conisterium

{{Short description|Apartment in Greek and Roman gymnasiums}}

A conisterium (or conisterion) ({{langx|el|κονιστἠριον}}) was an apartment in Greek and Roman gymnasiums. It was where sand or dust was stored, for use by wrestlers after they had been anointed with oil.{{cite book |title=Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture |first=Cyril M. |last=Harris |publisher=Courier Dover Publications |year=1983 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/illustrateddicti00cyri/page/132 132] |isbn=0-486-24444-X |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/illustrateddicti00cyri/page/132 }} They would either sprinkle it on themselves,{{cite book |title=The Remains of Ancient Rome. Volume 2 |first=John Henry |last=Middleton |date=January 1999 |publisher=Adamant Media Corporation |isbn=1-4021-7473-X |pages=115}} or a slave would do it. The purpose of this was so that during a fight, the oil or sweat would not prevent a wrestler from having a good grip on his opponent.{{cite book |title=A general and bibliographical dictionary of the fine arts |first=James |last=Elmes |year=1824}} After a fight, or exercise, the powder was rubbed off with strigils, before the wrestler had a bath.{{cite book |title=The Journal of Health |url=https://archive.org/details/journalhealth00unkngoog |year=1830 |publisher=S. C. Atkinson |pages=317}}

The conisterium was built after the coryceum and next to a cold bath{{Cite book|last=Beale|first=Alan|title=Greek Athletics and the Olympics|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2011|isbn=978-0-521-13820-8|location=Cambridge, UK|pages=159}} called frigida lavatio.{{Cite book|last=Vitruvius|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lBLNbOp46CYC&q=Conisterium+palaestra&pg=PT154|title=On Architecture|date=2009-09-24|publisher=Penguin UK|isbn=978-0-14-193195-1|language=en}} Conisteriums were also found in palaestras. In the palaestra of Vitruvius, for instance, the gymnasium chambers were built on the right side while the elaeothesium, tepidarium, and an unidentified chamber on the left.{{Cite book|last=Falkener|first=Edward|title=Ephesus, and the Temple of Diana|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2015|isbn=978-1-108-08071-2|location=Cambridge, UK|pages=99}}