4 83 AMP 
Amphisb^jA Aquatica, a name given by authors 
to that long and (lender infeft commonly called the f ta 
aquatica , and vermisfetarius. It has the name amphifbaena, 
from its going backwards or forwards with-equal eafe and 
celerity. The nfnal (ize is four or five inches long, and 
the thick nefis of a large hair. Two or three of thefe 
worms are generally to be found in the body of the com¬ 
mon black beetle. When put into water they will live a 
con fide rabVe time, andfwim nimbly about; but often put 
up their heads as it endeavouring to efcape; and fome- 
times fallening themfelves by the mouth to the fides of the 
redel, and drawing their whole bodies after them. Thefe 
creatures are not only found in water, but buried in earth, 
and fometimes on leaves of trees, in gardens and hedges. 
AMPHIS'C 11 ,A- [a/v.fpio-ztoi, of ciyipi on both fides, and 
cy.vu i, Gr. Ihadows.] A name applied to the people who 
inhabit the torrid zone. The amphifcii have their (ha- 
ooivs one part of the year towards the north, and the other 
towards the Couth, according to the fun’s place in the 
ecliptic. They are aifo called Afcii. 
AMPHIS'MILA, J. fifrom aufi, on both fides, and 
c/xiA;/;, Gr. an incifion knife.] A differing knife with an 
edge on each fide. 
AMPHIS'SA, anciently the capital of the Locri Oxo- 
lae, fifteen miles to the weft of Delphi, and fo named, be- 
canfe fuiTounded on all fides by mountains. Hence Am- 
phijfai, the inhabitants ; who plundered the temple at Del¬ 
phi. Alfo a town of Magna Grsecia, at the mouth of the 
Sagra, on the coaft of the farther Calabria, fituated be¬ 
tween I.ocri and Caulona ; now called Rocclla. 
AM'PHITANE, [, ,[«//-$ ir<xv«, Gr.] Among ancient 
naturalifts, a ftone (aid to attract gold as the loadftone does 
iron- Pliny fays it was found in that part of the Indies 
•where the native goid lay fo near the furface of the earth 
as to be turned up in fmall mafies among the earth of ant¬ 
hills ; and defcnbes it to have been of a fquare figure, and 
of tJie colour and brightnefs of gold. Tlte defcription 
plainly points out a well-known foflil, called by Dr. Hill 
pyricubivni : this is common in the mines of moft parts of 
the world ; but its power of attracting gold is fabulous. 
AMPHITHE'ATRE,_/i [ amphitheatrum , Lat.of a.y(pi- 
of uy.tp i, about, and -Ssao.itai, Gr. to behold.] In 
antiquity, a fpacious edifice, built either round or oval, 
w ith a number of riling feats, upon which the people uled 
to behold the combats of gladiators, of wild beads; and 
o'her fports. Amphitheatres were at firft only of wood; 
and it was not till the reign of Auguftus, that Statilius 
Taurus built one, for the firft time, of ftone. The lowed; 
part was of an oval figure, and called arena , becaufe, for 
die conveniency of the combatants, it was ufually ftrewed 
with (and; and round the arena were vaults ftyled cavea, 
in which were confined the wild beads appointed for the 
fhows. Above the caveae was erefited a large circular pe- 
riftyle, or podium, adorned with columns. This was the 
place of the emperors, fenators, and other perfons of di- 
ftinCtion. The rows of benches were above the podium. 
Their figure was circular; and they were entered by ave¬ 
nues, at the end of which were gates called zmiitorice. 
Their theatre was built in form of a femicircle, only ex¬ 
ceeding a juft femicircle by one-fourth part of the diame¬ 
ter; and the amphitheatre was nothing elfe but a double 
theatre, or two theatres joined together: fo that the longed 
diameter of the amphitheatre was to the Ihorteft as one 
and a half to one. 
There.ape amphitheatres (fill (landing at Rome, at Pola, 
at Nifmes,’ See. The amphitheatre of Vefpafian, called 
the Colij'eum , and that at Verona in Italy, are the moft ce¬ 
lebrated now remaining of all antiquity. Remains of am¬ 
phitheatres are fhown alfo at Arles, Bourdeaux, Sec. The 
amphitheatre at Polla, an ancient republic of Iftria, is 
very entire: it confifls of two orders of Tufcan pillars, 
one over the other. The lower have pedeftals, which is 
extraordinary ; this order having fcarcely ever more than 
bides to lupport them. The amphitheatre of Vefpafian 
AMP 
is computed to have been capable of bolding 87,000 fpec- 
tators. That of Verona is the beft preferved: for, though 
mod of the great and beft (tones of the outfide are picked 
out, yet the great vault, on which the rows of the feats 
are laid, is entire; the rows alfo, which are forty-four in 
number, are entire. Every row is a foot and a half high, 
and as much in breadth; fo that a man fits conveniently 
in them; and, allowing for a feat a foot and a half, the 
whole will hold 23,000 perfons. Pliny mentions an am¬ 
phitheatre built by Curio, which turned on large iron 
pivots; fo that of the fame amphitheatre two feveral thea¬ 
tres were occafionally made, whereon different entertain¬ 
ments were fometimes prefented at the fame time, Mr. 
Brydone mentions an amphitheatre at Syracufe, the thea¬ 
tre of which is fo entire, that the gradini for feats dill 
remain; but it is fmall in companion of the others. 
Amphitheatre, in gardening, certain difpofitions of 
trees and Ihrubs on the fides of hilly places, which, if the 
hill or riling be naturally of a circular figure, always have’ 
the beft efteft. They are to be formed of evergreens; 
finch as hollies, phillereas, laruflines, bays, and finch plants, 
obferving to plant the Ihorteft growing trees in the front, 
and thole which will be the tailed behind, fiuch as pines, 
firs, cedars of Lebanon, &c. 
AMPHITRI'TE, [xypiTgi-ni, Gr. from circumferendo , 
Lat.] The daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, with whom 
Neptune fell in love; but (lie, defirous to continue a vir¬ 
gin, fled from him and hid herfelf; whereupon he fent two 
dolphins, who found her by mount Atlas, and perfuaded 
her to marry Neptune ; and, having conveyed her to him 
in a car, in the form of a (hell, he on her begat Triton. 
She is fometimes called Salacia, and is often taken for the 
fiea itfelf by the poets. 
AMPHI'TRYON, the fon of Alcaeus, and grandfonof 
Perfeus, married to his coufin Alcmena. During the war 
with the Thebans, Alcmena became pregnant of Hercules 
by Jupiter, who, to deceive Alcmena, had affirmed the 
fliape of her hulband. When Amphitryon returned from 
the war, he killed his father-in-law, Eledtryon, king of 
Mycenae, by accident, for which he was obliged to fly and 
retire to Thebes with Alcmena. 
AMPHO'RA,/. in antiquity, a liquid meafure among 
the Greeks and Romans. The Roman amphora contain¬ 
ed forty-eight fextaries, equal to about feven gallons one 
pint Englifh vvine-meafure; and the Grecian or Attic am¬ 
phora contained one-third more. Amphora was alfo a 
dry meafure ufed by the Romans, and contained about 
three bufliels. Amphora, among the Venetians, is the 
larged meafure ufed for liquids, containing about fixteen 
quarts. 
AMPHORA'RIUM VINUM, In antiquity, denotes 
that which is drawn or poured into amphora or pitchers ; 
by way of diftinclion from vinum doliare, or calk wine. 
The Romans had a method of keeping wine in amphorae 
for many years to ripen, by faftejning the lids tight down 
with pitch or gyp-fum, and placing them either in a fitua- 
tion where fmoke came, or underground. 
AM'PHOTIDES,yi a kind of armour or covering for 
the ears, worn by the ancient pugilifts, to prevent their 
adverfaries from laying hold of that part. 
AMPHRY'SIUS, a river of Theffaly, running by the 
foot of mount Othrys, from fouth to north, into the Eni- 
peus at Thebes of Theffaly ; where Apollo fed the herds 
of king Admetus. Another Amphryfius in Phrygia, ren¬ 
dering women barren, according to Pliny ; hence the epi¬ 
thet Amphryfiacus. Alfo a town of Phocis, at the foot of 
mount Parnaffus, encompaffed with a double wall by the 
Thebans, in the war with Philip king of Macedon. 
AM'PLE, adj. [amplus , Lat.] Large; wide; extended: 
Heav’n defeends 
In univerfal bounty, (hedding herbs, 
And fruits, and flowers, on nature’s ample lap. Thomfon. 
Great in bulk. Unlimited; without reftriftion. Libe¬ 
ral; large; without pariimony.—If we fpeak of drift 
juftice. 
