Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

SPIRA. SPOLIA. 10o3
-were generally held by female slaves before their was one called the Attic, which may be regarded
mistresses when dressing (Propert. iv. 7. 75, 76), as a variety of the Ionic [ATTICURGES]. The
which office was also performed sometimes by the term occurs frequently in Vitruvius (iii. 3. ~ 2;
lover, when admitted to the toilet of his mistress. 4. ~ 1, 5; 5. ~ 1-4, iv. 1. ~ 7, v. 9. ~ 4, ed.
(Ovid. Ar. Am. ii. 216.) On ancient vases we Schneider) and in Pliny (ITI. A. xxxvi. 5. s. 4;
sometimes find female slaves represented holding 23. s. 56). They adopted it from the writings of
up mirrors to their mistresses. (Tischbein, Endcrav. Greek architects, whose works have perished. It.J1on ancient Vases, vol. i. pl. 10.) is in fact the Greek term errelpa, which was applied to this member of a column (Pollux, vii. 121)
probably on account of its resemblance to a coil of
rope. In ancient Greek inscriptions eirexpa denotes the base of Ionic and Corinthian pillars,
being applied to those of the temples of Miinerva
Polias at Athens (C. 0. Miiller, fin. Pol. Sacra,
pp. 35, 50; BMckh, Corp. Iszscr. Gr. i. pp. 261286), and of Jupiter at Labranda. (C. Fellows,
Exc. in Asia nlienor, pp. 262, 331.)
In the Tuscan and the Roman Doric the base
0fC i consisted of a single torus (Festus, s. v. Spira),
sometimes surmounted by an astragal. In -the
Ionic and Attic it commonly consisted of two tori
(toruzs superior and torus in/trior) divided by a
scotia (rpdxtxos), and in the Corinthian of two
tori divided by two scotiae. The upper torus was
often fluted (lpaewrTs), and surmounted by an
astragal [ASTRAGALUS], as in the left-hand figure
of the alnexed woodcut, which shows the form of
the base in the Ionic temple of Panops on the
Looking-glasses, however, were also made of the Ilissus. The right-hand figure in the same woodlength of a person's body (specula totis paria cor- cut shows the corresponding part in the temple of
0oribus, Senec. Quacst. Nat. i. 17): of which kind Minerva Polias at Atlens. In this the upper
the mirror of Demosthenes must have been. torus is wrought with a plaited ornament, perhapi
(Quintil. Inst. Or. xi. 3. ~ 68.) They were designed to represent a rope or cable. In these
fastened to the walls sometilnes (specullinn parieti two temples the spira rests not upon a plinth
qhiflxum, Dig. 34. tit. 2. s. 19. ~ 8; Vitruv. ix.
6. (9.) p. 280. Bip.), though not generally. Suetonius in his life of Horace speaks of an apartment
belonging to that poet, which was lined with
mirrors (spectulatunt cubictuhlniZ), which expression,
however, Lessing considers as contrary to the Latin _
idiom, and therefore regards the whole passage as =_]___t'l
a forgery. That there were, however, rooms ornamiented in this way, is probable from Claudian's
description of the chamber of Venus, which was
covered over with mirrors, so that whichever way
her eyes turned she could see her own image.
(Ulnio. in Nipt. -rhonor. et Mllar. 106, &c.) AVe
frequently find the mirror mentioned in connection
with Venus (Athen. xv. p. 687, c.), but Minerva (pliathzts, 7rAvOos), but on a podium. In Ionic
Vwas supposed to mlake no use of it. (Callim. htlymni,. buildings of a later date it rests on a square plinthl
i1o La;acr. Pallad. 1] 7.) corresponding in its dimensions with the ABACUS.
(Spanheim, Observ. in COsllisacci HyIam2inz in For other examples, see Mauch, A1rclitelktonislee
laivacrnnu Patlcadis, p. 547, Ultraj. 1697; Mdnard, Ordlnmiysen. [J.Y.]
Ieclerclhes sur les ilhiroirs des Anciens in l'Htistoile SPI'THAME (earLt0alCr), a span, a Greek meade l'AcadiEnie cdes Insce. vol. xxiii. p. 140; Caylus, sure equal to 3-4ths of the foot. There was no
Rcci2sil d'Antiquzites, iii. p. 331, v. p. I73; Beck- proper Roman measure corresponding to it, but
ranan, Histoy of Inventions, vol. iii. p. 164, transl.; the later writers used palmius in this sense; the
Bottiger, Sabina, vol. i. pp. 133, 152, vol. ii. pp. early writers express the Greek span properly by
145, 169, Griecslisclhe, Yasesnsgemelldesn, vol. iii. p. docldans. [MIENSURA, p. 751,b; PAIsMUS.] [P.S.]
46; Becker, Gallts, vol. i. p. 97, vol, ii. p. 111.) SPO'LIA. Four words are commonly employed
SPECUS. [AQUAFDUCTUs, p. 113.] to denote booty taken in war, Praeda, Allanubiae,
SPHAERISTE'RIUM. [GYMNASIUs, p. EsVluiae, Spolia. Of these, p1rcteda bears the most
582, a; PILA.] comprehensive meaning, being used for plunmder of
SPI'CULUM. [HAsTA, p. 589, a.] every description. [PRAEDA.] laflnambiae was the
SPINTER or SPINTHER. [ARaILLA.] money which the quaestor realised from the sale of
SPIRA (e7retpa), dits. SPIRULA (Servius in those objects which constituted praeda (Gell. xiii.
lVi. q. Aen. ii. 217), the base of a column. 2-1; Cic. de Leg. Agr. ii. 22.) The term ExZrviae
This member did not exist in the Doric order of indicates any thing stripped from the person of a
Greek architecture [CoIar~NAx], but was always foe, while Spolia, properly speaking, ought to be
present iln the Ionic and Corinthian, and, besides confined to armour and weapons, although both
the bases properly belonging to those orders, there words are applied loosely to trophies such as cha1