(*Laticlavium,*), in Roman antiquity, was an honourable distinction, peculiar, in the times of the republic, to the senators: but whether it was a particular kind of garment, or only an ornament upon it, the critics are not agreed: But the more general opinion is, that it was a broad stripe of purple sewed upon the fore part of their tunic, and round the middle of the breast. There were buttons set on the *latus clavus* or *laticlave,* which appeared like the heads of large nails, whence some think it derived its name.—The senators, praetors, and chief magistrates of colonies and municipal cities had a right to wear it. The pretexta was always worn over it; but when the praetor pronounced sentence of death, the pretexta was then put off and the laticlave retained. The *laticlavium* differed from the *angusticlavium,* but authors do not agree in what this difference consisted; the most general opinion seems to be, that the slips or stripes of purple were narrower in the angusticlave.