Lewis & Short

quā̆drīgae, ārum (collat. form in the sing. v. infra), f. [contr. from quadrijugae], a set or team of four, a four-abreast, fourin-hand, four together (class.).

  1. I. Lit.
      1. 1. Of horses, applied to the animals with or without the car or vehicle, rarely to the car or chariot alone: quadrigarum currus duplici temone olim erant, perpetuoque, et qui omnibus equis iniceretur jugo. Primus Clisthenes Sicyonius tantum medios jugavit, eosque singulos ex utrāque parte simplici vinculo applicuit, quos Graeci σειραφόρους, Latini funarios vocant, Isid. Orig. 17, 5: exinde duabus admotis quadrigis, in currus earum distentum illigat Mettum, Liv. 1, 28 fin.; so Col. 3, 9: Glauci Potniades malis membra absumpsere quadrigae, Verg. G. 3, 267 et saep.; Fest. s. v. October, p. 178 Müll.
      2. 2. Of other animals: quadrigae (asinorum), Varr. R. R. 2, 1: camelorum, Suet. Ner. 11.
      3. 3. Esp. freq. of the four-horse team used in races: curru quadrigarum vehi, Cic. Div. 2, 70, 144; id. Brut. 47, 173; id. Or. 47, 157; id. Mur. 27, 57: cum carceribus sese effudere quadrigae, Verg. G. 1, 512: quadrigas agitare, Suet. Caes. 39.
      4. 4. Of the horses drawing a war chariot or car: in extremis jugis binae eminebant falces … sic armatae quadrigae, with scythes attached to the yokes, Liv. 37, 41, 8: falcatae, id. 37, 40, 12.
      5. 5. Poet., of the four-horse team of the Sun, Aurora, Luna, etc.: cum quadrigis Sol exoriens, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 226: roseis Aurora quadrigis, Verg. A. 6, 535: nox aetherium nigris emensa quadrigis Mundum, Tib. 3, 4, 17.
        In sing. (post-class.): quod unum ergo rarissimum videbatur, invenimus quadrigam numero singulari dictam in libro satirarum M. Varronis qui inscriptus est Exdemetricus, Gell. 19, 8, 17; Prop. 2, 34 (3, 32), 39; 3, 9 (4, 8), 17; Mart. 6, 46; Grat. Cyn. 228; Plin. 7, 21, 21, § 85; 36, 5, 4, § 36; Suet. Vit. 17; Val. Max. 1, 8, 9 ext.; Dig. 31, 1, 67; Vulg. Isa. 43, 17; id. Zech. 6, 2 and 3 et saep.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. Of abstract things: initiorum quadrigae: locus et corpus, tempus et actio, the four parts, Varr. L. L. 5, § 12 Müll.
      2. 2. Of a chariot drawn by four horses, a chariot, car: eburneis quadrigis ludere, Suet. Ner. 22; cf. Liv. 37, 41, 8; 37, 40, 12, supra: apta quadrigis equa, Hor. C. 2, 16, 35.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. The rapid course of any thing: irarumque effunde quadrigas, i. e. give free course to your wrath, Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 12, 499 (Ann. v. 464 Vahl.; for which Verg., in this passage, irarumque omnes effundit habenas): numquam edepol quadrigis albis indipiscet postea (as an image of great speed), Plaut. As. 2, 2, 13: quadrigae poëticae, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 13 (15 a), 2; cf.: quadrigas inscendere Jovis, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 294; id. Aul. 4, 1, 13; id. Poen. 1, 2, 155: jam quadrigae meae decucurrerunt, i.e. my joy, cheerfulness, is gone, Petr. 64: navibus atque Quādrigis petimus bene vivere, i.e. by sea and land, in every way, Hor. Ep. 1, 11, 29.
    2. B. Of the union of four persons or things in a common work: quadrigae tyrannorum, Vop. Prob. 24: initiorum quadrigae, locus et corpus, tempus et actio, Varr. L. L. 5, § 12 Müll.