on Descriptions, considers that the thericleum and the carchesium are the same. But that they are different is plainly shown by Callixenus, who, in his Account of Alexandria and its customs, says—"And some people marched in the procession, bearing thericlea (and he uses the masculine form [Greek: thêrikleious]), and others bearing carchesia." And what kind of cup the carchesium was, shall be explained in due time. There is also another kind called the thericlean bowl ([Greek: thêrikleios kratêr]), which is mentioned by Alexis, in his Cycnus—
And in the midst a thericlean bowl
Resplendent stood; full of old clear white wine,
And foaming to the brim. I took it empty,
And wiped it round, and made it shine, and placed it
Firm on its base, and crown'd it round with branches
Of Bacchus' favourite ivy.
Menander also has used the form [Greek: thêrikleios] as feminine, in his Fanatic Woman, when he says—
And being moderately drunk, he took
And drain'd the thericleum ([Greek: tên thêrikleios]).
And in his Begging Priest he says—
Drinking a thericleum of three pints.
And Deoxippus, in his Miser, says—
A. I want now the large thericlean cup ([Greek: tês thêrikleiou tês megalês]).
B. I know it well.
A. Likewise the Rhodian cups;
For when I've pour'd the liquor into them,
I always seem to drink it with most pleasure.
And Polemo, in the first book of his treatise on the Acropolis at Athens, has used the word in the neuter gender, saying— "Neoptolemus offered up some golden thericlean cups ([Greek: ta thêrikleia]) wrought on foundations of wood."
44. And Apollodorus of Gela, in his Philadelphia or the Man who killed himself by Starvation, says—
Then there were robes of fine embroidery,
And silver plate, and very skilful chasers
Who ornament the thericlean cups,
And many other noble bowls besides.
And Aristophon, in his Philonides, says—
Therefore my master very lately took
The well-turn'd orb of a thericlean cup,
Full foaming to the brim with luscious wine,
Mix'd half-and-half, a most luxurious draught,
