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

MANSIO. MANSIO. 729
MANDRAE. [LATRUNCULI.] afford a shelter during the night both to man and
MANDYAS (ulav[6as). [LACERNA.] beast.
MANES. See Diet. of Greek and Reom. io- The Latin term m2nezsio is derived from mnanere,
graply and Mlytkolo,qy. signifying to pass the n;ght at a place in travelling.
MANGONES. [SERvvs.] On the great Roman roads the mansiones were at
MAINICA, a sleeve. Besides the use of sleeves the same distance from one another as on those of1
sewed to the tunic, which, when so manufalctured, the Persian empire. They were originally called
was called ciiridota or snanicata tun.ica (Curt. iii. castro, being probably mere places of encampment
7. p. 12, ed. Zumpt), sleeves were also worn as a formed by making earthen entrenchments. In
separate part of the dress. Palladius (de Re Rust. process of time they included, not only barracks
i. 43) mentions the propriety of providing ocreas and magazines of provisions (henrore) for the troops,
vmcicasque de pellibus, i. e. leggins and sleeves but commodious buildings adapted for the reception
made of hides, as useful both to the huntsman and of travellers of all ranks, and even of the emperor
to the agricultural labourer. The Roman gladiators himself, if he should have occasion to visit them.
wore, together with greaves, a sleeve of in appro- At those stations the cisiarii kept gigs for hire and
priate kind on the right arm and hand (Juv. vi. for conveying government despatches. [CSIU I;u
255), as is exhibited in the woodcuts at p. 576. ESSEDUn.] The izmansio was under the superinThese parts of dress are mentioned together tendence of an officer called mneansionarius.
even as early as the Homeric age (see Ocd. xxiv. Besides the post-stations at the end of each
2218, 229). In this passage the manicae (XELpiLes) day's journey, there were on the Roman military
seem to be mittens, worn on the hands to protect ways others at convenient intervals, which were
them from briars and thorns: and Eustathius, in used merely to change horses or to take refreshhis commentary on the passage, distinguishes be- ment, and which were called mzssutationes (&xaayal).
tween simple mittens, such as our labourers use in There were four or five mutationes to one mansio.
hedging, and gloves, which he calls XELpiLes aic- The Itinerasriuss a BZl'diyala lie2rusaleon 2usque,
v'o Tats (p. 1960. init.). which is a road-book drawn up about the time of
Gloves with fingers (diqitalia, Varro, de Re Rust. Constantine, mentions in order the mansiones from
i. 55) were worn among the Romans for the per- Bourdeaux to Jerusalem with the intervening
formance of certain manual operations. Pliny the ssnutationes, and other more considerable places,
younger refers also to the use of manicae in winter which are called either civitates, viez, or cestell/o.
to protect the hands fioll cold (Epist. iii. 5). The nunber of leagues (leuyae) or of miles between
Those used by the Persians were probably made one place and another is also set down. [J. Y.]
of f ur, perhaps resembling muffs: the Persians also MANTE'LE (XetlpbalcTrppo, XelpEtcparyeoP), a
wore gloves in winter (bascTrvXOpas, Xen. Cyrsop. napkin. The circumstance, that forks were not
viii. 3. ~ 17). In an enumeration of the instru- irnvented in ancient times, gave occasion to the use
melnts of torture used in the fourth century of the of napkins at meals to wipe the fingers (Xen. Qrop).
Christian era we observe " the glove " (Synes. i. 3. ~ 51); also when the meal was finished, and
E'pist. 58); but its construction or mlaterial is not even before it commenced, an apparatus was cardescribed. ried round for washing the hands. A basin, called
HIandcuffs were called mnanicce. (Virg. Georyg. iv. in Latin sealluvium (Festus, s. v.), and in Greek
439, Aenz. ii. 146; Plaut. Asin. ii. 2. 38, Capt. XipVl'/, XiplGoy, or XetpvL7rTPOVv, was held under
iii. 5. 1, MAost. v. 1. 17; Non. Marc-llus, s. v. the hands to receive the water, which was poured
Mle1aicae.) [J. Y.] upon them out of a ewer (uwceolus). Thus Homer
MANI'PULUS; MANIPULAIRES; MA- describes the practice, and according to the acNIPULA'RI[. [ExaRClTUS, p. 500, b.] count of a recent traveller, it continues unchanged
MA'NSIO (oaraO/4s), a post-station at the end in the countries to which his description referred.
of a day's journey. The great roads, which were (Fellow's Journal, 1838,. p. 153.) The boy or
constructed first by the kings of Persia and after- slave who poured out the water, also held the
wards by the Romans, were provided, at intervals napkin or towel for wiping the hands dry. The
corresponding to the length of a day's journey, with word mappa, said to be of Carthaginian origin
establishments of the same kind with the khans (Quintil. i. 5. ~ 57), denoted a smaller kind of
or caravanseras which are still found in the East. napkin, or a handkerchief, which the guests carThere were 111 such stations on the road from ried with them to table. (Hor. Sat. ii. 4. 81, ii.
Sardes to Susa (Herod. v. 52, 53, vi. 118), their 8. 63.) The mantele, as it was larger than the
average distance from one another being something z2appa, was sometimes used as a table-cloth.
less than 20 English miles. The khan, erected at (Martial, xii. 29, xiv. 138.)
the station for the accommodation of travellers, is The napkins thus used at table were commonly
called by Herodotlls iccar'iAvris and tcKararw-y1. made of coarse unbleached linen (&u/oAi'cp, Athen.
To stop for the night was KaSTaxveLv. (Xen. Anclb. ix. 79). Sometimes, however, they were of fine
i. 8; Aelian, V. H. i. 32.) As the ancient roads linen (e&tp',Uta~ta Aalumrpa&'v6ovuvp., Philoxenus,
made by the kings of Persia are still followed to a alo. Athen. ix. 77). Sometimes they were woollen
considerable extent (Heeren, Ideen, vol. i. pt. ii. with a soft and even nap (tonsis mnntelia villis,
pp. 193-203, 713-720), so also there is reason to Virg. Georg. iv. 377, Aen. i. 702). Those made
believe that the modern khan, which is a square of Asbestos must have been rare. The Romals
building, enclosing a large open court, surrounded in the time of the emperors used linen napkins
by balconies with a series of doors entering into embroidered or interwoven with gold (Lamprid.
plain unfrnis hed apartments, and having a foun- Helioqgab. 27, Al. Severus, 37, 40), and the traveller
tain in the centre of the court, has been copied by already quoted informs us that this luxury still
uninterrupted custom from the Persic tcaraxAvas, continues in the East. Napkins were also worn
anud that, whether on occasion of the arrival of by women as a head-dress, in which case they.
armlies or of caravans, they have always served to were of fine materials and gay colours. (Athen. ixn