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

MAUSOLEUM.

253

MENSA.

cated her children, watched over and pre-
served the honour of the house, and as the
materfamilias she shared the honours and
respect shown to her husband. Far from
being confined like the Greek women to a
distinct apartment, the Roman matron, at
least during the better centuries of the re-
public, occupied the most important part of
the house,_the atrium.

MAUSOLEUM (Mauo-wAeZoi/), signified ori-
ginally the sepulchre of Mausolus, which was
a magnificent monument erected at Halicar-
nassus b. c. 353, by Artemisia, the widow of
Mausolus. (See Classical Diet., art. Arte-
misia.) It was adorned with beautiful works
of art, and was regarded as one of the seven
wonders of the world. The word Mausoleum
was used by the Romans as a generic name
for any magnificent sepulchral edifice. Mau-
solus, the dynast of Caria, having died in
b. c. 353, his queen Artemisia evinced her
sorrow by observing his funeral rites with
the most expensive splendour, and by com-
mencing the erection of a sepulchral monu-
ment to him at Halicarnassus, which should
surpass any thing the world had yet seen.
The building extended 63 feet from north to
south, being shorter on the fronts, and its
whole circuit was 411 feet (or, according to
the Bamberg MS., 440) ; it rose to the height
of 25 cubits (37 J feet) ; and was surrounded
by 3G columns. This part of the building was
called Pteron. It was adorned with sculptures
in relief, on its eastern face by Scopas, on the
northern by Eryaxis, on the southern by
Timotheus, on the western by Leochares.
Above this pteron was a pyramid equal to it
in height, diminishing by 24 steps to its
summit, which was surmounted by the mar-
ble quadriga made by Pythis. The total
height, including this ornament, was 140
feet. In the Roman Jfausolea the form
chiefly employed was that of a succession of
terraces in imitation of the rogus. Of these
the most celebrated were those of Augustus
and of Hadrian ; the latter of which, stripped
of its ornaments, still forms the fortress of
modern Rome (the castle of S. Angelo) ; but
of the other, which was on a still larger
scale, and which was considered as one
of the most magnificent buildings of Au-
gustus, there are only some insignificant
ruins.

MEDIASTIXI, the name given to slaves,
used for any common purpose. The name is
chiefly given to certain slaves belonging to
the familia rustica, but it is also applied some-
times to slaves in the city.

MEDLUXUS (fi.eSifj.ros), the principal dry
measure of the Greeks. It was used espe-
cially for measuring corn. The Attic medim-

nus was equal to six Roman modii. For its
subdivisions see Tables at the end. [Metee-
tes; Choenix ; Xestes ; Cotyi.a.]

MEDIX TUTICUS, the name of the su-
preme magistrate among the Oscan people.
Medix appears to have signified a magistrate
of any kind, and tuticus to have been equiva-
lent to magnus or summits. Livy, therefore,
in calling the medix tuticus the summits ma~
gistratus, gives aliteral translation of the word.

MEGALESIA, MEGA.LEXSIA, or MEGA-
LEXSES LUDI, a festival with games, cele-
brated at Rome in the month of April and in
honour of the great mother of the gods
(Cybele, ntydXr) fleds, whence the festival
derived its name). The statue of the goddess
was brought to Rome from Pessinus in b. c.
203, and the day of its arrival was solemnised
with a magnificent procession, lectisternia,
and games, and great numbers of people car-
ried presents to the goddess on the Capitol.
The regular celebration of the Megalesia,
however, did not begin till twelve years later
(b. c. 191), when the temple, which had been
vowed and ordered to be built in B. c. 203,
was completed and dedicated by M. Junius
Brutus. The festival lasted for six days,
beginning on the 4th of April. The season of
this festival, like that of the whole month in
which it took place, was full of general re-
joicings and feasting. It was customary for
the wealthy Romans on this occasion to in-
vite one another mutually to their repasts.
The games which were held at the Megalesia
were purely scenic, and not circenses. They
were at first held on the Palatine, in front of
the temple of the goddess, but afterwards
also in the theatres. The day which was
especially set apart for the performance of
scenic plays was the third of the festival.
Slaves were not permitted to be present at
the games, and the magistrates appeared
dressed in a purple toga and praetexta,
whence the proverb, purpura Megalensis.
The games were under the superintendence
of the curule aediles, and we know that four
of the extant plays of Terence were performed
at the Megalesia.

MEMBRAXA. [Liber.]

MEXSA (Tpa7refa), a table. The simplest
kind of table was a round one with three
legs, called in Greek TpiVovs. Tables, how-
ever, must usually have had four legs, as the
etymology of rpaffe^a, the common word for
table, indicates. For the houses of the opu-
lent, tables were made of the most valuable
and beautiful kinds of wood, especially of
maple, or of the citrus of Africa, which was
a species of cypress or juniper. As the table
was not large, it was usual to place the dishes
and the various kinds of meat upon it, and