Regula

Regula (κανών), the ruler used by scribes for drawing right lines (Brunck, Anal. 3.69, 87); also the rule used by carpenters, masons, and other artificers, for drawing straight lines on plane surfaces, whereas the perpendiculum or στάθμη was used for a vertical direction [PERPENDICULUM]. (Aristoph. Ban. 798; Vitr. 7.3.5; cf. Plat. Phileb. p. 56 B; Aeschin. c. Ctes. § 199; Plin. Nat. 36.188.) That it was marked with equal divisions, like our carpenters' rules, is manifest from the representations of it among the Instrumenta fabrorum tignariorum, in the woodcut at p. 243. The substance with which the lines were made was raddle or red ochre (μίλτος, Brunck, Anal. 1.221; φοίνικι κανόνι, Eur. Her. 925). The linea (σχοῖνος, σπάρτον, μιλτεῖον, Anth. Pal. 6.103, 205; Poll. 10.186) was a line or cord for the same purpose, either red or chalked (Cic. ad Qu. Fr. 3.1, 2; Vitr. 7.3; Pallad. 3.9, 10). Regula is also the thread of the screw [COCLEA]: see Vitr. 10.11, 2; Blümner, Technologie, 4.124. For the regula of a wine or oil press, see TORCULAR

[J.Y] [G.E.M]