 Herculaneum consist of several short chains, with 

 knobs of metal at the end, attached to a short 

 handle." Another point worth noticing in con- 

 nection with Roman flagella is that gladiators 

 fought with them. To judge from old coins, the 

 whips used in the arena had only two lashes, and 

 the same may be said of those used for driving. 



Classical scholars will recollect that in ancient 

 Rome, a bundle of rods [fasces) tied together, with 

 an axe in the centre, were carried before a 

 praetor or a consul as a badge of authority ; to 

 show that each possessed the right to execute or 

 beat a subordinate. All things considered, we 

 are justified in believing that the ancient "cat" 

 or flagelluin superseded primitive wooden goads 

 that had no lash, and then, as the civilisation of 

 ancient Rome gradually spread, whips having two 

 lashes were introduced into States that were 

 under Roman sway. But, these whips being made 

 of perishable material, no trace is now found of 

 them, and we have to again search the Bible for 

 any trace of their existence. A clue is given in 

 a Harleian MS., executed in the eleventh century. 

 We refer to a copy of "The Utrecht Psalter," 

 which has a quaint illustration of a " cat " or 

 flagelltmt with two lashes, similar to those used 

 by Roman gladiators. At this stage in our 

 inquiries we come to a standstill, because a copy 

 of "The Utrecht Psalter" has an illumination of 



