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

'172 AUCTIO. AUC, TC)lt.
above and below, and beneath all a pluntli: but phrase " sub hasta vender " (Cic. De O': ii. 8)
ill several of the best examples the plinth is signified an auction. The expression" asta pub:
wanting. (For the exactproportions, see Vitruvius.) blica" is now used inl Italy to signify an auction:
This form of base seems to have been originally the expression is "vendere all' asta pubblica," or
an Athenian simplification of the Ionic base; but "' vendere per subasta." By the auctio, the Quiriit was afterwards used in the other orders, especi- tarian ownership in the thing sold was transally the Coriithian and the Roman Doric; and it ferred to the purchaser. LBoNOraus EaITo;O
is usually regarded as being, from its simple ele- SECTIO.] [G. L.]
gance, the most generally applicable of all the AUCTOR, a word which contains the same
bases [SpInA]. element as azeg-eo, and signifies generally one who
In the second of the passages above referred to, enlarges, confirms, or gives to a thing its completeVitruvius applies the term Attics-ges to a particular ness and efficient form. The numerous technical
form of door-way, but it differed very little from that significations of the word are derivable from this:
which he designates as the Doric: in fact, though general notion. As he who gives to a thing that
Vitruvius enumerates three kinds of doorways to which is necessary for its completeness, may in this
temples, the Doric, Ionic, and Attic, we only find sense be viewed as the chief actor or doer, the
in the existing building two really distinct forms. word auctor is also used in the sense of one who
(Mauch, die GCrie.,. ss. RMoe. P.au-Ordnuzsecen. originates or proposes a thing; but this cannot bep. 97.) According to Pliny (H. N. xxxvi. 23. viewed as its primary meaning. Accordingly, the
s. 56) square pillars were called Atticace colun- word auctor, when used in connection with lex cr
nae.) [P. S.] senatus consultum, often means him who originates
AU'CTIO signifies generally "an increasing, an and proposes, as appears from numerous passages.
enhancement," and hence the name is applied to a (Liv. vi. 36; Cic. I'ro Dons. c. 30.) When a
public sale of goods, at which persons bid against measure was approved by the senate before it was
one another. The term aoectio is general, and coin- confirmed by the votes of the people, the senate
prehsends the species auctio, bonorszon enstio and were said csuctores fieri, and this preliminary apseotio. As a species, auctio signifies a public sale proval was called senatus cauctoritas. (Cic. PBrutus,
of goods by the owner or his agent, or a sale of c. 14.)
goods of a deceased person for the purpose of di- The expressions " patres auctores fiunt," " pariding the money among those entitled to it, which tres auctores facti," have given rise to much diswas called auctio lzereditaria. (Cic. Pro Caecin. 5.) cussion. In the earlier periods of the Roman
The sale was sometimes conducted by an argen- state, the word " patres " was equivalent to " patarius, or by a magister auctionis; and the time, tricii;" in the later period, when the patricians had
place, and conditions of sale, were announced lost all importance as a political body, the term
either by a public notice (tabuela, calbum, &c.), or patres signified the senate. But the writers of
by a crier (praeco). the age of Cicero, when speaking of the early
The usual phrases to express the giving notice periods, often used the word patres, when they
df a sale are auctionemn proscribee, pracedicare; and might have used patricii, and thus a conc'usion
to determine on a sale, auctioneno constituere. The arose between the early and the later signification
purchasers (eotores), when assembled, were sole- of the word patres.
times said cad tbzsalrza adesse. The phrases signi- The expression " patres auctores fiunt " means
fying to bid are, liceri, licitari, which was done that the determinations of the populus in the comitia
either by word of mouth, or by such significant centuriata were confirmed by the patricians in the
hints as are known to all people who have attended comitia curiata. To explain this fully, as to the
an auction. The property was said to be knocked earliest periods, it is necessary to show what the
down (addlici) to the purchaser who either en- lex curiata de inperieo was.
tered into an engagement to pay the money to After the comitia curiata had elected a king
the argentarius or magister, or it was sometimes a (creavit), the king proposed to the same body a
condition of sale that there should be no delivery of lex curiata de imnperio. (Cic. De Rep. ii. 13, 17, 18,
the thing before payment. (Gaius iv. 126; AcTro, 20.). At first it might appear as if there were
pp. 9, 10.) An entry was made in the books of the two elections, for the patricians, that is the poargentarius of the sale and the money due, and pulos, first elected the king, and then they had
credit was given in the same books to the purchaser to vote again upon the imperium. Cicero (De Lefl.
when he paid the money (expensa pecunia latt, Agr. ii. 11) explains it thus -that the popnlus had
accepta relata). Thus the book of the argentarius thus an opportunity to reconsider their vote (-emight be used as evidence for the purchaser, both prehesndencli potestas). But the chief reason was
of his having made a purchase, and having paid for that the imperium was not conferred by the bare
the thing purchased. If the money was not paid election, and it was necessary that the king should
according to the conditions of sale, the argentanius have the imnperium: consequently there must be a
could sue for it. distinct vote upon it. Now Livy says nothing of
The praeco, or crier, seems to have acted the part the lex curiata in his first book, but lle uses the
of the modern auctioneer, so far as calling out the expression " patres auctores fierent," e" patres aucbiddings (Cic. De Qffic. ii. 23), and amnusing the tores facti." (Liv. i. 17, 22, 32.) In this sense
company. Slaves, when sold by auction, were the patres were the " auctores comitiorum," an explaced on a stone, or other elevated thing, as is pressionanalogous to that in which a tutor is said to
sometimes the case when slaves are sold in the be an auctor to his pupillhs. In some passages the
United States of North America; and hence the expression " patricii auctores " is used, which is an
phrase lhomo de iapide enmtus. It was usual to put additional proof that in the expression " patres
up a spear, 7iasta, ill auctions, a symbol derived, it auctores," the patrician body is meant, and not the
is said, fromn the ancient practice of selling under senate, as some have supposed.
a spear the booty acquired in war. Hence the Cicero, in the passages quoted, does not use the