piscina

piscīna, ae, f. [piscis], a pond in which fish are kept, a fish-pond.

• I Lit.: piscinarum genera sunt duo, dulcium et salsarum, Varr. R. R. 3, 17, 2; 3, 3, 2; 5; 10; Col. 1, 6, 21; 8, 17: in piscinam rete qui parat, Plaut. Truc. 1, 1, 12 (33); Cic. Par. 5, 2, 38; id. Att. 2, 1, 7.—Esp.,
• • • 2 Piscina publica, the public fish-pond at the Porta Capena: praetores tribunalia ad Piscinam publicam posuerunt, Liv. 23, 32, 4; cf. Fest. infra, II. A. —
• II Transf. (post-Aug.).
• • A A pond for bathing or swimming, whether of warm or cold water; a basin, pool, Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 23: cohaeret calida piscina, ex quā natantes mare aspiciunt, id. ib. 2, 17, 11; Sen. Ep. 86, 5; Suet. Ner. 27; Lampr. Elag. 19; piscinam peto, non licet natare, Mart. 3, 44, 13; Vulg. Cant. 7, 4; id. Johan. 5, 2: piscinae publicae hodieque nomen manet, ipsa non exstat, ad quam et natatum et exercitationis alioqui causā veniebat populus, Fest. p. 213 Müll.—Of a pond where cattle might bathe and drink: piscinae pecoribus instruantur, Col. 1, 5, 2; 1, 6, 21.—
  • B A flood-gate, sluice, lock, Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 53.—
  • C A cistern, tank, reservoir: piscinae ligneae, Plin. 34, 12, 32, § 123: Probatica piscina, Vulg. Johan. 5, 2.

piscīna, ae, f. (piscis), I) der Fischteich, Weiher, ornithones ac leporaria et piscinae, Varro: piscinas aedificare (anlegen), Varro: mullos exceptare de piscina, Cic.: murenas ingentes in piscina habere, Sen.: Baiarum suarum piscinas extollebat, Tac.: piscina publica, der öffentliche Fischteich (nahe an der porta Capena, südöstlich vom Aventin), wo die Schwimmer sich übten, Liv. 23, 32, 4; vgl. Fest. 213, 2. – II) übtr., übh. ein Wasserbehälter, A) das Wasserbecken, Bassin im Badezimmer, von verschiedener Größe (von 13–300 Fuß Länge u. entsprechender Breite), geräumig u. tief genug, um den Badenden das Schwimmen zu gestatten, Sen. ep. 56, 2 u. 86, 6. Plin. ep. 5, 6, 25. Augustin. de doctr. Chr. 3, 29, 40: p. natatoria, Interpr. Iren. 2, 24, 4: p. calida, warmes Bad, Plin. ep. 2, 17, 11: calidae piscinae ac tempore aestivo nivatae (geeiste), Suet. Ner. 27, 2. – B) ein kleiner Teich auf dem Viehhof der Villa rustica zum Baden, Tränken u. Schwimmen des Viehes, Colum. 1, 5, 2. – C) ein Wasserständer, lignea, Plin. 34, 123.

piscina [CL], ~ia 1 fish-pool or fish-pond (artificially constructed or augmented rather than naturally occurring); b (in gl.) weir, weir-pool. ibi iij molini de lx s. et quingent’ anguill’, et de ~is mille anguillae DB I 128vb; j molinus xix s. et iiij d., et ~a et passagium aquae xiij s. et iiij d. DB I 273ra; ibi xx ~ae redd’ xx milia anguillarum DB I 321ra; 1136 in nemore et plano, aquis et ~is, pratis et pascuis, et in omnibus aliis locis Reg. Glasg. I 9; 1317 Johannes B. piscatus est noctanter in alienis ~iis cum rethibus contra assisam CBaron 124.  b waiour, or stondyng water, ~a PP; hec pissina, A. a wayir WW. 2 pool (for bathing or drawing water); b (w. ref. to IV Reg. xx 20); c (w. ref. to Cant. vii 4); d (w. ref. to Joh. v 2); e (fig.). 1443 liberos et quietos et solutos dictos fontes et aquas omnes et castallum sive ~am in qua congregantur aque ‥ dicte civitati ‥ concessi Foed. XI 30; hec ~a, A. pole WW.  b c1168 si quis ~am construxit ‥ hoc auctorum diligentia transit ad posteros J. Sal. Ep. 284 (271 p. 550).  c oculi ‥ ecclesie sunt ‥ ~is Hesebon comparati quod ad peccatorum maculas abluendas ‥ se offerant J. Ford Serm. 74. 8.  d teste ‥ evangelista, in Jerosolimis est ~a quam Probaticam vocat J. Ford Serm. 75. 6; lex tibi piscina concordat [‥] quia quina / hostia piscine seu partes lex tibi quine Vers. Cant. 7, p. 20.  e [Jesus] piscina mendas abluens J. Howd. Cyth. IV 3; [Domine] fulgens sol glorie, piscina splendoris J. Howd. Cant. 244. 3 (eccl.) piscina, perforated stone basin usu. built into fabric of a church to carry away water with which the chalice and hands of the priest have been rinsed during consecration of the Host. si ‥ forte accidat quod ‥ aliquid sacramenti cadat de calice, si de corpore est debet sumi, si de sanguine et super pannum ceciderit ‥ debet pannus lavari in ~a Beleth RDO 119. 123; ~a decenter secus dextrum altaris cornu ad recentationes et recincerationes demittendas inseratur Gir. GE I 10 p. 36; si ceciderit aliquid in calicem ante consecracionem ‥ si ‥ sit venenosum aut quod abhominacionem faciat, totum deponatur in ~am Cust. Westm. 218.

piscīna, (12) æ, f. (piscis), ¶ 1 vivier : Pl. Truc. 35 ; Cic. Par. 38 ; Att. 2, 1, 7 ¶ 2 piscine, bassin : piscina publica Cic. Q. 3, 7, 1 ; Liv. 23, 34, 4 ; Fest. 213, bassin public || piscine privée : Sen. Ep. 86, 5 ; Plin. Min. Ep. 5, 6, 23 || mare, abreuvoir : Col. Rust. 1, 5, 2 || écluse : Plin. 3, 53 || citerne, bassin, réservoir : piscinæ ligneæ Plin. 34, 123, cuves.

piscina , ae. f.
泡物之塘。魚池。塘。水杖。

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piscīna ae, f

• piscis, a fish-pond, C.: publica, the public fish-pond, L.

PISCINA

PISCI´NA(κολυμβήθρα, δεξαμενὴ) is properly a fish-pond, either of salt water or of fresh; see the passages in Forcellini and the Dictionaries. It denotes also any kind of reservoir, especially those connected with the aqueducts and the baths (AQUAEDUCTUSp. 149 a; BALNEAEp. 275 b, note). Conversely, the Greek κολυμβήθρα was by no means confined to its original meaning of a swimming-bath, but included the various senses of piscina.

Reservoirs were made, as in modern times, by damming up the lower end of a valley. One of the largest and finest was constructed at Agrigentum and is described by Diodorus (Diod. 11.25), though in his time it had ceased to exist; it was seven stadia in circumference, twenty cubits deep, an ornamental sheet of water abounding with fish and swans: he calls it κολυμβήθρα, a good example of this use of the word. The hollow of the hill which this reservoir occupied is still plainly to be distinguished, especially from the Temple of Castor and Pollux (cf. EMISSARIUM).

The Romans, with their unbounded command of water-tight cement, were particularly successful in the excavation of underground reservoirs; and having to deal with the highly calcareous water from the Apennines, they had learnt how to get rid of the sedimentary deposits. In the so-called Sette Sale on the Esquiline, a still existing reservoir attached at first to the Golden House of Nero, afterwards to the Baths of Titus, the water was made to flow through no less than eighteen subdivisions, in as devious a course as possible, so that any sediment it contained might be deposited on the way (Middleton, Anc. Rome in 1885, p. 352).

An unrivalled work of this description is the Piscina Msirabile as it is now called, on the road between Baiae and the promontory of Misenum, and still in perfect preservation. This reservoir is excavated out of the tufa rocks on the seacoast, and was used for watering the fleet in days when the naval head-quarters were at Misenum; it is not mentioned by Pliny or any other Latin writer, but it is referred by Winckelmann with great probability to the time of Augustus, and to Agrippa as its constructor. It is 223 feet long and 83 broad, with a vaulted roof of massive masonry, supported by 48 large cruciform pilasters, arranged in regular lines of 12 each, and forming 5 distinct galleries or conpartments. It is entered at the two extremities by stairs of 40 steps each, one of which has been repaired and made accessible. In the middle of the piscina is a depression or sink, extending nearly from wall to wall, for collecting the sediment from the water. The roof is perforated by square openings, which probably served for ventilating the interior. The walls and pilasters are covered with a calcareous deposit as high as the spring of the arches. It was supplied by the Julian aqueduct from Lake Serino in the Apennines, whose waters have within the last few years been re-introduced into Naples; the traces of the aqueduct entering the piscina may be seen near the entrance.

(Murray's Handbook of Southern Italy, ed. 1883, p. 330; Handbook of Sicily, s. v. Agrigentum; personal observation.)

[W.W]

Piscīna

(literally, “fish-pond”). (1) (κολυμβήθρα). An artificial pond of either salt or fresh water for keeping fish. (See vivarium.)

(2) (λουτρόν). A pool or basin of water in Roman bath-rooms. See balneae, p. 191.