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

2381 CAPISTRUM. CAPSA.
foml. (Athen. xi. p. 474, e; Pollux, vi. 96; they are seen on the bas-relief of a sarcophagus in
Plin. tt. N. xxxiv. 19. ~ 25.) The cantharus was the Vatican representing her nuptial procession.
the cup sacred to Bacchus (Macrob. Sat. v. 21; See the annexed woodcut.
Plin. H. N. xxxiii. 53), who is frequently represented on ancient vases holding it in his hand, as
in the following woodcut, which is taken from a
painting on an ancient tase. (Millingen, Pein-
tures Antiques, pl. 53.).
0 i0 at 1
i The term POpeELd was also applied to a contrivance used by pipers (ao.ATali) and trumpeters to
compress uheir mouths and cheeks, and thus to aid
them in blowing. It is often seen in worlks of
ancient art [CHIRIDOTA], and was said to be the
invention of Marsyas. (Simonides, Brzznck. An.
%/X2,24~ t ~~l~~ii. 122; Sophocles, ap. Cic. ad Att. ii. 16 Aristoph. Av. 862, Yesp. 580, Eq. 1147; Schil. ocd
11.) [ J. Y.]
CAPITA'LIS. [CAPUT.]
CA'PITE CENSI. [CAPUT.]
CA'PITIS DEMINU'TIO. [CAPrTT.]
CAPI'TIUM, a portion of a woman's dress,
said by Varro to be so called, because it covers
(capit) the breast. (Varr. L. L. v. 131, ed. Miiller,
and De Vita P. R. iv. ap. Nonium, s. v. capitia;
comp. Gell. xvi. 7; Dig. 34. tit. 2. s. 24.) But
the word itself would rather lead us to suppose
that it was originally a covering for the head
CA'NTICUM. In the Roman theatre, between (caput).
the first and second acts, flute music appears to CAPITOLI'NI LUDI. [LuIn.]
have been introduced (Plaut. Pseudot. i. 5. 160), CAPI'TULUM. [COLUSMNA.]
which was accompanied by a kind of recitative, CAPSA (dim. CA'PSULA), or SCRI'NIUM,
performed by a single actor, or if there were two, the box for holding books among the Romans.
the second was not allowed to speak with the first. These boxes were usually made of beech-wood
Thus Diomedes (iii. p. 489. ed. Putsch.) says:- (Plin. II. N. xvi. 43. s. 84), and were of a cylin"' In canticis una tantum debet esse persona, aut si drical form. There is no doubt respecting their
duae fuerint, ita debent esse, ut ex occulto una form, since they are often placed by the side of
audiat nee colloquatur, sed secum, si opus fuerit, statues dressed in the toga. The following woodverba faciat." In the canticum, as violent gesti- cut, which represents an open capsa with six rolls
culation was required, it appears to have been the of books in it, is from a painting at Pompeii.
custom, from the time of Livius Andronicus, for
the actor to confine himself to the gesticulation,
while another person sang the recitative. (Liv.
viii. 2; Lucian, De Saltcat. 30; Isidor. Orig. xviii.
44.) The canticum always formed a part of a
Roman comedy. Diomedes observes that a Roman
comedy consists of two parts, dialogue and canticumin
(Latinae comoediae duobus taentuznu sisembris constant,
diverbio et cantico). Wolf (De Canticis, p. 11)
endeavours to show that cantica also occurred in
tragedies and the Atellanae fabulae. There can
be no doubt that they did in the latter; they
were usually composed in the Latin, and sometimes
in the Greek language, whereas the other parts of
the Atellane plays were written in Oscan. There does not appear to have been any difCAPISTRUM (bopetdr), a halter, a tie for ference between the capsa and the scriniuzms, except
horses, asses, or other animals, placed round the that the latter word was usually applied to those
head or neck, and made of osiers or other fibrous boxes which held a considerable number of: rolls
materials. In representations of Bacchanalian pro- (scrinia dac magnis, Mart. i. 3). Boxes used for
cessions the tigers or panthers are attached to the preserving other things besides books, were also
yoke by capistra made of vine-branches. Thus we called capsae (Plin. 1L N. xv. 17. s. 18; Mart. xi.
read of the srite capistratae tigs'es of Ariadne (Ovid, 8), while in the scrinia nothing appears to lhave
LE'dst. ii. 80; Sidon. Apoll. Carrm. xxii. 23), and been kept but books, letters, and other writings.