ARCA

( κιβωτός ). (1) A chest, in which the Romans were accustomed to place their money; and the phrase ex arc a solvere had the meaning of paying in ready money. The term arcae was usually applied to the chests in which the rich kept their money, and was opposed to the smaller loculi , sacculus , and crumen a .—(2) The coffin in which persons were buried, or the bier on which the corpse was placed previously to burial.—(3) A strong cell made of oak, in which criminals and slaves were confined.