Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/126

 AMP

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AMP

cularly in the Hearr, Lungs, Foramen Ovale, Sfc. See The Word is derived from the Greek 4jpf?, about, t^

Heart, Foe am en Ovale, &c. before, and ?vh@-, Column.

The Term is fometimes alfo extended to Men, who have AMPHISCII, in Geography and Aftronomy, the People

the Faculty of living a long time under Water — We have who inhabit the Torrid Zone. See Zone.

divers InftanCSes of ittch Amphibious Men; the molt remark- They are thus denominated, as having their Shadow

able is of a Sicilian, named the Fijh Colas. Kircbcr re- turn'd fometimes one way, and fometimes another, i. e. at

lates, that by a long Habitude from his youth, he had fo one time of the Year to the North, and at another to the

South. See Shadow.

The Word comes from dy-pl, about, and ffma, Shadow.

The Amphifcii are alfb Afcii. See Ascii.

AMPHISMELA, an anatomical Knife, edg'd on both fides ; from dy.pt t utrinque, on both iides, and p&i£*> t in- cido, I cut.

AMPHITHEATRE, a fpacious Building, either round or oval, having its Area or Arena incompafled with Rows of Seats, riling gradually one over another ; with Portico!s both within and without-iide. See Area and Arena.

Among the Antients, the Amphitheatre was appointed for the exhibiting of Spectacles or Shews to the People ; as, the Combats of Gladiators, and thofe of wild Beafts. See Spectacle, Gladiator, &c.

Their Theatre was built in form of a Semicircle, only exceeding a juft Semicircle by one fourth part of the Dia- meter ; and the Amphitheatre was nothing clfe but a dou- ble Theatre, or two Theatres join'd together : fo that the •atre, was to the fhorreft,

accuftom'd himfelf to live in Water, that his Nature feem'd to be quite alter'd : So that he lived rather after the man- ner of a Fifh, thanaMan. See Diving, ¥ ear i-Fi/hing,8ic. The Word comes from the Greek dyft, ntrinque, both- ways, and CiU, Vita, Life; as living in either Place.

AMPHIBLESTROIDES, in Anatomy, a Tunic, or Coat of the Eye, more ufually called Retina. See Re- tina.

The Word is Greek, «^^ik£?«AV, of &y,f t Form; by reafon of its Net-like Texture : whence the Latins alfo call it Retiformis.

AMPHIBOLOGY, or Amphibolia, in Grammar, a Fault in Language, whereby it is render'd obfeure, and lia- ble to be underftood in a double Senfe.

Amphibology is chiefly ufed in refpecl of a Phrafe ; as Equivoque is in refpeft of a Word. See Eqjjivoque, and Equivocation.

Of this kind was that Anfwer which 'Pyrrhus receiv'd longeft Diameter of the Amphi from the Oracle ; Aw Te, JF.acida, Rcmanos vincere pojfe : as i r to i. See Theatre. Where the Amphibology confilts in this, that the Words Te There are Amphitheatres fiill {landing at Rome, at Nifi and Romanos, may either of 'em precede, or either of mes, &c. — The Amphitheatre of Vefpafian, called the Goli- them follow the Words pojje vincere, indifferently. See feum, and that at Verona in Italy, are the moft celebrated Oracle, now remaining of all Antiquity. See Coliseum.

The Englijh Language ufually fpeaks in a more natural *Pliny mentions an Amphitheatre built by Curio, which manner, and is not capable of any Amphibologies of this turn'd on large Iron Pivots; fo that of ' the fame Aittph'ithea- kind : nor is it fo liable to Amphibologies in the Articles, as tre, two feveral Theatres were occaiionally made, whereon the French and moft modern Tongues. See Construc- different Entertainments were prefented at the fame time. tion, English, Article, $$g. The Word is deriv'd from the Greek dypi, about, and

The Word comes from the Greek, a.yjpt€o\o;, ambiguous, -SW^, Theatre ; which comes from &Uoyju, fpetlo, con- and h.vyU, 'Difcourfe. templor ; fo that an Amphitheatre, ftriftly fpeaking, is a

AMPHIBRACHIUS, the Name of a Foot in the Latin Place whence a Perfon may fee all around him. and GreeitPoetry ; confifting of three Syllables, the firll and AMPHORA, in Antiquity, an earthen Veffel, which laft whereof are fhort, and that in the middle long. See ferv'd as a kind of liquid Meafure, among the Romans. Foot, and Verse. See Measure.

Such is the Word Amare. The Amphora contained 48 Sextaries 5 amounting to

The Word comes from dy brevis, about feven Gallons, BngliJJj Wine Meafure. q. d. a Foot fliort at both Ends, and long in the middile. AMPHICTYONS, Amphyctones, in Antiquity, the

Deputies of the Cities and People of Greece, who repre- fented their refpeftive Nations in a general Affembly ; hav-

Amphora is alfo a modern Meafure ufed by the Venetians* See Measure.

Suetonius tells us of a Man who ftood for the Queftor- ftiip, and who drank an Amphora of Wine at one Meal,

ing a full Power to concert, refolve, and appoint what they with the Emperor Tiberius.

ihould think fit, for the Service of the common Caufe. _ The Amphora was fometimes alfo ufed as a Dry Mea-

The AmPhy&ones, in good meafure, were the fame with fure, containing three Bufhels ; the Standard whereof was

the States General of Holland ; or rather, with what in Ger- kept at Rome in the Capitol, to prevent falie Meafures. See

many they call the Diet of the Empire. See States, and Standard.

Dvet. AMPLIATION, properly fignifles an Enlargement ; but

The firft Affembly of this kind, was held by the Direc- in Law, the Word is ufed to denote a deferring of Judgment

tion of Amphitryon, the third King of Athens, who pro- till the Caufe be further examin'd.

pos'd by that means to bind the Greeks more firmly toge- AMPLIFICATION, in Rhetorick, part of a Difcourfe

ther ; fo as to render them a Terror to the barbarous Na- or Speech, wherein a Crime is aggravated, a Praife or

tions their Neighbours. — Thefe met twice a year at Ther- Commendation heighten'd, or a Narration enlarged by an

mopylef, in the Temple of Ceres, which was built in a large Enumeration of Circumftances ; fo as to excite the proper

Plain, near the River A/opus ; and were called AmphiByons Emotions in the Souls of the Auditors. See Oration,

from the Name of their Founder. &c.

e falfa Le-

gate one.

Acrifius inftituted a new Council of AmphyBones, on the

Virgil, where, inftead of faying merely that Turnus died, he amplifies his Death,

AJl illi Jblvuntur frigore membra,

Vitaque cum gemitu fitgit indignata pub umbras.

Amplification, according to Cicero, is a vehement Argu-

Model of the antient ones ; who met twice a Year in the mentation; a forcible Affirmation, that perfwades by mov-

Temple of Delpboi. p ing the Pailions.

Each were indifferently called *fy$md<NSii Uvhtt^o£cf.i 3 'Ie- Some Authors define Amplification, after Jfocrates, to be

gwmfwm, and their Affembly Ttvtoia. a Difcourfe which makes great things of little ; or which

The Romans never thought fit to fupprefs the Meeting raifes and exaggerates little things, io as to make 'em ap-

of the AmphiByons. Strabo even aflures us, that they met pear great.' — But in this Senfe, Amplification mould rather

in his Time. become a Sophift or Juggler, than an Orator.

AMPHIDROMIA, in Antiquity, a Feaft celebrated on The Matters of Eloquence make Amplification the Soul

the fifth Day after the Birth of a Child. See Feast. of Difcourfe. — Longinus fpeaks of it as one of the princi-

AMPHIMACER, a Foot in the antient Poetry, confift- pal means which contribute to the Sublime ; but cenfures

ing of three Syllables ; the firft and laft whereof are long, thofe who define it a Difcourfe which magnifies Things 5

and that in the middle fhort. See Foot, £5?c. this equally agreeing to the Sublime, the Parhetick, & C :'T

Such are the Words Omnium, Cajlitas, &c. - The fame Author diftinguifhes Amplification from the Sub-

Thc Word comes from the Greek dytpi, circum, and y*- lime by this, that the latter confilts wholly in an Eleva-

xfof, longUS, by reafon both Extremes are long.

AMPHIPOLES, in Antiquity, Archons, or chief Magi ftrates of the City of Syracttfe. See Arcijon.

They were firft eftablifh'd by Timoleon, after his Expul fion of Dio7i.yfius the Tyrant. — They govern'd Syracufe for

tion of Words and Sentiments, whereas the former confifts alfo in their Multitude : The Sublime is fometimes found in a fingle Thought ; but Amplification cannot fubfift, except- ing in Abundance. See Sublime.

There is likewife a difference between the Amplification,

he Space of 500 Years ; and Diodorus Siculus affures us, and the Proof; in that the one ferves to _ clear the Point,

they fubfifted even in his Time. and the other to heighten, and exaggerate it. See Proof.

AMPHIPROST^LE, in the antient Architeaure, a kind There are two general Kinds of Amplification ; the one

of Temple, which had four Columns in Front, and as many of Things, the other of Words. —The firft is produced in di-

behind. See Temple; vers manners 5 as, i°, by a Multitude of Definitions : Thus