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

CRYPTEIA. CRYPTEIA. 37 1
was accidental; because by the Jewish law, it is in ascribing its introduction to the Spartan law.
expressly remarked, the bodies could not remain giver. The description which he gives of it is
on the cross during the Sabbath-day. (Lipsius, this:- The ephors, at intervals, selected firom
De Cruce; Casaubon, Exer. Antiba-on. xvi. among the young Spartans, those who appeared to
77.) [B. J.] be best qualified for the task, and sent them in
CRYPTA (from KP7rTrEIv, to conceal), a crypt. various directions all over the country, provided
Amongst the Romans, any long narrow vault, with daggers and their necessary food. During
whether wholly or partially below the level of the the daytime, these young men concealed themearth, is expressed by this term; such as a sewer selves; but at night they broke forth into the
(cypta Suburace, Juv. Sat. v. 106) [CLOAcA]; the high-roads, and massacred those of the helots
carceres of the circus [CIRCUS, p. 285]; or a whom they met, or whom they thought proper.
magazine for the reception of agricultural produce. Sometimes also they ranged over the fields ( in the
(VitrUv. vi. 8; comp. Varro, R. R. i. 57.) daytime) and despatched the strongest and best of
The specific senses of the word are: — the helots. This account agrees with that of
1. A covered portico or arcade; called more Heracleides of Pontus (c. 2), who speaks of the
definitely crypto-porticus, because it was not sup. practice as one that was still carried on in his own
ported by open columns like the ordinary portico, time, though he describes its introduction by Lybut closed at the sides, with windows only for the curgus only as a report.
admission of light and air. (Plin. Epist. ii. 15, The crgpteia has generally been considered
v. 6, vii. 21; Sidon. Epist. ii. 2.) These were either as a kind of military training of the Spartan
frequented during summer for their coolness. A youths, in which, as in other cases, the lives of
portico of this kind, almost entire, is still remain- the helots were unscrupulously sacrificed; or as a
ing in the suburban villa of Arrius Diomedes at means of lessening the numbers and weakening
Pompeii. [PORTICUS.] the power of the slaves. But MUiiler (Dosrios,
Some theatres, if not all, had a similar portico iii. 3. ~ 4), who is anxious to soften the notions
attached to them for the convenience of the per- generally current respecting the relations between
formers, who there rehearsed their parts. (Suet. the helots and their masters, supposes that Plutarch
Cal. 58; compare Dion Cass. lix. 20; Joseph. and Heracleides represent the institution of the
Antiq. xix. 1. ~ 14.) One of these is mentioned crygpteia " as a war which the ephors themselves,
by P. Victor (Regio ix.) as the crypta Balbi, at- on entering upon their yearly office, proclaimed
tached to the theatre built by Cornelius Balbus at against the helots." Heracleides, however, does
the instigation of Augiustus (Suet. Aug. 29; Dion not mention this proclamation at all and Plutarch,
Cass. liv. 25), which is supposed to be the ruin who mentions it on the authority of Aristotle,
now seen in the Via di S. Maria di Cacaberis, be- does not represent it as identical with the crypteia.
tween the church of that name and the S. Maria Miiller also supposes that, according to the redi Pianto. ceived opinion, this chase of the slaves took place
2. A grotto, particularly one open at both ex- regularly every year; and showing at once the
tremities, forming what in modern language is absurdity of such an annual proclamation of war
denominated a "tunnel," like the grotto of Pausi- and massacre among the slaves, he rejects what he
lippo, well known to every visitant of Naples. calls the common opinion altogether as involved in
This is a tunnel excavated in the tqib rock, about inextricable difficulties, and has recourse to Plato
20 feet high, and 1800 long, forming the direct to solve the problem. But Thirlwall (Hist. Greece,
communication between Naples and Pozzuoli (Pu- vol. i. p, 311) much more judiciously considers
teoli), called by the Romans cs/ypta Neapolitanat that this proclamation of war is not altogether
and described by Seneca (Epist. 57) and Strabo groundless, but only a misrepresentation of somewho calls it 6&&puv KpurT/7 (v. p. 246; compare thing else, and that its real character was most
Petron. Froa. xiii.). probably connected with the crypteia. Now, if we
A subterranean vault used for any secret wor- suppose that the thing here misrepresented and
ship, but more particularly for the licentious rites exaggerated into a proclamation of war, was some
consecrated to Priapus, was also called crypta. promise which the ephors on entering upon their
(Petron. Sat. xvi. 3; compare xvii. 8.) office were obliged to make, for instance, to protect
3. When the practice of consuming the body by the state against any danger that might arise from
fire was relinquished [FuNUS], and a number of too great an increase of the numbers and power
bodies were consigned to one place of burial, as of the helots -a promise which might very easily
the catacombs for instance, this common tomb was be distorted into a proclamation of war - there is
called crypta. (Salinas. Exeicit. Plinian. p. 850; nothing contrary to the spirit of the legislation of
Aring. Rome. Suzbterr. i. 1. ~ 9; Prudent. Hepl Lycurgus; and such an institution, by no ameans
Greg. xi. 153.) One of these, the crypta Nepo- surprising in a slave-holding state like Sparta,
tiauas, which was in the vicus Patrizcizs, under the where the number of free citizens was comparaEsquiline (Festus, s. v. Septimontium), was used tively very small, would have conferred upon the
by the early Christians, during the times of their ephors the legal authority occasioncally to send out
persecution, as a place of secret worship, as well a number of young Spartans in chase of the helots.
as of interment, and contains many interesting (Isocr. Panath. p. 271, b.) That on certain ocinscriptions. (Nardini, Rom. Antic. iv. 3; Mait- casions, when the state had reason to fear the
land, The Church in the Catacombs.) [A. R.] overwhelming number of slaves, thousands were
CRYPTEIA (icpv7rs'eCs also called. frpwvrTa massacred with the sanction of the public authorior icpumr-T), was, according to Aristotle (alp. Plut. ties, is a well-known fact. (Thucyd. iv. 80.) It
Lyc. 28), an institution introduced at S parta by is, however, probable enough that such a system
the legislation of Lycurgus. Tls character was so may at first have been carried on with some degree
cruel and atrocious, that Plutarch only with great of moderation; but after attempts had been made
reluctance submitted to the authority of Aristotle by the slaves to emancipate themselves and put
B P. 2