Lewis & Short

fastīgĭum, ii, n. [cf. Sanscr. bhrshtīs, corner, rim; Gr. ἄ-φλαστον, aplustria, the ornamented stern of a ship; O. H. Germ. brort, the prow], the top of a gable, a gable end, pediment (syn.: cacumen, culmen, vertex, apex).

  1. I. Prop.: Capitolii fastigium illud et ceterarum aedium non venustas, sed necessitas ipsa fabricata est … utilitatem templi fastigii dignitas consecuta est, Cic. de Or. 3, 46, 180; cf.: fastigia aliquot templorum a culminibus abrupta, Liv. 40, 2, 3: evado ad summi fastigia culminis, Verg. A. 2, 458; Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 4, § 14.
    Hence, meton., the roof of a house, Verg. A. 8, 491; 9, 568; Val. Fl. 2, 235: habere pulvinar, simulacrum, fastigium, flaminem, id. Phil. 2, 43, 110; cf. of the same: omnes unum in principem congesti honores: circa templa imagines … suggestus in curia, fastigium in domo, mensis in caelo, Flor. 4, 2 fin.: Romae signa eorum sunt in Palatina aede Apollinis in fastigio, Plin. 36, 5, 4, § 13; cf. id. 35, 12, 43, § 152; Vitr. 3, 2.
    Transf.: operi tamquam fastigium imponere, Cic. Off. 3, 7, 33.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. The extreme part, extremity of a thing, whether above or below.
        1. a. Top, height, summit: colles … pari altitudinis fastigio oppidum cingebant, Caes. B. G. 7, 69, 4: opus nondum aquae fastigium aequabat, Curt. 4, 2, 19: summi operis, id. 4, 2, 8: jamque agger aequaverat summae fastigia terrae, id. 8, 10, 31: aquatilium ova rotunda, reliqua fere fastigio acuminata, Plin. 10, 52, 74, § 145: gracilitas (arundinis) nodis distincta leni fastigio tenuatur in cacumina, id. 16, 36, 64, § 158; cf.: cornua in leve fastigium exacuta, id. 11, 37, 45, § 124; 16, 33, 60, § 141; Vulg. 2 Reg. 18, 24.
          In plur., Lucr. 4, 827: muri, Val. Fl. 2, 553: fontis fastigium, i. e. the height on which the fountain sprang up, Hirt. B. G. 8, 41, 5.
        2. b. The lower part, depth: forsitan et scrobibus quae sint fastigia, quaeres, what should be the depth of the trenches, Verg. G. 2, 288.
      2. 2. (From the sloping form of the gable.) A slope, declivity, descent: ab oppido declivis locus tenui fastigio vergebat, Caes. B. C. 1, 45, 5: jugum paulo leniore fastigio, id. ib. 2, 24, 3: iniquum loci ad declivitatem fastigium, id. B. G. 7, 85, 4: rupes leniore submissa fastigio, Curt. 6, 6, 11: capreoli molli fastigio, Caes. B. C. 2, 10, 3; 2, 24, 3: musculi, id. ib. 2, 11, 1: scrobes paulatim angustiore ad infimum fastigio, i. e. gradually narrowing from top to bottom, id. B. G. 7, 73, 5; cf.: si (fossa) fastigium habet, ut (aqua) exeat e fundo, Varr. R. R. 1, 14, 2.
      3. 3. In the later grammarians, an accent placed over a word, Mart. Cap. 3, § 264; § 268 al.; Diom. p. 428 P.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. The highest part, summit, the highest degree, most exalted rank or dignity (perh. only since the Aug. per.): quicquid numinum hanc Romani imperii molem in amplissimum terrarum orbis fastigium extulit, Vell. 2, 131, 1; cf.: sic fit, ut dei summum inter homines fastigium servent, Plin. Pan. 52, 2: et quoad usque ad memoriam nostram tribuniciis consularibusque certatum viribus est, dictaturae semper altius fastigium fuit, Liv. 6, 38 fin.; cf.: in consulare fastigium vehi, Vell. 2, 69, 1: ad regium fastigium evehere aliquem, Val. Max. 1, 6, 1: alii cives ejusdem fastigii, Liv. 3, 35, 9: stare in fastigio eloquentiae, Quint. 12, 1, 20: rhetoricen in tam sublime fastigium sine arte venisse, id. 2, 17, 3: et poësis ab Homero et Vergilio tantum fastigium accepit, et eloquentia a Demosthene, id. 12, 11, 26; cf.: magice in tantum fastigii adolevit, ut, etc., grew into such esteem, Plin. 30, 1, 1, § 2.
      1. 2. In gen., dignity, rank, condition: (M. Laetorio) curatio altior fastigio suo data est, Liv. 2, 27, 6; cf.: ampliora etiam humano fastigio decerni sibi passus est, Suet. Caes. 76: tamquam mortale fastigium egressus, Tac. A. 15, 74: animus super humanum fastigium elatus, Curt. 9, 10 med.: quales ex humili magna ad fastigia rerum extollit Fortuna, Juv. 3, 39.
    2. B. A leading or chief point, head in a discourse; a principal sort or kind (rare): summa sequar fastigia rerum, Verg. A. 1, 342: e quibus tribus fastigiis (agrorum) simplicibus, sorts, kinds, Varr. R. R. 1, 6, 2: propter haec tria fastigia formae discrimina quaedam fiunt sationum, id. ib. 1, 5: haec atque hujuscemodi tria fastigia agri, etc., id. ib. 1, 6, 6; cf. also: quo fastigio sit fundus, id. ib. 1, 20 fin. (and v. Lachm. ad Lucr. p. 223): laudem relego fastigia summa, Prisc. Laud. Anast. 148.