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

LESCI&E. LEX. 681
s. 2. ~ 2). It was lenociniuom, if a husband al- ous tradesmen, especially those of the smliths,
lowed his wife to commit adultery in order to share which were frequented in winter onl account of
the gain. The legislation of Justinian (Nov. 117. their warmth, and in which, for the same reason,
c. 9. ~ 3) allowed a wife a divorce, if her husband the poor sought shelter for the night. (Ionl. Ocl.
had attempted to make her prostitute herself'; and xviii. 329; -Ies. Op. 49], 499.) Ili these pasthe woman could recover the dos and the donatio sages, however, in which are the earliest examples
propter nuptias. It was lenocinium in the husband of the use of the word, it seems to refer to places
if he kept or took back (comp. Sueton. Domtit. 8) distinct from the smiths' workshops. though rea wife whom he had detected in an act of adultery; sorted to in the same malnner; and we may gather
or if he let the adulterer who was detected ill the from the grammarians, that there were in the
act, escape; or if he did not prosecute him. Greek cities numerous small buildinIgs or porticoes,
With respect to other persons than the husband, furnished with seats, and exposed to the sun, to
it was lenlocinium by the lex Julia, if a manll mar- which the idle resorted to enjoy conversation, and
ried a woman who was condemned for adultery; the poor to obtain warmth and shelter, and which
if a person who had detected others in adultery, were called A&eXat: at Athenis alone there were
held his peace for a sum of money; if a maIn com- 360 such. (Eustath. ad IloHn. I. c.; Proclus, ad
mcenced a prosecution for adultery and discontinued IIes. 1. c.; IIesych., Etym. Mag., s. v.; KIihn, ad
it; and if a person lent his house or chamber for Act. V. IiI. ii. 34.) Suidas, referring to the pasadLuiterjum or stuprunl. In all these cases, the sage in Hesiod, explains Aiexoq1 by cald/umos.
pecnalty of the lex Julia was the same as for adulte- By Aeschylus (Eumz. 366) and Sophocles (Ant.
rium and stuprunl. The lex in this as in other 1 60) the word is used for a solemn council; but
like instanllces of leges, was the groundwork of all elsewhere the same writers, as well as Herodotus,
subsequenlt legislation oni lenocillium. Probably employ it to signify common conversation.
no part of the lex Julia de adulteriis was formally Ii the Dorian states the word retained the
repealed, but it received additions, amid the penial- meaning of a place of meeting for deliberation and
ties were increased. (IRein, (,rintialreclst der intercourse, a council-chamber or club-room. At
nl;e)r, p. 883.) As to the uses of the words Sparta every phsyle had its lsc/he, inl which and iil
Lemlo, Leisocinium, in the classical writers, see the the gymnasiunm the elders passed the greater
passages cited in Facciolati, Lex. [G. L.] part of the day in serious and sportive coniversaLENUS (A',o's). [ToicuLAR.] tion, and ill which the new-born children were
LEONIDEIA (XeoveiLa), were solemnities presented for the decision of the elders as to
celebrated every year at Sparta in honour of whether they should be brought up or destroyed.? eonidas, who, with his 300 Spartans, had itllen (Plut. Iyc. 1G, 25; Miiller, Dor. iii. 10. ~ 2, iv.
at Thermopylae. Opposite the theatre at Sparta 9. ~ i.) Solne of these Spartani les/tse seem to
there were two sepulchral monuments, one of Pan- have been halls of some architectural pretensions:
sanias and another of Leonlidas, and here a funeral Pausanias nlentions two of theum, the A'roXo1 Kpooration was spokeIl every year, and a contest was Toav'Cv, and the AXErXq roclAfXo (iii. 14. ~ 2, 15.
leld, in which none but Spartans were allowed to ~ 8). They were also used for other purposes.
take part. (Patus. iii. 14. ~ 1.) [L. S.] (Atli. iv.p. 138, e.)
LEPTON. [CIIALcous; OBOLOS.] There wvere genierally cllambers for council and
LEPTURGI (Aeornrovpyoi), a class of artificers, conversation, called by this lname, attached to
respectinlg whom there is somle doubt. They are the temples of Apollo, one of whose epithets was.
commonly supposed to be carvers of fine work ill Aeoo'pxliXsop (Harpocrat. s. v.; Plllt. de EI (y),.
wood; but, on the authority of two passages Dclph. p. 385, b.; MUiller, l)or. ii. 2. ~ 15, note).
(Plut. Aeniil. P'anl. 37; Diod. xvii. 115), in the Of such lescitae the chief was that which wtas
formier of which TOpEdEieL, cal E A7rs0UvpyEw are erected at Delphi by the Cnidians, and which was
inenitioned together, Raoul-Rochette supposes that celebrated thronghout Greece, even less for its own
the Leptlurji were those who beat out gold and magnificence, than for the painltings with whichl it
silver in thin leaves to cover statues and futrniture; was adorned by Polygnotus. (Paus. x. 25; Butatld that they correspontded to the Bractearii Ati- tiger, A1rchaol. d. dMaleei, p. 296', &c.; Diet. of
Jices among the Romlans. (Lettre a' iM. Schorn,'/ioeq. s.. Polygqotsa.) [P. S.]
pp. 189, 191.) [P. S.] LEUCA or LEUGA. [PEs.]
LE'RIA. [IIMBnus; TuNICA.] IEX. Lex is defilled by Papinian (Dig. 1.
LERINAEA (Xepvaea), were mysteries (-reXEsT) tit. 3. s. 1):-" Lex est conllllnlne praeceptumti,
celebrated at Lerna in Argolis, iin honour of De- virorum prudentium colnsultum, deiictorum, quae
meter. (Paus. ii. 36. ~ 7.) They welre said to sponte vel ignorantia contrahutlntu cocoercitio, cornhave been instituted by Philammon. (Pats. ii. 37. mnlunis reipmsblicae sponsio." Cicero (de Leg. i. 6)
~ 3.) In ancient timoes the Argives carried the fire defines it thus: — Quaae sCripto sancit quod vult,
firom the temple of Artemis Pyronia, on Mount aut jubendo, aut vetando." (See also de Leq. ii.
Crathis, to the Lernlaea. (Paus. viii. 15. ~ 4.) 16.) A. Law is properly a rule or command of the
These mysteries were probably a remnanlt of the sovereign power in a state, published in writiing,
ancient religion of the Pelasgians, but filrther and addressed to and enforced upon the members
particulars are not knlown. [L. S.] of such state; and this is the proper sense of Lex
LESCIIE (AoiXrl), is an Ionic word, signify- inl the Rolman wvriters.
ing council or conversatioin, and am pl.ce fibr couzncil In the Institutes (1. tit. 2. s. 4) thlere is a dcitor cncerssation. There is frequenlt mention of plhces nition of a Lex, which hats 1 mol'e dil'rect reference
of public resort, in the Greek cities, by the nolme to that power which is the source of law:-" Lex
of A/erXal, some set apart for the purpose, andc est quod Populus Romoilans senatorio imagistratu
others so called because tlhey were so used by interrogante, veluti Consisle, constituebat." The
homllgers; to the latter clatss belong the Iagtra;illd definition of Calpito ((Gell. x. 20) is enera tle
its porticoes, the gym-nasia, aild the shops of vsari- jussutlt popelit aut pleLis aomllite mlaagistratu;"