Ballistea, in antiquity, a military song or dance used on occasions of victory. Vopiscus has preferred the ballisteum sung in honour of Aurelian, who, in the Sarmatian war, was said to have killed 48 of the enemy in one day with his own hand. Mille, mille, mille, mille, mille, mille decollavimus: Unus homo mille, mille, mille, mille, mille decollavit; mille, mille, mille vivat, qui mille, mille occidit. Tantum vini habet nemo, quantum fudit fanguiinis. The same writer subjoins another popular song of the same kind: Mille Francos, mille Sarmatas, semel occidimus; mille, mille, mille, mille, mille Persar quernimus. It took the denomination ballisteum from the Greek βαλλειν, jacio, or jacto, to cast or toss, on account of the motions used in this dance, which was attended with great elevations and swingings of the hands. The balliste were a kind of popular ballads, composed by poets of the lower class, without much regard to the laws of metre.