MARSU´PIUM
MARSU´PIUM (
μαρσύπιον,
βαλάντιον), a purse. (Non. Marcellus, s.
v.; Varro,
de Re Rust. 3.17;--Plaut.
Men. 2.1, 29; 2.3, 33, 35; 5.7, 47;
Poen. 3.5, 37;
Rud. 5.2, 26;--
Xen. Conviv. 4.2) The word is a
diminutive of
μάρσιπος, a bag, which occurs
in
Xen. Anab. 4.3,
11, as a clothes-bag, equivalent to
στρωματόδεσμος.
Marsupium, therefore, is strictly a small bag
or pouch.
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Mercury holding a Marsupium.
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The purse used by the ancients was commonly a small leathern bag, and was
often closed by being drawn together at the mouth (
σύσπαστα βαλάντια, Plat.
Symp. p. 190 D).
Mercury is commonly represented holding one in his hand, of which the
annexed woodcut from an intaglio in the Stosch Collection at Berlin presents
an example. For journeys and campaigns, the safer girdlepurse (
zona) was used. (See also CRUMENA, ZONA.）
[
J.Y] [
G.E.M]
