Argei

A New Latin Dictionary by Charlton T. Lewis Ph.D. and Charles Short, LL. D.

Argēi, ōrum, m.

I A part of the city of Rome : Argeorum sacraria in septem et XX. partes urbis sunt disposita, Varr. L. L. 5, § 45 sq.: Argea loca Romae appellantur, quod in his sepulti essent quidam Argivorum illustres viri, Paul. ex Fest. p. 19 Müll. (v. Müll. ad h. l.): multa alia sacrificia locaque sacris faciendis, quae Argeos pontifices vocant, (Numa) dedicavit, Liv. 1, 21; Ov. F. 3, 791.—

II Figures of men ( twentythree in number ) made of rushes , which were annually , on the Ides of May , thrown into the Tiber from the Pons Sublicius. Acc. to the belief of the ancients, it was necessary that these figures should take the place of the earlier human sacrifices, Varr. L. L. 7, § 44 Müll.; Ov. F. 5, 621 sq.: Argeos vocabant scirpeas effigies, quae per virgines Vestales annis singulis jaciebantur in Tiberim, Paul. ex Fest. p. 15 Müll.; cf. Fest. s. v. sexagenarios, p. 334 ib.; Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 43 ib. (Ann. v. 124 ib.).