Plutarch's Romane Questions · Plutarch
101.
_Why do the Romanes adorne their children with jewels pendant at their necks, which they call_ Bullæ? PERADVENTURE to honor the memorie of those first wives of theirs, whom they ravished: in favour of whom they ordained many other prerogatives for the children which they had by them, and namely this among the rest? Or it may be, for to grace the prowesse of _Tarquinius_? For reported it is that being but a verie child, in a great battell which was fought against the Latines and Tuskanes together, hee rode into the verie throng of his enemies, and engaged himselfe so farre, that being dismounted and unhorsed; yet notwithstanding he manfully withstood those who hotly charged upon him, and encouraged the Romanes to stand to it, in such sort as the enemies by them were put to plaine flight, with the losse of 16000. men whom they left dead in the place: and for a reward of this vertue and valour, received such a jewell to hang about his necke, which was given unto him by the king his father. Or else, because in old time it was not reputed a shamfull and villanous thing, to love yoong boyes wantonly, for their beauty in the flowre of their age, if they were slaves borne, as the Comedies even at this day do testifie: but they forbare most precisely, to touch any of them who were free-borne or of gentle blood descended. To the end therefore man might not pretend ignorance in such a case, as if they knew not of what condition any boyes were, if they mette with them naked, they caused them to weare this badge and marke of nobilitie about their neckes.
Or peradventure, this might be also as a preservative unto them of their honor, continence and chastitie, as one would say, a bridle to restraine wantonnesse and incontinencie, as being put in mind thereby to be abashed to play mens parts, before they had laid off the marks and signes of childhood. For there is no apparance or probabilitie, of that which _Varro_ alledgeth, saying: That because the Aeolians in their Dialect do call Βουλη, that is to say, Counsell, Βολλα, therefore such children for a signe and presage of wisdome and good counsell, carried this jewell, which they named _Bulla_. But see whether it might not be in regard of the moone that they weare this device? for the figure of the moone when shee is at the full, is not round as a bal or boule, but rather flat in maner of a lentill or resembling a dish or plate; not onely on that side which appeareth unto us, but also (as _Empedocles_ saith) on that part which is under it.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.