Smith, William: A smaller dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities (London, 1871)

AMPYX.

9

:4

AXAGXOSTES.

materials. Ampullae were more or less glo-
bular. From their round and swollen shape,
the word was used by Horace to indicate grand
and turgid but empty language. ("Projicit
ampullas et sesquipedalia verba," Ar.Puet. 97.)
Ampullae are frequently mentioned in con-
nection with the bath, since every Roman took
with him to the bath a bottle of oil for anoint-
ing the body after bathing. The dealer in
bottles was called ampullarius.

Ampulla. (From a tomb at Myra id Lycla.)

AMPYX (ap-Truf, aixTTUKrqp, Lat. frontale),
a frontal, a broad band or plate of metal,
which ladies of rank wore above the forehead
as part of the head-dress. The frontal of a
horse was called by the same name. The
annexed cut exhibits the frontal on the head
of Pegasus, in contrast with the correspond-
ing ornament as shown on the heads of two
females.

Ampyces, Frontk-ts. (From Paintings on Vast's.)

AMULETUM (jrepia-TTTOV, irepCo.ixp.a, <f>v\a.K-
rripiovj, an amulet. This word in Arabic

(hamalct) means that ichich is suspended. It
was probably brought into Europe by Ara-
bian merchants, together with the articles to
which it was applied. An amulet was any
object,—a stone, a plant, an artificial pro-
duction, or a piece of writing,—which was
suspended from the neck, or tied to any part
of the body, for the purpose of warding off
calamities and securing advantages of any
kind. Faith in the virtues of amulets was
almost universal in the ancient world, so
that the art of medicine consisted in a very
considerable degree of directions for their
application.

AMUSSIS or A.MUSSIUM, a carpenter's
and mason's instrument, the use of which
was to obtain a true plane surface.

ANACEIA (ayaxeta, or avaxeioi'), a festi-
val of the Dioscuri or Anactes ("Avcuctcs), as
they were called at Athens. These heroes,
however, received the most distinguished ho-
nours in the Dorian and Achaean states,
where it may be supposed that every town
celebrated a festival in their honour, though
not under the name of Anaceia.

AXACRISIS (ifaicpto-ts), an examination,
was used to signify the pleadings preparatory
to a trial at Athens, the object of which was
to determine, generally, if the action would
lie. The magistrates were said aixucptVeci'
Tr)i/ &ikt]v or tov5 avTiStxov;, and the parties
ai'a/cpiVeo-Oru. The process consisted in the
production of proofs, of which there were
five kinds :—1. The laws ; 2. Written docu-
ments ; 3. Testimonies of witnesses present
(ixap-rvpiai), or affidavits of absent witnesses
(e/tp.apTvpt'ai); 4. Depositions of slaves ex-
torted by the rack; 5. The oath of the par-
ties. All these proofs were committed to
writing, and placed in a box secured by a
seal (ex'1'0?) till they were produced at tho
trial. If the evidence produced at the ana-
crisis was so clear and convincing that there
could not remain any doubt, the magistrate
could decide the question without sending the
cause to be tried before the dicasts : this was
called diamartyria (oiap-aprupta). The ar-
chons were the proper officers for holding
the anacrisis ; they are represented by Athena
(Minerva), in the Eumenides of Aeschylus,
where there is a poetical sketch of the process
in the law courts. For an account of the
anacrisis or examination, which each arehon
underwent previously to entering on office,
see Archon.

AXAGLYPHA or AXAGLYPTA (ivdyKv^a,
ivdyKvirTa), chased or embossed vessels made
of bronze or of the precious metals, which
derived their name from the work on them
being in relief, and not engraved.

AXAGXOSTES, a slave, whose duty it was