A dictionary of Greek and Roman . , altaria, Phoebo. On the other hand, sacrifices were offered to theinfernal gods, not upon altars, but in cavities(scrobes, scrobiculi, fiodpoL, Aolkkoi) dug in theground. (Festus, s. v. Altaria.) As among the ancients almost every religiousact was accompanied by sacrifice, it was oftennecessary to provide altars on the spur of the oc-casion, and they were then constructed of earth,sods, or stories, collected on the spot. When theoccasion was not sudden, they were built withregular courses of masonry or brickwork, as isclearly shown in several e
A dictionary of Greek and Roman . , altaria, Phoebo. On the other hand, sacrifices were offered to theinfernal gods, not upon altars, but in cavities(scrobes, scrobiculi, fiodpoL, Aolkkoi) dug in theground. (Festus, s. v. Altaria.) As among the ancients almost every religiousact was accompanied by sacrifice, it was oftennecessary to provide altars on the spur of the oc-casion, and they were then constructed of earth,sods, or stories, collected on the spot. When theoccasion was not sudden, they were built withregular courses of masonry or brickwork, as isclearly shown in several examples on the columnof Trajan at Rome. See the left-hand figure inthe woodcut annexed. The first deviation fromthis absolute simplicity of form consisted in theaddition of a base, and of a corresponding projec-tion at the top, the latter being intended to holdthe fire and the objects offered in sacrifice. Thesetwo parts are so common as to be almost uniformtypes of the form of an altar, and will be found inall the figures inserted Altars were either square or round. The latterform, which was the less common of the two, isexemplified in the following figures.
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Keywords: ., bookauthorsmithwilliam18131893, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840
