USCHOPHORTA.

vu 10 inscriptions.! Some attained great skill in |
their art. as Cypassis, whom Ovid? addresses,

¢ Ponendis in mille modos perfecta capillis,
Comere sed solas digna Cypassi deas ;”

and Nape, whom Ovid? also describes as skilled

¢ Colligerc incertos εἰ in ordine ponere crines.”*
g

*OROBAN’CHE (ὀροδάγχῃ" " The ὀροδάγχη of
Theophrastus,” observes Adama ‘would appear
decidedly to be a species of Cuscuta or dodder of
Thyme. The ὀροδάγχη of Dioscorides is held by
Sprengel to be the Orobanche caryophyllea. The
bpobayyn is called ὀστπρολέων by writers of a later
age ”s

*OR’OBOS (8poboc), the Ervum ervilia, or Tare,
according to Stackhouse, Dierbach, and Sprengel.®

*OROSPIZOS (ὀρόσπιζος), a bird, a species of
mountain Chaffinch. Adams makes it the Bramb-
ling, or Fringilla montifringilla.’

*ORTYGOME'TRA (ὀρτυγομήτρα). According
10 Gesner and Hardouin, it is the bird called in
Italy Re de Qualie, or “ King of the Quails.” Or-
nithologists now give the name of Ortygometra crez
to the common Landrail.®

*ORTYX (ὄρτυξ), the Tetrao coturmz, L., or
Quail.®

*ORYX (ὀρύξ). * Dr. Shaw inclines to the opin-
ion, that the Oryz of the Greeks, or Thau of the
Hebrews, was the Buffalo. = It is much more proba-
ble, however, that it was a species of Antelope. It
is graphically described in the Cynegetica of Op-
pian.”®

*ORYZA (ὄρυζα), the Oryza sativa, or Rice.!?

OSCHOPHORIA (Ὠσχοφορία or Ὀσχοφορία), an
Attic festival, which, according to some writers,
was celebrated in honour of Athena and Dionysus,'?
and according to others, in honour of Dionysus and
Ariadne.® The time of its celebration is not men-
tioned by any ancient writer, but Corsini'* supposes,
with great probability, that it was held at the com-
mencement of the Attic month Pyanepsion. Tt is
said to have been instituted by Theseus. Its name
is derived from ὦσχος, ὄσχος, or ὄσχη, a branch of
vines with grapes, for it was a vintage festival ; and
on the day of its celebration, two youths, called
ὀσχοφόροι. whose pareats were alive, and who were
elected from among the noblest and wealthiest cit-
izens,'® carried, in the disguise of women, branches
of vines with fresh grapes from the Temple of Dio-
nysus in Athens to the ancient Temple of Athena
Skiras in Phalerus. These youths were followed
by a procession of persons who likewise carried
vine-branches, and a chorus sang hymns called
ὠσχοφορικὰ μέλη, which were accompanied by dan-
ces.!® In the sacrifice which was offered on this
occasion, women also took part; they were called
δειπνοφόροι, for they represented the mothers of the
youths, carried the provisions (ὄψα καὶ σιτία) for
them, and related stories to them. During the sac-
rifice, the staff of the herald was adurned with
garlands, and when the libation was ?erformed. the
spectators cried out ἐλελεῦ, lod, lov.)” The ephebi
taken from all the tribes had on this day a contest
ὴ racing from the city to the Temple of Athena
Skiras, during which they also carried the ὄσχη, and
the victor received a cup filled with five different

1. (Orelli, Inscr., n. 2878, 2033, 4715, 4443.)—2. (Amor., i1.,
8.)—3. (Amor., i., b.)—4. (Compare Juv., vi., 486.—Tertull., De
Cult. Fem., 6.)—5. (Theophrast., H. P., vin., 8.—Diuscor., iy
171.—Geopon., ii., 42.—Adams, Append.. s. v.)—6. (Dioscor.,
i, 131.— hrast., H. P., 1ii., 13. —Adams, Append., s. v.)—
7. (Anistot., H. A., viii,, 5.)—8. (Anstot., Η A., νιῖ!., 14 -
Adams, Append.,s.v.)—9. (Anstot.. H A ,1x,11.)—10. (Shaw's
Travels, 1i., p. 280.—Oppian, Cyneg., n , 445 —Anstot., H. A.,
ii., 2.—Adams, Append., s. v.)—11 (Theophrast . H. P., v,
4.)—1%. (Phot., p. 322, Bekker.)—13 (Plut., Thes., 23.)—I14.
Att., ii., p. 354.)—15. (Schol. ad Nicand., Alexiph., 109.)
-16. (Mhe;.g,‘sxiv » p. 631.)—17. (Plut., Thes., 22.) |

OSTREUM.

things (πεντάπλοος, πενταπλόα OT πεντατλη), τ.
wine, honey, cheese, flour, and a little οἱἹ " Aecord
ing to other accounts, only the victor drank from
this cup. The story which was symbolically repre
sented in the rites and ceremonies of this festival,
and which was said to have given rise to it is reia-
ted by Plutarch? and by Proclus.?

OSCILLUM, a diminutive througn oscu/um from
os, meaning ¢ a little face,” was the term applied te
faces or heads of Bacchus, which were suspended
in the vineyards to be turned in every direction by
the wind. Whichsoever way they looked, ther
were supposed to make the vines in that quarte
fruitful ¢

cut is taken from an oscillum of white marhle u
the British Museum. The back of the head is
wanting, and it is concave within. The mouth ane
pupils of the eyes are perforated. It represents the
countenance of Bacchus with ἃ mild and propitious
expression (molle, honestum®). A fillet, spirally twist-
ed about a kind of wreath, surrounds the head, and
descends by the ears towards the neck. The me-
tallic ring by which the marble was suspended
still remains. The other figure is from an ancient
gem,* representing a tree with four oscilla hung
upon its branches. A Syrinx and a Pepum are
placed at the root of the tree.

From this noun came the verb oscillo, meaning
“to swing.” Swinging (oscillatio) was ameng the
bodily exercises practise ! by the Romans.”

OSTIA’RIUM was a tax upon the doors ot
houses, which appears to have been sometimes
levied in the provinces.® Cicero® calls it acerbrssi-
ma exactio. There was a similar tax, called colum-
narium, imposed upon every pillar that supported a
house.?

O'STIUM. (Vid. JanNua.)
OSTRACISMUS. (Vid. BaNisanrNT, GREEK, p.
135.)

*OSTRACODERMA ( ὀστρακόδερμα) “ This
term,” says Adams, *“in its most extensive sense,
comprehended two great orders of marine animals,
namely, the σκληρόστρακα and the μαλακόστρακα.
Under the σκληρόστρακα were ranked oysters, urch-
ins, mussels, &c. ; under the μαλακόστρακα, crabs
of all kinds, craw-fish, &c. It must be borne in
mind, however, that the general term ὀστρακόδερμα
is often applied in a restricted sense to the σκληρό
στρακα, or Testacea, and that ὄστρεα and ὀστράκια
are occasionally used in the same sense, i. e., are
applied to the Testacea.”"!

OSTRAKON (ὄστρακον). (Vid. FicTiLe.)

*OSTR'EUM (ὄστρεον), a term most properly ap-
plied to the Ostrea edulis, or common Oyster, but
sometimes to the whole class of Crustacea, or ἐστοα-
xodeppa. **The Greeks, and more especially the

1. (Athen., xi., p. 495.)—2. (Thes., 22, 23.)—3. (p. 388, o
Gu’l{url —Compare Bekker’s Adnealot., Ρ. 3184—Etynnd . Mag
and Hesych., s v. "Qoxot.—Suid., s. v. na}ow»fl. and "Soxe
φόρος.)--4. (Virg., Georg., ii., 388-392.)—3. (Virg., L. c.)—@
(lf-flol, Gem. Ant., iii., 64.)—7. (Festus, s. v.— ygin., Fab.
130.)—8. (Ces., Bell. Civ., iii., 32.)—9. (ad Fam., 1., 8.)—10
(Ces., 1. c.—Cic. ad Att., xiii., 6.—Burmann, De Vect., c. 18, p
205.)—11. (Adams, Append., β. v.—Id., Csmmentary on Paa! ot
ZEgina, y. 129.)