I. A wooden roller or cylinder: “quattuor biremes, subjectis scutulis, impulsas vectibus in interiorem partem transduxit,” Caes. B. C. 3, 40, 4.—
II. A secret writing, secret letter among the Lacedaemonians (it being written on a slip of papyrus wrapped round a σκυτάλη; pure Lat. clava): “scytala,” Nep. Paus. 3, 4: “scytale,” Aus. Ep. 23, 23; cf. Gell. 17, 9, 15 (written as Greek, Cic. Att. 10, 10, 3, habes σκυτάλην Λακωνικήν).—
III. A cylindrical snake (of equal thickness throughout), Plin. 82, 5, 19, § 53; Luc. 9, 717; Sol. 27, § 30; cf. Col. 6, 17. 1.
