Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Foculus

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. 

FOC'ULUS. Diminutive of FOCUS; any small or portable fire-place; especially in the following specific senses and uses: —

1. The cavity on the top of an altar for burnt-offerings, within which the fire was kindled (Liv. ii. 12.); whence also used for the altar itself. (Cic. Dom. 47.) The example (Foculus/1.1) represents a small marble altar, showing the foculus at the top, from an original found at Antium.

2. (ἐσχάριον). A brazier, or chafing-dish, in which charcoal or wood-ashes were burnt, for the purpose of warming apartments. Many of these have been discovered in the houses of Herculaneum and Pompeii both round and square, but similar in general character to the specimen annexed (Foculus/2.1), from an original of bronze.

3. A small portable stove or fire-place, employed for culinary and other purposes. (Plaut. Capt. iv. 2. 67. Juv. Sat. iii. 262.) The example (Foculus/3.1), from a painting found in Herculaneum, shows the stove raised upon a stand supported on three legs, in order to give room for ventilation underneath, the door in front through which the charcoal was to be inserted, and a vessel on the top, containing the ingredients which the figure stirs round whilst they boil.

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  Foculus/1.1
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  Foculus/2.1
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  Foculus/3.1