Bucephalus (brand)

Bucephalus (Ancient Greek: Βουκέφαλος "ox-headed", from βους, "ox", and κεφαλή, "head") was a type of mark anciently used on horses. It was one of the three most common, besides Ϻ, San, and Ϙ, Koppa. Those horses marked with a San were called Σαμφόραι, Samphórai; those with a Koppa, Κοππατίαι, Koppatíai; and those with an ox's head, Βουκέφαλοι, Bucéphaloi.

This mark was stamped on the horse's buttocks, and his harnesses, as appears from the scholiast on Aristophanes's The Clouds, Hesychius, etc.

Alexander the Great's horse was named Bucephalus after this brand on its haunch.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728). "^{article name needed}". Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (first ed.). James and John Knapton, et al. 

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