Instructive COLUMN, that raised, according to Josephus, lib. i. cap. 3. by the sons of Adam, wherein were engraven the principles of arts and sciences.
Bau-
Column. Baudelot tells us, that the son of Philostratus raised another of this kind, of stone, containing the rules and precepts of agriculture.
Itinerary Column, a column with several faces, placed in the cross ways in large roads; serving to show the different routs by inscriptions thereon.
Ludary Column, at Rome, according to Festus, was a column erected in the herb-market, now the place Montanera, which had a cavity in its pedestal, wherein young children abandoned by their parents, out of poverty or inhumanity, were exposed, to be brought up at the public expence.
Legal Column. Among the Lacedemonians there were columns raised in public places, whereon were engraven the fundamental laws of the state.
Limitropheus or Boundary Column, that which shows the limits of a kingdom or country conquered. Such was that which Pliny says Alexander the Great erected at the extremity of the Indies.
Manubial Column, from the Latin manubie, "spoils of the enemy;" a column adorned with trophies built in imitation of trees, whereon the spoils of enemies were anciently hung. See ТРОНУ.
Memorial Column, that raised on occasion of any remarkable event; as the monument of London, built to perpetuate the memory of the burning of that city in 1666. It is of the Doric order, fluted, hollow, with a winding stair-case; and terminated a-top with waving flames. There is also another of the kind, in form of an obelisk, on the banks of the Rhine in the Palatinate, in memory of the famous passage of that river by the great Gustavus Adolphus and his army.
Menian Column, any column which supports a balcony or meniana. The origin of this kind of column, Suetonius and Afcanius refer to one Menias; who having sold his house to Cato and Flaccus, consuls, to be converted into a public edifice, referred to himself the right of raising a column withoutside, to bear a balcony, whence he might see the shows.
Military Column, was a column of marble raised by order of Augustus in the middle of the Roman forum; from whence, as a centre, the distances of the several cities, &c. of the empire were reckoned, by other military columns disposed at equal distances on all the grand roads. This column was of white marble, the same with that which is now seen on the balustrade of the portico of the capital at Rome. Its proportion is massive, being a short cylinder, the symbol of the globe of the earth. It was called milliarium aureum, as having been gilt, at least the ball, by order of Augustus. It was restored by the emperors Vespasian and Adrian, as appears by the inscriptions.
Military Column, among the Romans, a column whereon was engraven a list of the forces in the Roman army, ranged by legions, in their proper order; with design to preserve the memory of the number of soldiers, and of the order preserved in any military expedition. They had another kind of military column, which they called columna bellica, standing before the temple of Janus; at the foot whereof the consul declared war, by throwing a javelin towards the enemies countries.
Sepulchral Column, anciently was a column erected on a tomb or sepulchre, with an inscription on its base.
Those over the tombs of persons of distinction were very large; those for the common people small: these last are called stele and cippi.
Statuary Column, that which supports a statue. Such was that erected by Pope Paul V. on a pedestal before the church of St Maria at Rome; to support a statue of the Virgin, which is of gilt brass. This column was dug up in the temple of peace; its shaft is a single block of white marble 49 feet high, and five feet eight inches diameter, of the Corinthian order.
The term statuary column may likewise be applied to Caryatides, perhaps, termini, and other human figures, which do the office of columns; and which Vitruvius calls telomones and atlantes. See ARCHITECTURE, no 54.
Triumphal Column, a column erected among the ancients in honour of an hero; the joints of the stones, or courses whereof, were covered with as many crowns as he had made different military expeditions. Each crown had its particular name, as vexillaris, which was beset with spikes, in memory of having forced a palsy-fade. Muralis, adorned with little turrets or battlements, for having mounted an assault. Navalis, of prows and beaks of vessels; for having overcome at sea. Obfusionales, or graninales, of grains; for having raised a siege. Ovans, of myrtle; which expressed an ovation, or little triumph; and triumphalis, of laurel, for a grand triumph. See Crowns.