(from ἀνήρ, a man), a term used to denote that part of the ancient Christian churches allotted to the male portion of the audience. The men occupied the left of the altar, on the south side of the church, and the women the right, on the north side. They were separated from each other by a veil or lattice. In the Eastern churches, the women and catechumens occupied the galleries above, while the men sat below. In some churches a separate apartment was allotted to widows and virgins.