PETO´RRITUM
PETO´RRITUM or
PETORITUM, a
four-wheeled carriage, which, like the
ESSEDUM was adopted by the Romans in imitation of
the Gauls (Quint. 1.5, 57;
Plin. Nat.
34.163;
Gel. 15.30). Its name is with
probability derived from the Celtic
petvar or
petwar,
“four,” and
rit,
“a wheel.” Festus (s. v.) observes that
petor meant “four” in Oscan and in Aeolic Greek.
There is no reason to question this statement; but it is probable that
Gellius is right in saying that the name as well as the fashion came from
Gaul. Ginzrot (who curiously confuses
ducenda
with
ducenta in Hor.
Sat. 1.6, 104) asserts that the
petorritum was a two-wheeled carriage, on the ground that
Ausonius (
Ep. 8, 5) uses the expression “
imposta petorrita:” he omits to notice
that the same author in
Ep. 5, 35 writes, “
subjuncta petorrita.” In truth, the
carriage can be said to be
impostum through the yoke
as well as through the shafts; and the evidence from Festus, who derives the
word from
four, is conclusive. It differed from the
REDA in being of rougher and
commoner construction and in having no cover. From its less luxurious make,
it was intended specially (though probably not exclusively) to convey the
household of servants on journeys, while the master travelled in a reda
(Schol. Cruq.
ad
Hor. Ep. 2.1,
192). It was perhaps generally drawn by a pair of mules, as in both
the passages cited from Ausonius. (Ginzrot,
Wagen der Alten
Völker, 1.224; Becker-Göll,
Gallus, 3.21; Marquardt,
Privatleben, 734.)
[
J.Y] [
G.E.M]
