Lictors

Later that same day, accompanied by twelve followers whom he called his lictors, and preceded by the silver eagle that had once belonged to Marius, he left the city and went to Arretium, where he formally proclaimed himself consul. ❋ ROBERT HARRIS (2010)

The Latins formerly used ligare in the same sense as now alligare, to bind, whence the name lictors, for these officers, and bacula, or staves, for their rods, because staves were then used. ❋ Plutarch (2003)

Meanwhile, six men called lictors marched in front of the praetor. ❋ Barry Strauss (2009)

The fasces were cylindrical bundles of wooden rods, tied tightly together, from which an axe projected; they were borne by guards, called lictors, before praetors, consuls, proconsuls, dictators, and emperors. ❋ Unknown (2004)

In public each consul was attended by twelve servants, called lictors, each of whom bore an axe bound in a bundle of rods (_fasces_), the symbols of the authority of the consul to flog and to put to death. ❋ Philip Van Ness Myers (N/A)

Whenever a consul appeared in public, he was preceded by two officers called lictors, each of whom carried the fasces as a symbol of the power which was vested in the distinguished personage who followed them. ❋ Abbott, Jacob, 1803-1879 (1904)

Acts 16: 35, 38 (R.V., "lictors"), officers who attended the magistrates and assisted them in the execution of justice. ❋ M.G. Easton (1897)

Behind the lictors was a half-century of soldiers in full armour led by their _optio_. [ ❋ William Stearns Davis (1903)

IV, p. 213.] [Footnote 8: The lictors were a guard of honor that attended the higher magistrates and made a way for them through the streets. ❋ Benjamin Leonard D'Ooge (1900)

Gathering half a dozen of his colleagues, he set off down the aisle toward Cato, who continued to speak even as the lictors clambered over the benches to seize him. ❋ ROBERT HARRIS (2010)

Cicero walked at the head of the procession, surrounded by his lictors. ❋ ROBERT HARRIS (2010)

He handed his plumed helmet to an aide as his officers and lictors poured in behind him. ❋ ROBERT HARRIS (2010)

We set off on horseback well after darkness fell: the two praetors, their eight lictors, another four guards, and finally and reluctantly, me. ❋ ROBERT HARRIS (2010)

Striding along the aisle, shouting at the senators, he and his lictors separated the combatants and pushed a few of them back into their places, and when some sort of order had been restored he returned to his chair. ❋ ROBERT HARRIS (2010)

Antony bellowed with grief and anger and tried to reach out to touch Sura, but he was pushed out of the way by the lictors. ❋ ROBERT HARRIS (2010)

Caesar was on the dais at the far end of the chamber, dressed in his robes as chief priest and surrounded by his lictors. ❋ ROBERT HARRIS (2010)

His lictors gone, he went down to the Forum escorted by a couple of stout fellows from the Order of Knights. ❋ ROBERT HARRIS (2010)