Figurative uses of animal names in Latin and their ... - mura di tutti

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Polybius refers to these contrivances of Archimedes with-
out committing himself to the use of either term.^^*
Tacitus, in his Histories, alludes without doubt to the
grus adapted to military purposes, but, with his usual aver-
sion for undignified animal names, he eschews the use of
the term. Under the general term machinamentum, he
pictures in vivid colors the manner of working the grus,
telling how it was lowered and how it carried off members
of the storming party, placing them within the walls : Praecipuum
pavorem intulit suspensum et nutans machinamentum,
quo repente demisso praeter suorum ora singuli plu-
resve hostium sublime rapti verso pondere intra castra effun-
debantur.^^^
Such a use of the grus in siege operations was long before
foreshadowed by the stage '^epavo^, which removed actors
or corpses from the stage : 5? ^e yepavoi firj^dvTjfid eariv ix
fieretopov KaTa(f>€p6fJLevov e(j) dpTrajy amfj.aTO'} S Ke^prjTai 'Hw?
apird^ovaa to aSifia to M.efivovo