Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Harpastum

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

HARPAS'TUM (ἁρπαστόν). A ball employed for a particular kind of game in vogue amongst the Greeks and Romans. It was of larger dimensions than the paganica, but smaller than the follis. The game at which it was used was played with a single ball, and any number of players, divided into two parties; the object of each person being to seize the ball from the ground (whence it is associated with the epithet pulverulenta, dusty), and to throw it amongst his own friends. The party which first succeeded in casting it out of bounds gained the victory. Mart. iv. 19. Id. vii. 62. and 67. Mercurial. Art. Gym. ii. 5.