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Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Oscillum

< Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary

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. 

OSCIL'LUM. Diminutive of OS; a small mask or image of the face; more especially of Bacchus, which the country people suspended in a vineyard in such a manner that the mask turned round and fronted different directions, as it was impelled by the action of the wind; it being a current belief that the district became fruitful towards which the aspect of the god was directed. (Virg. Georg. ii. 388 — 392. Macrob. Sat. i. 7.) The illustration (Oscillum/1.1) represents several of these oscilla suspended on a tree, from an engraved gem; and an original marble mask of Bacchus, in the British museum, with a ring at the top for hanging it up.

  • Oscillum/1.1
    Oscillum/1.1

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