A dictionary of Greek and Roman . 5. 73 ; Macrob. Sat. ii. 12 ;and the commentators on Lucretius, iv. and Sophocles mention amphorae as usedfor cinerary urns (77. xxiii. 91, 92 ; Soph. , Dind.) ; and a discovery was made at Salona,in 1825, which proves that they were used ascoffins : the amphora was divided in half in thedirection of its length to receive the corpse, andthe two halves were put together again and buriedin the earth: the skeletons were found still entire.(Steinbuchel, Alterthum. p. 67.) Amphorae of par-ticular kinds were used for various other pur-
A dictionary of Greek and Roman . 5. 73 ; Macrob. Sat. ii. 12 ;and the commentators on Lucretius, iv. and Sophocles mention amphorae as usedfor cinerary urns (77. xxiii. 91, 92 ; Soph. , Dind.) ; and a discovery was made at Salona,in 1825, which proves that they were used ascoffins : the amphora was divided in half in thedirection of its length to receive the corpse, andthe two halves were put together again and buriedin the earth: the skeletons were found still entire.(Steinbuchel, Alterthum. p. 67.) Amphorae of par-ticular kinds were used for various other pur-poses, such as the amphora nasiterna for irrigation(Cato, R. R. 11. § 3), and the amphora spartea,which was perhaps a wicker amphora for gather-ing grapes in. (Ibid. § 2.) The most important employment of the amphorawas for the preservation of wine : its use for thispurpose is fully described under Vinum. Thefollowing woodcut, taken from a painting on thewall of a house at Pompeii, represents the mode offilling the amphora from a There is an interesting account of the use ofthe amphora among the Egyptians, in Sir G. Wil-kinsons Ancient Egyptians, vol. ii. pp. 157—160. AMPYX. AMUSSIS. 91 The name amphora was also applied both bythe Greeks and the Romans to a definite measureof capacity, which, however, was different amongthe two peoples, the Roman amphora being onlytwo-thirds of the Greek aficpopevs. In both casesthe word appears to be an abbreviation, the fullphrase being in Greek aptpopevs p.^Tprjr-ijs (thestandard amphora), and in Latin amphora qua-drantal (the cubic amphora). Respecting the mea-sures themselves, see Metretes, Rome a standard amphora, called amphoraCapitolina, was kept in the temple of Jupiter onthe Capitol (Rhemn. Farm, de Pond. 61 ; 4). The size of ships was estimated byamphorae (Cic. ad Fam. arii. 15 ; Liv. xxi. 63) ;and the produce of a vineyard was reckoned bythe number of amphorae, or of culei (of twentyampho
Size: 1656px × 1508px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorsmithwilliam18131893, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840
