lemniscus — Lewis & Short
lemniscus, i, m., = lhmni/skos.
I A pendent (purple?) ribbon, fastened to a victor's crown, at first of linden-bast or wool, afterwards of gold. A crown adorned with such a ribbon was the highest reward of a victor:
tenuissimae earum (tiliarum), philyrae, coronarum lemniscis celebres, antiquorum honore,Plin. 16, 14, 25, § 65: lemnisci id est fascicolae coloriae, dependentes ex coronis, propterea dicuntur, quod antiquissimum fuit genus coronarum lanearum, Paul. ex Fest. p. 115 Müll.; Plin. 21, 3, 4, § 6.—Such crowns were given as especial honors to guests at a feast:
unguenta atque odores, lemniscos, corollas dari dapsilas,Plaut. Ps. 5, 1, 21:
coronae datae lemniscis aureis interpositis,Capitol. Verr. 5:
turba coronas lemniscosque jacientium,Liv. 33, 33, 2:
ingestaeque aves, ac lemnisci, et bellaria,Suet. Ner. 25.—Crowns ornamented in this manner were given, also, to the victors in public games and to poets:
et quae jamdudum tibi palma poëtica pollet, Lemnisco ornata est, quo mea palma caret,Aus. Epist. 20, 5; cf. Cic. Rosc. Am. 35, 100.—
II A tent or roll of lint dipped in a medicament, Veg. Vet. 2, 14, 3; 2, 48, 7 (in Cels. 7, 28, written as Greek).