The bookseller Atrectus, who had a shop on the Argiletum, a public square not far from the Forum Caesaris, is also mentioned.--Traces of a well-organized book-trade are found towards the end of the republic. The first publisher on a larger scale is Pomponius Atticus, a friend of Cicero, who formally issued a series of Cicero’s works, for instance the _Orator_, _Quaestiones Academicae_, etc., and not only distributed them to the different bookstores in Rome, but supplied the numerous shops in Greece and Asia Minor. (See Cic. _ad. Att._ XII, 6, XV, 13, XVI, 5.) Yet Atticus was a patron of literature and an aesthetic, rather than a business man. The best-known booksellers and publishers under the emperors were: the Brothers Sosii, who issued the works of Horatius Flaccus (Hor. _Ep._ I, 20, 2, _Ars. poet._ 345); Dorus, the Phillip Reclam junior of ancient times, who in the reign of Nero introduced cheap popular editions of Livy and Cicero, (Sen. _Benef._ VII, 61) and Martial’s publisher, the Tryphon mentioned in this story. (Mart. _Ep._ IV, 72, XIII, 13.) The editions were provided by slaves, who wrote from dictation. The books were delivered in covers, the backs, glued together, being fastened in the hollow of a cylinder, through which ran a revolving stick. The volumes were cut, the edges were dyed sometimes black and sometimes purple. (See Göll: “_Book-trade of the Greeks and Romans_,” Schleiz., 1865.) Pollio Valerianus published Martial’s early poems. (Mart. _Ep._ I, 113, 5.) [160] QUIRINAL. Martial’s house was near the temple on the Quirinal. (Mart. _Ep._ X, 58.) [161] DENARII. At the time of Domitian, the denarius (10 _as_,) was worth about 15 cents. [162] STREET-CORNERS. Large square tablets, whitened, for the display of public notices, stood at the corners of the streets. A tablet of this description was called album, (albus-white). [163] COSTERMONGER. Boiled chick-peas were publicly carried about for sale. (Martial _Ep._ I, 41, I, 103.) [164] MASSIVE BOWLS. The crater (_crater_ or _cratera_) was a large vase or bowl, in which strong wine was mixed with water. A ladle was used to fill the drinking-cups. [165] MURRHINE VASES, (_murrhina vasa_). Vases made of _murrha_, a material with a pale sheen in it, highly valued by the ancients; probably fluor-spar. [166] GUINEA-FOWLS FROM NUMIDIA, (_aves Numidicae_ or merely _Numidicae_) were a favorite dish. (Plin., _Hist. Nat._ Mart. etc.) [167] THE PROVINCE OF THESPROTIS in Epirus, extended from Chaonia to the Ambracian Gulf. The goats raised there were considered exceptionally good.