Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Mazonomum

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. 

MAZON'OMUM (μαζονομεῖον, μαζονόμος). Properly an article of Greek domestic use; viz. a round wooden trencher, upon which barley cakes were served up (Hesych. Compare Harmod. ap. Athen. iv. 31.); whence the name was transferred to a large salver of bronze or gold, upon which burning incense and other perfumes were carried by young boys in the religious ceremonies of Bacchus (Calix ap. Athen. v. 27.), as shown by the annexed example (Mazonomum/1.1), from a bas-relief of the Pio-Clementine Museum.

2. The Romans also adopted the name, but used it in a somewhat different meaning; for a dish of very large dimensions (sub iniquo pondere mazonomi Nemes. Fragm. de Aucup. i. 17.), in which game pies were brought up (Hor. Sat. ii. 8. 86. Schol. Vet. ad l. Varro, R. R. iii. 4. 3.), like the annexed example (Mazonomum/2.1) from an ancient fresco discovered near the church of St. John in Lateran, at Rome, representing a number of slaves, each of whom brings in a different dish at a feast; the pastry is painted yellow: and a bas-relief of the Pio-Clementine Museum (v. 14.) represents a dish with a pastry crust, of precisely the same character presented by an attendant to Hercules, who is reclining at his meal.

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