Petunse, Chinese. A fine clay used for porcelain; a kind of kaolin.
Peulvan, Celt. (See Menhir.)
Pewter. An alloy of 100 parts of tin to 17 of antimony; or 89 tin, 7 antimony, and 2 copper. Tin and zinc, and lead and tin, are sometimes used to make pewter. The ancient guild of the Pewterers’ Company have their hall in Lime Street.
Phæcasia, Gr. and R. (φαικάσιον). White shoes worn by different classes among the Greeks and Romans, but more especially by the priests and gymnasiarchs.
Phalæ or Falæ, R. Wooden towers which were erected temporarily in a circus for the display of sham fights and captures of cities. (Compare Pegma.)
Phalangæ, Palangæ, R. (φάλαγξ). A pole employed for carrying purposes. Two men took the ends of this pole upon the shoulders, the burden being suspended from it in the middle. The same term was also applied to the rollers placed beneath objects whose weight rendered them difficult to move. The persons who made use of phalangæ for carrying anything were called phalangarii.
Phalanx, Gr. A close compact mass of infantry soldiers drawn up in files, usually eight deep. The Theban phalanx was twenty-five in depth.
Phalarica. (See Falarica.)
Fig. 541. Gallic Phalera.