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

ORCHESTRA.

78

OVATIO.

ORCHESTRA. JThf.atrvm.]

ORCINUS SENATOR. [Senatus.]

ORDO is applied to any body of men 'who
form a distinct class in the community, either
by possessing distinct privileges, pursuing cer-
tain trades or professions, or in any other
way. Thus the whole body of sacerdotes at
Rome is spoken of as an ordo, and separate
ecclesiastical corporations are called by the
same title. The libertini and scribae also
formed separate ordines. The senate and
the cquites arc also spoken of respectively as
the ordo senatorius and ordo equestris, but
this name is never applied to the plebes. Ac-
cordingly we find the expression, utcrguc
ordo, used without any further explanation
to designate the senatorial and equestrian
ordines. The senatorial ordo, as the highest,
is sometimes distinguished as amplissimus
ordo.—The senate in colonies and municipia
was called ordo decuriomun [Colonia]. and
sometimes simply ordo.-—The term ordo is
also applied to a company or troop of soldiers,
and is used as equivalent to centuria : thus
centurions are sometimes called qui ordines
duxerunt, and the first centuries in a legion
primi ordines. Even the centurions of the first
centuries are occasionally called primi ordines.

ORGIA. [Mysteria'.]

ORG VIA (opyuia), a Greek measure of
length, derived from the human body, was
the distance from extremity to extremity of
the outstretched arms, whence the name,
from ope'yco. It was equal to 6 feet or to 4
cubits, and was l-100th of the stadium.

OBICHALCTJM, a metallic compound, akin
to copper and bronze, which was highly
prized by the ancients. It probably denotes
brass, with which the ancients became ac-
quainted by fusing zinc ore (cadmium, cala-
mine) with copper, although they appear to
have had scarcely any knowledge of zinc
as a metal. The word is derived from opos
and \a\Kos, that is, mountain-bronze.

OSCHOPHORIA (cucrxo^opia, ocrxocfropia),
an Attic festival, which, according to some
writers, was celebrated in honour of Athena
and Dionysus, and according to others in
honour of Dionysus and Ariadne. It is said
to have been instituted by Theseus. It was
B vintage festival, and its, name is derived
from uktxos, ocrxos, or oo^rj, a branch of vines
with grapes.

OSCILLUM, a diminutive through osculum
from os, meaning " a little face," was the
term applied to faces or heads of Bacchus,
which were suspended in the vineyards to
be turned in every direction by the wind.
Whichsoever way they looked, they were
supposed to make the vines in that quarter
fruitful. The first cut represents the counte-

nance of Bacchus with a beautiful, mild, and
propitious expression. The other cut reprc-

Ostillum. (From a Maible in the Ornish Museum.)

scnts a tree with four oscilla hung upon its
branches. A syrinx and a pedum are placed
at the root of the tree.

Oscillum. (From an ancient Gem.)

OSTIARIOI, a tax upon the doors of
houses, which appears to have been some-
times levied in the provinces. There was a
similar tax, called columnarium, imposed
upon every pillar that supported a house.

OSTIUM. [Janta.]

OVATIO, a lesser triumph. The circum-
stances by which it was distinguished from
the more imposing solemnity [Triumphvs]
were the following :—The general did not
enter the city in a chariot drawn by four
horses, but on foot: he was not arrayed in
the gorgeous gold embroidered robe, but in
the simple toga praetexta of a magistrate ;
his brows were encircled with a wreath, not
of laurel but of myrtle ; he bore no sceptre
in his hand ; the procession was not heralded
by trumpets, headed by the senate, and
thronged with victorious troops, but was
enlivened by a crowd of flute players, at-
tended chiefly by knights and plebeians, fre-
quently without soldiers : the ceremonies
were concluded by the sacrifice, not of a bull
but of a sheep. The word ovatio seems
clearly to be derived from the kind of victim
offered. An ovation was granted when the
advantage gained, although considerable, was