PŎPŬLĬFŬGĬA or POPLĬFŬGĬA, the day of the people’s flight, was
celebrated on the nones of July, according to an ancient tradition,
in commemoration of the flight of the people, when the inhabitants
of Ficulae, Fidenae, and other places round about, appeared in arms
against Rome shortly after the departure of the Gauls, and produced
such a panic that the Romans suddenly fled before them. Other writers
say that the Populifugia was celebrated in commemoration of the
flight of the people before the Tuscans; while others again refer its
origin to the flight of the people on the death of Romulus.
PŎRISTAE (πορισταί), magistrates at Athens, who probably levied the
extraordinary supplies.
PORTA (πύλη, _dim._ πυλίς), the gate of a city, citadel, or other
open space inclosed by a wall, in contradistinction to JANUA, which
was the door of a house or any covered edifice. The terms _porta_ and
πύλη are often found in the plural, even when applied to a single
gate, because it consisted of two leaves. The gates of a city were of
course various in their number and position. Thus Megara had 5 gates;
Thebes, in Boeotia, had 7; Athens had 8; and Rome 20, or perhaps
even more. The jambs of the gate were surmounted, 1. by a lintel,
which was large and strong in proportion to the width of the gate.
2. By an arch, as we see exemplified at Pompeii, Paestum, Sepianum,
Volterra, Suza, Autun, Besançon, and Treves. 3. At Arpinum, one of
the gates now remaining is arched, whilst another is constructed with
the stones projecting one beyond another. Gates sometimes had two
passages close together, the one designed for carriages entering, and
the other for carriages leaving the city. In other instances we find
only one gate for carriages, but a smaller one on each side of it
(παραπυλίς) for foot-passengers. When there were no sideways, one of
the valves of the large gate sometimes contained a wicket (_portula_,
πυλίς: ῥινοπύλη), large enough to admit a single person. The gateway
had commonly a chamber (called πυλών) either on one side or on both,
which served as the residence of the porter or guard. Statues of
the gods were often placed near the gate, or even within it in the
barbican, so as to be ready to receive the adoration of those who
entered the city.
PORTĬCUS (στοά), a walk covered with a roof, and supported by
columns, at least on one side. Such shaded walks and places of
resort are almost indispensable in the southern countries of
Europe, where people live much in the open air, as a protection
from the heat of the sun and from rain. The porticoes attached to
the temples were either constructed only in front of them, or went
round the whole building, as is the case in the so-called Temple
of Theseus at Athens. They were originally intended as places for
those persons to assemble and converse in who visited the temple
for various purposes. As such temple-porticoes, however, were
found too small, or not suited for the various purposes of private
and public life, most Grecian towns had independent porticoes,
some of which were very extensive; and in most of these _stoae_,
seats (_exedrae_) were placed, that those who were tired might sit
down. They were frequented not only by idle loungers, but also by
philosophers, rhetoricians, and other persons fond of intellectual
conversation. The Stoic school of philosophy derived its name from
the circumstance, that the founder of it used to converse with his
disciples in a stoa. The Romans derived their great fondness for
such covered walks from the Greeks; and as luxuries among them were
carried in everything to a greater extent than in Greece, wealthy
Romans had their private porticoes, sometimes in the city itself,
and sometimes in their country-seats. In the public porticoes of
Rome, which were exceedingly numerous and very extensive (as those
around the Forum and the Campus Martius), a variety of business was
occasionally transacted: we find that law-suits were conducted here,
meetings of the senate held, goods exhibited for sale, &c.
PORTISCŬLUS (κελευστής), an officer in a ship, who gave the signal
to the rowers, that they might keep time in rowing. This officer is
sometimes called _Hortator_ or _Pausarius_.