Moses, Henry [Editor]: A collection of antique vases, altars, paterae, tripods, candelabra, sarcophagi, &c.: from various museums and collections (Mailand, 1814)

52 CIP P I.

extended to the utmost limits of the empire;) the charge of
them therefore was intrusted to men of the highest rank*.
Augustus himself undertook the management of those round
Rome. In commemoration of this fact cippi were erected on
the roads under his superintendance, and medalswere struck
with cippi upon themf. As the Roman burying-ground was
for the most part by the road side, cippi were placed to mark
its boundaries, or as memorials of affection and friendship
in honour of the deceased. Sepulchral cippi were also placed
in the magnificent mausoleums of the ancients. The cippi
found in sepulchres have been often taken for altars, on
account of the similarity of their forms, and the correspond-
ing richness of their ornaments, especially when the inscrip-
tion has not contained an epitaph, properly speaking. The
distinction is, however, very slight, as these cippi were con-
secrated to the infernal deities, and to the manes in parti-
cular; and they are even sometimes excavated in the upper
part in the form of a bason or crater: there are instances
of cippi being perforated from top to bottom to receive li-
bations, after the manner of some altars. The celebration
of the secular games in the times of Augustus, of Domi-
tian, and of Severus was recorded on cippi, as appears on
the types, of some of the coins struck in the reigns of each
of those emperors J. Cippi were used for land-marks; and

* Bergier Hist, des Grands Chemins de l'Empire Romain, 2 torn.
4to. 1728. f Vide Vignette XVI.

+ Rasche Lexicon rei nummarias. Cippus,