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

OPERIS NOVI NUNTIATIO. OPSONITUM. 835
A. D. 01. A. D. 01. A. D. 01. perty which was threatened withdamage by the
57. 209. 1. 141. 230. 1. 225. 251. 1. Opus Novum, or he who had an easement(servitus)
61. 210. 1. 145. 231. 1. 229. 252. 1. in such property, had the Jus nuntiandi (Dig. 43.
65. 211. 1. 149. 232. 1. 233. 253. 1. tit. 25). Nuntiatio consisted in protesting against
69. 212. 1. 153. 233. 1. 237. 254. 1. and forbidding the progress of the Opus Novurn, on
73. 213 1. 157. 234. 1. 241. 255. 1. the spot where the work was proceeding and in
77. 214 1. 161. 235. 1. 245. 256. 1. the presence of the owner or of' some person who
81. 215. 1. 165. 236. 1. 249. 257. 1. was there present on his account. The Nuntiatio
85. 216. 1. 169. 237. 1. 253. 258. 1. did not require any application to or interference
89. 217. 1. 173. 238. 1. 257. 259. 1. on the part of the Praetor. It was a rule of law
93. 218. 1. 177. 239. 1. 261. 260. 1. that the Nuntiatio must take place before the
97. 219. 1. 181. 240. 1. 265. 261. 1. work was completed: after it was completed, the
101. 220. 1. 185. 241. 1. 269. 262. 1. Operis Novi Nuntiatio had no effect, and redress
105. 221. 1. 189. 242. 1. 273. 263. 1. could only be obtained by the Interdict Quod vi
109. 222. 1. 193. 243. 1. 277. 264. 1. aut clam.
113. 223. 1. 197. 244. 1. 281. 265. 1. If the Opus Novum consisted in building on the
117. 224. I. 201. 245. 1. 285. 266. 1. complainant's ground, or inserting or causing any
121. 225. 1. 205. 246. 1. 289. 267. 1. thing to project into his premises, it was better to
125. 226. 1. 209. 247. 1. 293. 268. 1. apply at once to the praetor, or to prevenlt it per
129. 227. 1. 213. 248. 1. 297. 269. 1. mantim, that is, as it is explained "jactu lapilli,"
133. 228. 1. 217. 249. 1. 301, 270. 1. which was a symbol of the use of force for self137. 229. 1. 221. 250. 1. protection.
_Many of the ancient writers did not consider The Edict declared that after a Nuntiatio nohistory to begin till the Olympiad of Coroebus, and thing should be done, until the Nuntiatio was deregarded as fabulous the events said to have oc- clared illegal (znuntiatio saissa or resissaficrt) or a
curred in preceding times. (Censorinus, De Die security (satisdcatio de opere restituendo) was given.
NAttal. c. 21; African. apud Euseb. Prael. x. 1 0. If the person to whom the notice was given perp. 487, d; Clinton, Fast. Hell. vol. ii. Introd.. p. ii.) severed, even if lie had a siight to do what he was
The old Olymrlpiad aera appears only to have doing; yet as he was acting against the praetor's
been used by writers, and especially by historians. edict, he might be compelled to undo what he had
It does not seem to have been ever adopted done. By the Nuntiatio, the parties were brought
by any state in public documents. It is never within the jurisdiction of the praetor. In cases
found on any coins, and scarcely ever on inscrip- where there was danger from the interruption of
tiOns. There are only two inscriptions published the work, or the person who was making the Opus
by Biickh in which it appears to be used. (Corp. Novum denied the right of the nuntians, he was
lAscr. n. 2682, 2999.) A new Olyrmpiad aera, allowed to go on upon giving a cautio or security
however, came into use under the Roman emperors, for demolition or restoration, in case the law was
which is found in inscriptions and was used in against him. When the cantio was given or the
public documents. This aerla begins in O1 227. 3. u-ntians waived it, the party was intitled to an
(A. D. 131), in which year Hadrian dedicated the interdictum prohibitoriumn for his protection in proO(lympieion at Athens; and accordingly we find secuting the work.
01. 227. 3. spoken of as the first Olympiad, 01. The effect of the nuntiatio ceased, when the
228. 3. (A. ). 135) as the second Olympiad, &c. cautio was given; when the nlntians died; when
(Bdcklh, Corp. Inscr. n. 342, 446, 134.5.) he alienated the property in respect of which he
(Krause, Oylzspia, p. 60, &c.; Wurm de Pond., claimed the Jus nuntiandi; or when the praetor
&c., ~ 94, &c.) permitted the work to go on (operis novi nuntiaONYX. [SCALPTURA.] tioeneo.... renmeisse?-it, Lex Gall. Cis. x. Dig. 39.
OPA. [METroPA.] tit. 1i s.'2, ate r)nissam nZintZtiitonem; Dig. 39.
OPA'LIA, a Roman festi-al in honour of Opis, tit. I; Mackeldevy Lelrbuc/i, &c., 12th ed. ~ 237,
Nwhich was celebrated on the 14th day before the &e.). [G. L.]
Calends of January (Dec. 19tl), being the third: OTPI'MA SPO'LIA. [SPoLrA.]
day of the Saturnalia, which was also originally OPINATO'RES were officers uinder the Ro.
celebrated on the same day, when only one dmay m:an emperors, who were sent intothe provinces to
was devoted to the Iatter festival. Itwas believed obtain provisions for the army, The provisions
that Opis was the wife of Saturnus, and for this had to be s.upplied to them within a year. The
rea.son the festivals were celebrated at the same etym~ology of the name is uncertain. (Cod. 12. tit.
time. (Macrob. Sat. i. 12; Varr. de Lin2g. Lat. vi,. 3d. s. 11; Cod. Theold. 7. tit. 4. s. 26; 11. tit. 7.
22, ed. Miiller; Festus, s. v. Opalica.) The wor- s. 1 6.)
shippers of Opis paid their vows sitting, and touehed OPISTHO0OMUS. [TFMPLUIa.]
the earth on purpose, of which she was the god- OPISTOGRAPHI. [LIBER.]
dess. (Macrob. 1. c.) OPSO'NTUM, or OBSO'NIUM (i4ov,, dim.
O'PEIRIS NOVI NUNTIA'TIO was a sum- ojdaploi; doryfua, Plut. S inpos. Proh. iv. 1), demary remedy provided by the Edict against a per- noted every thing which was eaten with bread.
son who was making an Opus Novum. An Opus Among the ancients loaves, at least preparations
Novurn consisted in either adding something in the of corn in some form or other, constituted the
way of building (aedificando) or taking away some- principal substance of every meal. But together
thin0 so as to alter the appearance of a thing with this, which was the staff of their life, they
(./fsces operis). The object of the nuntiatio was partook of numerous articles of diet called ojpsonia
either the maintenance of a right (jies), or to pre- or pulmentarica (Cat. de Re Rust. 58; Her. Sat. ii.
vent damage (damnuns), or to protect the public 2. 20), designed also to give nutriment, but still
interest (publicu7n ju2s). The owner of the pro- more to add a relish to their food. Some of thes
3 is 2