Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Acetabulum

Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon (Rich, 1849)

ACETAB'ULUM (ὀξύβαφον). A vinegar cruet, or rather cup, which the ancients used to place upon their tables at dinner, to dip their bread in. (Isidor. Orig. xx. 4. 12. Apic. viii. 7. Ulp. Dig. xxxiv. 2. 20.) We have no direct testimony of its being so employed, beyond the inference drawn from the Greek name of the vessel, which means literally a vinegar dipper. The original (Acetabulum/1.1), of fine red clay, here figured, is in the Museum at Naples, and is an undoubted example of these cups, as the name ὀξύβαφον is inscribed underneath it. Panofka, Recherches sur les véritables Noms des Vases Grecs.

2. The cup used by jugglers of the class now called "thimble-riggers," joueurs de gobelets, in playing the trick of the "little pea" (Seneca, Ep. 45.). This was a very common piece of jugglery both amongst the Greeks and Romans, and was played exactly in the same way as now (Alciphron, Ep. iii. 20., where the process is circumstantially detailed). The "thimble-rigger" was called ψηφοκλέπτης or ψηφοπαίκτης by the Greeks (Athen. i. 34. Suidas.); the Romans have left no specific name, except the common one for all jugglers, praestigiator. Seneca, l. c.

3. A dry measure of capacity, containing the fourth part of a Hemina. Plin. H. N. xxi. 109.

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  Acetabulum/1.1