FABRETTI AND GUIDO PANCIROLUS. 8i 



Lascus Polonus. Nearer to the time of Trajan we find 

 the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, and anotlier 

 marble one on the first platform of the orator's staircase, 

 nudas ferro ungulas habent ; at the bottom, also, two 

 statues of Trajan himself on each side of the Arch of 

 Constantine. But lest it should be asserted that details 

 were not intended to be shown on these statues, it so 

 happens that the artist has designed the soles of the shoes 

 worn by the soldiers with iron nails, which Festus and 

 Isidorus in their Orig. xix. cap. ult. termed "c/«?</«," and 

 to which kind of shoes and sharp nails Josephus in " De 

 Bell. Judaic," frequently refers.'' 



Joachim Camerarius asserts that the ancients were not 

 accustomed to shoe their horses.'' 



Guido Pancirolus observes, that some are of this 

 opinion, because such shoes are not seen in the equestrian 

 statues ; the reason for which was not known to him.^ 

 He, however, cites Nicetas for an equestrian statue shod 

 with iron shoes ; but as that Byzantine historian lived in 

 the 13th century, when shoeing was well known, it is ex- 

 tremely likely that the statue was either a very recent one, 

 or the horses' feet were armed in the same fashion as 

 Eustathius caused Homer's horses to be. 



Isaac Casaubon '^ was of opinion that shoeing was not 

 known very anciently. 



' Raphaelis Fal-retti. De Col. Trajani^ cap. vii. p. 224. Romae, 1683. 



' Thesaur. Graec. Antiq., vol. xi. p. 822. De Curandis Equis. 

 ' Prisci solea unsrulis ass'were non consuevere.' 



3 Nova Reperta, Tit. 16. Sunt et'iam qui velint ne calceatos quidem 

 olim fuisse equos : eo quod in equestrilus statuis ferrea ista calceamenta 

 non conspiciantur ; cujus rei causam sane hand scio. 



* Aristoph. Equit.,549. Vctustissimos homines hoc ignordsse certum est. 



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