Lewis & Short

fascis, is, m. [cf. φάκελος, fascia, but v fido], a bundle of wood, twigs, straw, reeds, etc.

  1. I. A fagot, fascine; a packet, parcel.
    1. A. In gen. (rare): fasces stramentorum ac virgultorum, Hirt. B. G. 8, 15, 6: lignorum, Tac. A. 13, 35: magno comites in fasce libelli, Juv. 7, 107: tot crimina, tot reos uno velut fasce complecti, Plin. Ep. 3, 9, 9.
      Trop., of a crowd of people, Vulg. Isa. 24, 22.
    2. B. A burden, load: Romanus in armis Injusto sub fasce viam cum carpit, i. e. soldiers’ baggage, Verg. G. 3, 347; cf. Quint. 11, 3, 26 Spald.: (apes) saepe ultro animam sub fasce dedēre, under the burden, Verg. G. 4, 204: ego hoc te fasce levabo, id. E. 9, 65: venales humero fasces portare, id. M. 80.
  2. II. In partic., in plur. fasces, a bundle carried before the highest magistrates, and consisting of rods and an axe, with which criminals were scourged and beheaded.
    1. A. Prop.: lictores duo, duo viminei fasces virgarum, Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 26: ut sibi (Tullo Hostilio) duodecim lictores cum fascibus anteire liceret, etc., Cic. Rep. 2, 17: anteibant lictores cum fascibus duobus, id. Agr. 2, 34, 93: fasces praetoribus praeferuntur, id. Verr. 2, 5, 9, § 22: Publicola statim secures de fascibus demi jussit, id. Rep. 2, 31: tum demissi populo fasces, lowered (as a mark of respect) before the people, id. ib. 1, 40, 62; cf.: P. Valerius fasces primus demitti jussit, id. ib. 2, 31; for which: (P. Valerius) summissis fascibus in contionem escendit, Liv. 2, 7, 7; cf. under B.: paulo ante dimissi fasces, surrendered, Plin. Pan. 61, 7: praecedebant incompta signa, versi fasces, at the funeral of Germanicus, Tac. A. 3, 2 init.: neque in litteris, neque in fascibus insignia laureae praetulit, Caes. B. C. 3, 71, 3; cf.: visus C. Marius cum fascibus laureatis, Cic. Div. 1, 28, 59; so, laureati, id. Att. 8, 3, 5: imperatorii, Tac. A. 13, 9.
      1. 2. Meton., a high office, esp. the consulship (poet.): qui petere a populo fasces saevasque secures Imbibit, Lucr. 3, 1009: illum non populi fasces, non purpura regum Flexit, Verg. G. 2, 495: ut si Detulerit fasces indigno, detrahet idem, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 34; id. S. 1, 6, 97: et titulis et fascibus olim Major habebatur donandi gloria, Juv. 5, 110; Sil. 11, 152.
        Of royalty: diadema Quirini Et fasces meruit, Juv. 8, 260.
    2. * B. Trop., to give place, to acknowledge one’s inferiority: cum tibi aetas nostra jam cederet fascesque summitteret, Cic. Brut. 6, 22.