Hieron, Gr. (ἱερὸν, i. e. holy place). The whole of the sacred enclosure of a temple, which enclosed the woods, the building, and the priests’ dwelling-place.
High-warp Tapestry. Made on a loom, in which the warp is arranged on a vertical plane,, as the Gobelins. Low-warp tapestry is made on a flat loom, as at Aubusson, Beauvais, and other places. It is made more rapidly, and is inferior in beauty to the former.
Hilaria. A great Roman festival in honour of Cybele, celebrated at the vernal equinox. It consisted chiefly of extravagant merry-making to celebrate the advent of spring.
Hippocampus, Gr. and R. A fabulous animal, which had the fore-quarters of a horse ending in the tail of a dolphin. [It is imitated from the little “sea-horse” of the Mediterranean, now common in aquariums; and in mural paintings of Pompeii is represented attached to the chariot of Neptune.]
Hippocentaur. A fabulous animal, composed of a human body and head attached to the shoulders of a horse. (See also Centaur.)
Hippocervus, Chr. A fantastic animal, half horse and half stag; it personifies the pusillanimous man who throws himself without reflection into uncertain paths, and soon falls into despair at having lost himself in them.
Hippocratia, Gr. Festivals held in Arcadia in honour of Neptune, who, by striking the earth with his trident, had given birth to the horse.
Fig. 386. Ground-plan of a Hippodrome.
Hippodromus, Gr. and R. The Greek name for an arena for horse and chariot races, in contradistinction to the stadium, which served for foot-racing. Fig. [386] represents the hippodrome at Olympia, taken from Gell’s Itinerary of the Morea. The following is the key to the plan:—1, 2, and 3 are carceres; A, the space included between the stalls or carceres; B, starting-place for the chariots; C, the colonnade; D, the arena; E, the barrier; F, the goal; G, the space occupied by the spectators. [The word was also applied to the races themselves.] (See also Circus.)