Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Tudicula

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. 

TUDIC'ULA. Diminutive of TUDES; a machine for bruising olives, and separating the fleshy part of the berries from the stone, previous to placing them under the press (torcular), by which the oil was squeezed out. Its action was similar to that of a TRIBULUM, working in an upright, instead of horizontal direction (Columell. xii. 52. 7.); but the machine is objected to by Columella, as liable to get out of order, or to have its action impeded by very trifling circumstances; such as that of throwing in only a few berries over the proper quantity. At Mongres, in France, olives are bruised by instruments called battoirs; the name and operation of which are believed to exhibit genuine traces of the Roman tudicula. Schneider. ad Columell. l. c. Id. de trapeto Catonis, p. 617.