[ 228 ] 
lowing infcriptions cut upon them contain the names 
of the perfons, to whom they belonged : 
TORQV ATVS LVPVS 
C R E o P. D. I. PELORI 
Where d. i. the two laft letters in each infeription 
(land, as he fuppofes, for die prima menfis y the time 
appointed for receiving the corn (a). 
There was alfo another fort of teffera, - not much 
unlike thefe, which intitied perfons to a fight of the 
public games and other diverfions ; but they are ge- 
nerally made in the form of an oblong fquare. Pig' 
norius has given us the draught of one in his ownpof- 
feflion, which confided of ivory. Upon one of the 
fides is the name philomvsvs pereli, on the next 
spectavit, on the third a trident , and upon the 
fourth a palm branch {b) ; the two laft of which 
plainly fhew, that it was given for admiffion to the 
combats of the gladiators. Others of them had on 
different fides the name of the perfon, with the day, 
on which the (how was exhibited, and the names 
of the confuls at that time. Inftances of thefe may 
be feen in Thomafinus , one of which, as he fais, 
was made of yellow glafs (e). 
But the teffera militaris mod frequently occurs 
in the Roman hiftorians, which was the fignal given 
by the general, or cheif commander of an army, as 
a direction to the foldiers for puting in execution 
any duty or fervice required of them. This upon 
urgent occafions was only vocal j as for a fudden 
march, 
(a) Infcript. antiq. pag . 530 . 
(c) De tejf, hofpital, cap . 15 . 
(b) Ubi fupra , pag . 38 . 
