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

TRIPOS. TRIUMPHUS. 1 G63
published by K. O. Miiller (BiJttiger's Amnaitlten, after the battle of Plataeae. It consisted of a
i. p. 119), founded upon numerous ancient an- golden bowl, supported by a three-headed bronze
serpent. (Herod. ix. 81; Thucyd. i. 132; Schol.
in loc.; Paus. x. 13. ~ 5; Gyllius, Top. Const. ii. 1] 3;
Banduri, Imsp. Orient. t, ii. p. 614.) The golden
bowl having been removed, the bronze serpent was
taken to Constantinople, and is probably the same
which was seen there by Spon and Wheler in
1675. The first figure in the annexed wood-cut
I__l _l__ID..is copied from Wheler's engraving of it. (Journey
into Greece, p. 185.) He says it was about founr
teen or fifteen feet high.
thorities, and designed to show the appearance
of the oracular tripod at Delphi. Besides the
parts already mentioned, viz. the three legs, the
three handles, and the vessel or caldron, it shows
a flat, round plate, called o'hAos, on which the C.
Pythia seated herself in order to give responses,
and on which lay a laurel wreath at other times.
This figure also shows the position of the CORTINA,
which, as well as the caldron, was made of very
thin bronze, and was supposed to increase the
prophetic sounds which came from underneath the
earth. (Virg. Aen. iii. 92.)
The celebrity of this tripod produced innumerable imitations of it (Diod. xvi. 26), called
"Delphic tripods." (Athen. v. p. 199.) They The use of bronze tripods as altars evidently
were made to be used in sacrifice, and still more arose in a great degree from their suitableness to
frequently to be presented to the treasury both be removed from place to place. We have an exin that and in many other Greek temples. (Athen. ample of this mode of employing them in the scene
vi. pp. 231, f.-232, d.; Pans. iv. 32. ~ 1.) which is represented in the woodcut on p. 1045.
[DoNARIA.] Tripods were chiefly dedicated to To accommodate them as much as possible to this
Apollo (Paus. iii. 18. ~ 5) and to Bacchus. Partly purpose, they are sometimes made to fold together
in allusion to the fable of the rape of a tripod from into a small compass' by a contrivance, which may
Apollo by Hercules, and the recovery of it by the be understood from an inspection of the preceding
former (Paus. iii. 21. ~ 7, x. 13. ~ 4), the tripod woodcut. The right-hand figure represents a tripod
was one of his usual attributes, and therefore in the British Museum. A patera, or a plain meoccurs continually on coins and ancient marbles tallic disk, was laid on the top, when there was
which have a relation to him. Of this we have an occasion to offer incense. Many of these movable
example in the bas-relief engraved on p. 117, which folding tripods may be seen in Museums, proving
also exhibits two more of his attributes, the lyre how common they were among the Romans.
and the serpent. In conformity with the same Another species of tripods deserving of notice
ideas it was given as a prize to the conquerors at are those made of marble or hard stone. One
the Pythian and other games, which were cele- was discovered in the villa of Hadrian, five feet
brated in honour of Apollo. (Herod. i. 144.) On high, and therefore unsuitable to be used in sacrithe other hand, the theatre at Athens being con- fice. It is very much ornamented, and was prosidered sacred to Bacchus, the successful Cho- bably intended merely to be displayed as a work
ragus received a bronze tripod as the appropriate of art. (Caylus, Recoeil, ii. pl. 53.) [J. Y.]
prize. The choragic monuments of Thrasyllus and TRIPU'DIUM. [AUGUR, pp. 175, b., 176, a.]
Lysicrates, the ornamental fragments of which are TRIRE'MIS. [NAvis.]
now in the British Museum, were erected by them TRITAGONISTES. [HIsTRIO.]
to preserve and display the tripods awarded to TRITTYA (Tpurrla). [SACRIFIcIUM, p.1000.]
them on such occasions. We find also that a TRITTYS (TpI7TU's). [TRIBUS, P. 1154.]
tripod was sometimes consecrated to the Muses TRIUMPHUS, a solemn procession in which
(Hes. Op. et Dies, 658) and to Hercules. (Paus. a victorious general entered the city in a chariot
x. 7. ~ 3.) drawn by four horses. He was preceded by the
A tripod, scarcely less remarkable than that captives and spoils taken in war, was followed by
from which the Pythia delivered oracles, and con- his troops, and after passing in state along the Via
secrated to Apollo in the same temple at Delphi, Sacra, ascended the Capitol to offer sacrifice in the
was that made from the spoils of the Persian army temple of Jupiter.