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

SYNTHESIS.

359

SYSSITIA.

several families, a lodging-house, insula, as
the Romans ■would say. The lodging-houses
were let mostly to foreigners who came to
Athens on business, and especialty to the
HeVoiKoi, whom the law did not allow to
acquire real property, and who therefore
could not purchase houses of their own. The
rent was commonly paid by the month.
Lodging-houses were frequently taken on
speculation by persons called vavick-qpoi or
cn-aO/xouxoi, who made a profit by underletting
them.

SYNTHESIS, a garment frequently worn
at dinner, and sometimes also on other occa-
sions. As it was inconvenient to wear the
toga at table, on account of its many folds, it
was customary to have dresses especially ap-
propriated to this purpose, called testes coe-
natoriae, or coenatoria, accubitoria, or synthe-
ses. The synthesis appears to have been a
kind of tunic, an indumentum rather than an
amictus. [Amiotus.] That it was, however,
an easy and comfortable kind of dress, as we
should say, seems to be evident from its use
at table above mentioned, and also from its
Deing worn by all classes at the Saturna-
lia, a season of universal relaxation and
enjoyment. More than this respecting its
form we cannot say ; it was usually dyed
with some colour, and was not white, like the
toga.

SYRINX (<n!pi.yf), the Pan's pipe, or Pan-
dean pipe, was the appropriate musical instru-
ment of the Arcadian and other Grecian
shepherds, and was regarded by them as the
invention of Pan, their tutelary god. When
the Roman poets had occasion to mention it,
they called it fistula. It was formed in
general of seven hollow stems of cane or
reed, fitted together by means of wax, having
been previously cut to the proper lengths,
and adjusted so as to form an octave; but

Pan with a Syrinx. (Mus. Worsley;mum, pi. 9.)

sometimes nine were admitted, giving an
equal number of notes. A syrinx of eight
reeds is represented on p. 278.

SYRMA (o-vpixa), which properly means
that which is drawn or dragged (from o-vpw),
is applied to a dress with a train. It was
more especially the name of the dress worn
by the tragic actors, which had a train to it
trailing upon the ground. Hence we find
syrma used metaphorically for tragedy itself.

SYSSITIA (CTvomVta). The custom of
taking the principal meal of the day in
public prevailed extensively amongst the
Greeks from very early ages, but more par-
ticularly in Crete and at Sparta. The Cretan
name for the syssitia was Andreia (av&pila),
the singular of which is used to denote the
building or public hall where they were
given. This title affords of itself a sufficient
indication that they were confined to men
and youths only. All the adult citizens par-
took of the public meals amongst the Cretans,
and were divided into companies or'" messes./'
called hetaeriae (eyaipi'ai), or sometimes an-
dreia. The syssitia of the Cretans were
distinguished by simplicity and temperance.
They always sat at their tables, even in later
times, when the custom of reclining had been
introduced at Sparta. In most of the Cretan
cities, the expenses of the syssitia were de-
frayed out of the revenues of the public
lands, and the tribute paid by the perioeci,
the money arising from which was applied
partly to the service of the gods, and partly
to the maintenance of all the citizens, both
male and female ; so that in this respect
there might be no difference between the rich
and the poor. The Spartan syssitia were in the
main so similar to those of Crete, that one was
said to be borrowed from the other. They dif-
fered from the Cretan in the following respects.
The expenses of the tables at Sparta were not
defrayed out of the public revenues, but every
head of a family was obliged to contribute a
certain portion at his own cost and charge;
those who were not able to do so were excluded
from the public tables. The guests were
divided into companies, generally of fifteen
persons each, and all vacancies were filled up
by ballot, in which unanimous consent was
indispensable for election. No persons, not
even the kings, were excused from attend-
ance at the public tables, except for some
satisfactory reason, as when engaged in a
sacrifice, or a chase, in which latter case the
individual was required to send a present to
his table. Each person was supplied with a
cup of mixed wine, which Avas filled again
when required : but drinking to excess was
prohibited at Sparta as well as in Crete.
The repast was of a plain and simple eha-