CUPA
CUPA a wooden cask, butt or barrel, used like the largest
earthen vessel, the
dolium, to receive the
fresh must from the wine-press (
torcular) and
to contain it during the process of fermentation. The cupa was always of
wood; the
dolium, like the
amphora, always of earthenware. Hence of the derivatives, Fr.
cuve, cuvier, Eng.
cooper, follow the original meaning; while in It.
coppa, Fr.
coupe, Eng.
cup, it is modified. The inferior wines were drawn for drinking
from the cupa, without being bottled in
amphorae;
[p. 1.574]whence
vinum de cupa
(
Cic. in Pis. 27,
§ 67; Varr. ap. Non. 2.113;
Dig. 18,
6,
1.4) is equivalent to our
expression “from the wood.” [A caution may be necessary against
the rendering of the passage in Cicero by some editors, as if
cupa were for
copa,
“a hostess;” though Charisius (p. 47 P. = 63, 11 K.) has
quamvis Vergilius librum suum cupam
inscripserit.] Cicero says also
de dolio haurire for drinking new wine
(
Brut. 83.288; cf. Guhl and Koner, ed. 5, p. 594). The phrase
in Horace (
Sat. 2.2, 123) may be dismissed with
the remark that all good editions give with the MSS.
culpa potare magistra: Bentley's long note is, as often with
him, ingenious but not convincing.
The cupae, like our own casks, were made with staves (
tabulae, Pallad. 1.38.1) and hoops (
circuit, Petron.
Sat. 60.3;
Plin. Nat. 14.132). The close
resemblance is shown in the annexed illustration.
 |
|
Cupae. (From Trajan's Column.)
|
The hoops might be of rushes or osiers, perhaps also of iron: Varro objects
to rush hoops on
cupae vinariae, as not strong
enough to stand the fermentation (
op. Non.
l.c.). For the staves, the pitch-pine was preferred
(
Plin. Nat. 16.42); it is not stated
that wooden casks received a coating of pitch, as the
dolia and
amphorae undoubtedly
did (
H. N. 14.134; Guhl and Koner,
l.c.). They were used for a variety of purposes, as in modern times:
for preserving and transporting fruits and corn (
Dig.
33,
7,
8 and 12),
forming rafts and pontoons (
Lucan 4.420;
Capitol.
Maximin. 22; cf. Vopisc.
Aurelian.
48); containing combustibles in war (
Caes. Gal.
8.42;
B.C. 2.11); and even for a sarcophagus
(Grut.
Inscr. p. 845).
II. Part of an olive-press (
Cat. Agr. 21) ; in
this sense probably derived from
κώπη, a
handle. [
TRAPETUM]
[
P.S] [
W.W]
