The history of silk, cotton, linen, wool, and other fibrous ... - Cd3wd.com

PASTORAL LIFE OF THE ANCIENTS. 279
The altar to Silvanus exhibits that divinity crowned with
the cones and foHage of the pine. A pine grows moreover be-
side his terminal statue, bearing the large cones, which were
used for food at entertainments and carried in bacchanalian
processions. Faunus, or Pan, sits at the foot of the pine, the
syrinx and the double pipe being placed at his feet. In his
right hand he holds an olive branch, while a young winged
genius advances towards him as if to receive it, and another
genius of the same kind appears to be caressing him and whis-
pering into his ear. On the other side of the terminal statue
of Silvanus we see the caduceus of Mercury and the bale of
wool, manifest indications of success in the wool trade. In this
sculpture the bale is surrounded with cords, which are twisted
round one another where they cross. In the former instance
the compression of the wool appears to be effected by the use
of thongs instead of cords*. There is also introduced the figure
of a shepherd of the same country. This statue was found in
the vicinity of Rome and is now preserved in the Vatican!.
The extremities are in part restorations. A cameo in the Flor-
entine Museumt represents the shepherd Faustulus sitting
upon a rock, and contemplating the she-wolf, which is suckling
Romulus and Remus. It is of the Augustan age, and no doubt
exhibits the costume and general appearance of a Roman shep-
herd of that period. He wears a tunica cucuUata, i. e. a tunic
of coarse woollen cloth with a cowl, which was designed to be
drawn occasionally over the head and to protect it from the in-
juries of the weather. This garment has also sleeves, which
Columella mentions [tunica manicata) as an additional com-
fort. On his feet the shepherd wears high shoes, or boots,
which, as we may suppose, were made of leather.
The appearance of the shepherds, who are represented in
these ancient works of art, is, doubtless, adapted to produce the
* The bas-relief on the first altar is copied from Boissard by Montfaucon, Ant.
Expliqu^e, tome i. p. 332. and that on the second, tome ii. p. 275. The latter is
also represented by the Rev. Henry Moses, Collection of Antique Vases, &,c.
Plate 52.
t Museo Pio-Clementino, tomo iii. tav. 34 and p. 44.
% Museum Florentinum. Gemmte Antiquae a Gorio illustratae, tav. ii. No. 10.