CANTĬCUM, an interlude between the acts of a Roman comedy, and sometimes, perhaps, of a tragedy. It consisted of flute music, accompanied by a kind of recitative performed by a single actor, or if there were two, the second was not allowed to speak with the first. In the canticum, as violent gesticulation was required, it appears to have been the custom, from the time of Livius Andronicus, for the actor to confine himself to the gesticulation, while another person sang the recitative. CĂPILLUS. [COMA.] CĂPISTRUM (φορβειά), a halter, or tie for horses, asses, or other animals, placed round the head or neck, and made of osiers or other fibrous materials. The Greek word φορβειά was also applied to a contrivance used by pipers and trumpeters to compress their mouths and cheeks, and thus to aid them in blowing. It is often seen in works of ancient art, and was said to be the invention of Marsyas. [TIBIA.] CĂPĬTE CENSI. [CAPUT.] CĂPĬTIS DĒMĬNŪTĬO. [CAPUT.] CĂPĬTŌLĪNI LŪDI. [LUDI.] CĂPĬTŌLĬUM. [See CLASS. DICTIONARY.] CĂPĬTŬLUM. [COLUMNA.] CAPSA, or SCRĪNĬUM, a box for holding books among the Romans. These boxes were of a cylindrical form. There does not appear to have been any difference between the _capsa_ and _scrinium_, except that the latter word was usually applied to those boxes which held a considerable number of rolls. The slaves who had the charge of these book-chests were called _capsarii_, and also _custodes scriniorum_; and the slaves who carried in a capsa behind their young masters the books, &c. of the sons of respectable Romans, when they went to school, were called by the same name. [Illustration: The Muse Clio with a Capsa. (Pitture d’Ercolano, vol. ii. pl. 2.)] CAPSĀRĬI, the name of three different classes of slaves. [BALNEUM; CAPSA.]