Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Synthesis

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. 

SYN'THESIS (σύνθεσις). A dress worn by the Romans at meal-time (Mart. v. 79.); but not at other times, nor in public, excepting during the Saturnalian festival, when the whole city was engaged in the feasting and gaiety of a modern carnival. (Mart. xiv. 1. and 141.) It is impossible to ascertain the characteristic peculiarities distinguished by the term; but the bas-reliefs and paintings which exhibit figures at their meals, represent them with the upper part of the person quite naked, or more usually clothed in a loose ungirt tunic, either with short or long sleeves; the legs and lower half of the body being folded in a loose piece of drapery, which is sometimes also raised as a mantle over the shoulders, as shown by the wood-cuts s. ACCUBO and LECTUS TRICLINIARIS. Possibly the two together, the indumentum and the amictus, constituted a synthesis; which is more consonant to the primitive meaning of the term, and analogous with its other senses, than any single piece of drapery would be; for all of them have reference to a combination of several things; as, a set of vessels composing a table-service (Stat. Sylv. iv. 9. 44.); a medicinal mixture composed of various ingredients (Seren. Sammon. xxx. 578.); a wardrobe or entire suit of clothes. (Scaev. Dig. 34. 2. 39.)