SCALAE
SCALAE (
κλῖμαξ).
1. A ladder. These, whether scaling-ladders or ladders for other purposes,
had nothing in their construction which calls for comment.
2 (
ἀναβαθμοί). The staircase of a house
[cf.
DOMUS Vol. I. pp. 663
b, 665
b]. The
stairs in ordinary houses were like ladders, except that they had flat steps
instead of rungs: they sometimes led directly into the street (
Liv. 39.14).
Scalae graecae
differed from these ladder staircases in having the under side of the step
enclosed, so that. the feet of a person going up them would not be visible
from below. The Flaminica was not allowed to ascend a high flight of stairs
unless they were of this construction (
Gel.
10.15;
Serv. ad Aen. 4.646).
Compare Becker-Göll,
Gallus, 2.223;
Nissen,
Pompeii, 602.
[
L.S] [
G.E.M]