Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Macellum

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

MACEL'LUM (μάκελλον). An enclosure or building which served as a market, in which all kinds of provisions, fish, flesh, poultry, game, and vegetables were sold (Varro, L. L. v. 147. Plaut. Aul. ii. 8. 3. Suet. Jul. 43.), and probably ready dressed; for in early times when cooks were not regularly kept in private families, each person hired one from the macellum when his services were required. (Plin. H. N. xviii. 28.) It differs, however, from the forum, which was an open area surrounded by colonnades, and in which the market was held upon stated days in each week, and supplied with various kinds of manufactured articles, as well as all descriptions of agricultural produce. There were two edifices appropriated for this purpose in the city of Rome, one on the Esquiline, called Macellum Livianum; the other on the Caelian, called Macellum Magnum, surrounded with two stories of columns, and covered in the centre with a high dome (tholus, Varro, ap. Non. s. Sulcus, p. 448.), which is represented by the annexed woodcut (Macellum/1.1) from a medal of Nero, by whom it was, perhaps, restored, or decorated, or enlarged. The square platform in front upon two legs represents a tray or stand (mensa) upon which the provisions were set out; and the two objects upon it, on either side, which in our engraving look like balusters, from imperfect delineation, are in the original clearly meant for a pair of scales.

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  Macellum/1.1