of the
Festivals, and was held with the greatest merriment and freedom;
the slaves then enjoyed the same amount of liberty as they did at
the Saturnalia at Rome. The second Festival, which was called the
Lensea, from +lenus+, a wine-press, was celebrated in the month
Gamelion, with Scenic contests in Tragedy and Comedy. The third
Dionysian Festival was the Anthesteria, or "Spring feast," being
celebrated during three days in the month Anthesterion. The first
day was called +pithoigia+, or "the Opening of the casks," as on
that day the casks were opened to taste the wine of the preceding
year. The second day was called +choes+, from +chous+, "a cup,"
and was probably devoted to drinking. The third day was called
+chutroi+, from +chutros+, "a pot," as on it persons offered pots
with flower-seeds or cooked vegetables to Dionysus or Bacchus. The
fourth Attic festival of Dionysius was celebrated in the month
Elaphebolion, and was called the Dionysia +en astei, Astika+, or
+Megala+, the "City" or "great" festival. It was celebrated with
great magnificence, processions and dramatic representations
forming part of the ceremonial. From Greece, by way of Sicily, the
Bacchanalia, or festivals of Bacchus, were introduced into Rome,
where they became the scenes of and pretext for every kind of vice
and debauchery, until at length they were put down in the year
B.C. 187, with a strong hand, by the Consuls Spurius Posthumius
Albinus and Q. Marcius Philippus; from which period the words
"bacchor" and "bacchator" became synonymous with the practice of
every kind of vice and turpitude that could outrage common
decency. See a very full account of the Dionysia and the
Bacchanalia in Dr. Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman
Antiquities.]

[Footnote 31: _Is of service to him_)--Ver. 199. He means that it
is to the advantage of Clitipho that Clinia should be seen to
stand in awe of his father.]

[Footnote 32: _Reasonable men_)--Ver. 205. "Homo," "a man," is
here put for men in general who are fathers.]

[Footnote 33: _Of knowing and of pardoning_)--Ver. 218. There is a
jingle intended here in the resemblance of the words
"cognoscendi," "knowing," and "ignoscendi," "pardoning."]

[Footnote 34: _Is-- fair words_)--Ver. 228. "Recte est." It is
supposed that he pauses before uttering these words, which mean
"very well," or "very good," implying the giving an asse