CONGĬĀRĬUM (_scil. vas_, from _congius_), a vessel containing a
_congius_. [CONGIUS.] In the early times of the Roman republic the
_congius_ was the usual measure of oil or wine which was, on certain
occasions, distributed among the people; and thus _congiarium_
became a name for liberal donations to the people, in general,
whether consisting of oil, wine, corn, money, or other things, while
donations made to the soldiers were called _donativa_, though they
were sometimes also termed _congiaria_. Many coins of the Roman
emperors were struck in commemoration of such congiaria. _Congiarium_
was, moreover, occasionally used simply to designate a present or a
pension given by a person of high rank, or a prince, to his friends.
[Illustration: Congiarium. (Coin of Trajan.)]
CONGĬUS, a Roman liquid measure, which contained six sextarii, or the
eighth part of the amphora (nearly six pints Eng.) It was equal to
the larger _chous_ of the Greeks.