pegma
pegma, a fixture of boards, bookcase, book-shelf
- I In gen.: atricrum pegmata, Aus. Epigr. 26: in emptionem domus et specularia et pegmata cedere solent, Dig. 33, 7, 12.—
- II In partic.
- A A bookcase, Cic. Att. 4, 8, a fin.—
- B A piece of wooden machinery in the theatre, which rose and fell, opened and shut of itself, and with which players were suddenly raised aloft, Sen. Ep. 88, 19; Plin. 33, 3, 16, § 53: si automatum vel pegma vel quid tale aliud parum cessisset, Suet. Claud. 34; Phaedr 5, 7, 7; Juv. 4, 122; Mart. 8, 33, 3; Vop. Carin. 19.
predicator gloriosus, non in Romane commissionis ~ate sed in crucis stigmate querens gloriari
hoc ~a ‥ baculus cum massa plumbi in summitate pendente, antiqui tamen dicebant hoc pugma quod tamen moderni devitant propter vocis hyatum
babul, or bable , librilla ‥ ~a
a babylle , pigma
~a, baculus cum massa plumbi in summitate pendente et A.a babul
pigma,a babul
a bable , ~a
~a ‥ frixorium vel frixoleum ut in Alexandro
~a, i. fraxinus
~a, i. fraccinus ‥ G.freyne , A.esh
- 1. boekenkast;
- 2. (poët.; postklass.) verplaatsbaar podium (in het theater), dat men snel kon laten zakken.
Machina lignea in qua statuæ collocabantur, in Amalth. vox Latinis haud ignota.
Pegma crucis, in Actis S. Cassiani metrice descriptis apud Illust. Fontaninum in Antiquit. Hortæ pag. 353 :
Hoc etiam Verbum carnis ceu sumserit ortum Edocet in populis, reserans arcana Tonantis, Pegma crucis subiisse, hinc infernum spoliasse.
- , πῆγμα, a fixture of boards, bookcase, book-shelf: tua pegmata.—In a theatre, a movable platform, stage machine, Ph., Iu.
PEGMA(πῆγμα), a structure of planks joined together, and so in its simplest form shelves in the atrium for imagines (Auson. Epigr. 26, 10) or book-shelves (Cic. ad Att. 4.8); but in a special sense the origin of our word pageant, an edifice of wood consisting of two or more stages (pegsmata of four stages appeared in the triumph of Titus: Jos. B. J. 7.5, 5), which were raised or depressed, expanded or closed at pleasure by means of weights acting with ropes and pulleys ( ponderibus reductis, Claudian, de Mall. Theod. Cons. 323--328; Senec. Ep. 89; Prudent. περὶ ετεφ. 10.1016). These great machines were used in the Roman amphitheatres, and for spectacles in general, and to some extent resembled the contrivances for transformation scenes in a modern pantomime (Juven. 4.121; Mart. 1.2; Suet. Cl. 34). They were moved on wheels: sometimes they were richly decorated; overlaid with silver (Plin. Nat.33.53). At other times they exhibited a magnificent, though dangerous, display of fireworks (Claudian, l. c.; Vopisc. Carin. 15). Gladiators or other performers were borne aloft upon them, and some editors give pegmares as signifying hence gladiators; but in the passage of Suetonius (Calig. 26), where alone the word is supposed to occur, the reading paegniaris is more probable. Strabo saw in the forum a Sicilian brigand-chief placed on a pegma representing Aetna. The machine was so constructed as suddenly to fall asunder and precipitate him among the wild beasts (Strab. 6. p. 273; Mayor on Juv. l. c.). Phaedrus (Phaed. 5.7, 7) mentions an accident to a tibicen on a pegma.
[J.Y] [G.E.M](πῆγμα). (1) Planks joined to make shelves—e. g. in the atrium of a house for the imagines or for book-shelves (Auson. Epigr. 26, 10; Cic. Ad. Att. iv. 8).
(2) A wooden structure of several stages (four are sometimes mentioned) which could be raised or lowered by weights and pulleys (Sen. Epist. 89). The pegmata were used in the Roman amphitheatres and spectaculas in various ways; for effecting sudden transformation, like the double stage of the old Madison Square Theatre in New York City; and sometimes for letting off fireworks (Vopisc. Carin. 15).