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

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DICTIO.NA RY
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GREEK AND ROMAN ANTIQUITIES.
ABACUS. ABACUS.
AB'ACUS (t{ia~) denoted primarily a square I&Ciovr,?Ip' o'V'VqJovot'v, "the abacus on which
tablet of any material; and was hence applied in they calculate," i. e. reckon by the use of stones
the following significations: — (4poL, calcluli). (Comp. Pol. v. 26.) The figure
1. In Architecture it denoted the flat square following represents the probable form and appearstone, which constituted the highest member of a ance of such an abacus. The reader will observe,
column, being placed immediately under the archi- that stone after stone might be put into the righttrave. The annexed figure is drawn from that in hand partition until they amounted to 10, when it
the British Museum, which was taken from the would be necessary to take them all out as repreParthenon at Athens, and is a perfect specimen of sented in the figure, and instead of them to put
the capital of a Doric column. one stone into the next partition. The stones in
this division might in like manner amount to 10,
thus representing 10 x 10= 100, when it would be
/ til necessary to take out the 10, and instead of them
(e..- S to put one stone into the third partition, and so on.
] i tifW On this principle the stones in the abacus, as delineated in the figure, would be equivalent to
a,//// S o 39,310.
Xi I i ~ ~
In the more ornamented orders of architecture, o
such as the Corinlthian, the sides of the abacus I
were curved inwards, and a rose or some other I
decoration was frequently placed in the middle of I I
each side; but the name Abacus was given to the
stone thus diversified and enriched, as well as in 1
its original form. (Vitruv. iii. 3f iv. 1. ~ 7.)
2. A painted panel, coffer, or square compart-"
ment in the wall or ceiling of a chamber. (Plin.
H. N. xxxiii. 56, xxxv. 1, 13; Vitruv. vii. 3. 5. A board adapted for playing with dice or
~ 10; Letronne, Peintur. azzr. p.476.) counters, resembling a draught-board or back3. A wooden tray, used for a variety of pur- gammon-board. (Caryst. ap. Atli. x. p. 435, d;
poses in domestic economy. It was, for instance, Suet. Ner. 22; Macrob. Sat. i. 5.) The Greeks had
the name given to the 7malctram (,udKfpa), or tray for a tradition ascribing this contrivance to Palamedes,
kneading dough. (Cratin. Fr ag. p. 27, ed. Runkel; hence they called it " the abacus of Palamedes."
Pollux, vi. 90, x. 105; Cato, R. R. d10; Hesych. (Tob Iaxai8erov a dilcop, Eustath. in Od. i. 107.)
s. v. aKTipa; Schol. in Trueocr. iv. 61.) [LATRUNCULI.]
4. A board, covered with sand or dust, used by 6. A table or sideboard, chiefly used for the
mathematicians for drawing diagrams (Eustath. i( n display (exponere) of gold and silver cups. The
Od. i. 107), and by arithmeticians for the purposes tops of such tables were sometimes made of silver,
of calculation. (Pers, Sat. i. 131.) For the latter but more usually of marble, and appear in some
purpose perpendicular lines- or channels seem to cases to have had numerous cells or partitions behave been drawn in the sand upn the board; but neath, in which the plate was likewise placed. The
sometimes the board had perpendicular wooden di- use of abaci was first introduced at Rome from Asia
visions, the space on the right hand being intended Minor after the victories of Cn. Manlius Vulso,
fir units, the next space for tens, the next for B. c. 187, and their introduction was regarded as
hundreds, and so on. Thus was constructed the one of the marks of the growing luxury of the age.