Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Malus

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. 

MALUS (ἱστός). A ship's mast, mostly made of fir and of a single pole. Plin. H. N. xvi. 76. Ordinary sized vessels carried but one mast (woodcuts, pp. 9. 147.); the larger kinds, especially merchantmen, had two, of the same height, as in the annexed example (Malus/1.1), from a medal of Commodus, or one considerably smaller and made to rake, as in the specimen at p. 247.; and an engraved gem of the Stosch collection appears to afford an instance of three masts. Wink. Pierres gravées p. 531. No. 41.

2. A mast, or strong wooden pole affixed to the top of the outer wall of a theatre or amphitheatre, from which an awning (velarium) was strained over the entire opening of the cavea, to shield the spectators from the sun and weather. (Lucret. vi. 110.) The illustration (Malus/2.1) represents the top courses of the external wall of the great theatre at Pompeii, which is furnished with large stone rings to receive the masts in the manner here exhibited; in the Flavian amphitheatre at Rome, which was a more decorated building, consoles were employed for the same purpose, which still remain, and are situated in the same manner as the rings here shown.

3. The upright pillar in a clothes' or wine press (pressorium, torcular), which is worked by means of a worm and screw (Plin. H. N. xviii. 74.), as shown by the annexed engraving (Malus/3.1), representing the press employed in the fullers' establishment at Pompeii, from a painting still remaining on a pilaster within the premises.

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  Malus/1.1
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  Malus/2.1
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  Malus/3.1