părĭēs, ĕtis, m. (in Verg. A. 2, 442; 5, 589, pārietibus, quadrisyl.; see Carey’s Lat. Prosody, § 47, p. 173) [kindr. with Sanscr. paryanta, from pari-iyanta, margo; Gr. πέρας, πεῖραρ],
- I. a wall (cf.: murus, maceria): aut permaceat paries percussus trifaci, Enn. ap. Fest. s. v. trifax, p. 367 Müll. (Ann. v. 524 Vahl.): tosti alti stant parietes, id. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19, 44 (Trag. v. 116 ib.): perfodere parietem, Plaut. Mil. 2, 1, 64; id. As. 3, 2, 17: perforator parietum, a term of abuse, id. Ps. 4, 2, 24: quasi mus, in medio pariete vorsabere, id. Cas. 1, 52; id. Trin. 4, 3, 32: quae (domus nostra) non ea est, quam parietes nostri cingunt, etc., Cic. Rep. 1, 13, 19; cf. id. ib. 3, 9, 14; id. Mil. 27, 75; id. Top. 4, 22: parietes disturbare, id. Par. 4, 1, 28: itaque parietes modo urbis stant; rem vero publicam penitus amisimus, the walls, the houses, id. Off. 2, 8, 29: interiores templi parietes, id. Verr. 2, 4, 55, § 122: intra parietes aluit eam gloriam, quam, etc., id. Brut. 8, 32; id. Quint. 11, 38: parietes turris lateribus exstruere, Caes. B. C. 2, 9: parietibus textum caecis iter, Verg. A. 5, 589: fissus tenui rimā paries, Ov. M. 4, 65: quae pro pariete subjectae et omni opere conjunctae, like a wall, Caes. B. G. 4, 17: non communione parietum sed propriis muris, Tac. A. 15, 43.
Of walls of wickerwork: et paries lento vimine textus erat, Ov. F. 6, 262: craticii parietes, Vitr. 2, 8; Plin. 35, 14, 48, § 169; 17, 10, 11, § 62: craticulam et parietes, the top and sides, Vulg. Exod. 30, 3.
Prov.: tua res agitur, paries cum proximus ardet, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 84: utrosque parietes linere, to carry on both shoulders, Petr. 39: duos parietes de eādem fideliā dealbare, to kill two birds with one stone, Cur. ap. Cic. Fam. 7, 29, 2: in caducum parietem inclinare, to lean on a broken reed, Spart. Hadr. 23.
- II. Trop.: neve inter vos significetis ego ero paries, partition-wall, Plaut. Truc. 4, 3, 14: densitatis, rampart, Plin. 17, 10, 11, § 62.