Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Authepsa

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

AUTHEP'SA (αὐθέψης). A word coined from the Greek, meaning in its literal sense a self-boiler (Cic. Rosc. Am. 46. Lamprid. Elag. 19.), from which it is reasonably inferred to have been an apparatus which contained its own fire and heaters for water, so as to be adapted for cooking in any part of a house; and consequently of the same description as the specimen (Authepsa/1.1) here introduced, from a bronze original found at Pompeii. The sides, which are of considerable thickness, and hollow, contained water; and a small cock projects from one of them (the left hand in the engraving) to draw it off; the four towers at the angles are provided with moveable lids; the centre received the lighted charcoal; and if a trivet or other vessel was placed over it, such an apparatus would admit of many processes in cooking, with great economy of trouble and expense. Many other contrivances of the same sort have been discovered at Pompeii, similar in regard to the principle upon which they are constructed, and only differing in the pattern or design.

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  Authepsa/1.1