Lewis & Short

† scēptrum, i (less correctly scaep-trum), n., = σκῆπτρον, a royal staff, a sceptre.

  1. I. Lit.: (rex Ptolemaeus) sedens cum purpurā et sceptro et illis insignibus regiis, Cic. Sest. 26, 57; Quint. 9, 3, 57; 11, 3, 158; Suet. Aug. 94: Augusti, id. Galb. 1; Verg. A. 7, 247: dextrā sceptrum gerebat, id. ib. 12, 206; Ov. M. 7, 103; 1, 178; 2, 847; 5, 422. Also borne by a king’s daughter, Verg. A. 1, 653 Heyne: exitiale, Stat. Th. 1, 34; of a triumphant general, Liv. 5, 41; Juv. 10, 43.
    Poet., in the plur., by way of amplification, of a single sceptre, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 12, 21; cf.: celsā sedet Aeolus arce Sceptra tenens, Verg. A. 1, 57; and of Juno, Ov. M. 3, 265; 1, 596; 11, 560; Verg. A. 7, 173; 7, 252 al.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. * 1. A teacher’s rod (humorously): ferulae tristes, sceptra paedagogorum, Mart. 10, 62, 10.
      2. * 2. A name of the plant aspalathus, Plin. 12, 24, 52, § 110.
      3. 3. = membrum virile, Auct. Priap. 25.
  2. II. Trop., as a symbol of authority, also used by the poets, in the plur., for kingdom, rule, dominion, authority: en impero Argis, sceptra mihi liquit Pelops, Poët. ap. Quint. 9, 4, 140: tu mihi quodcumque hoc regni, tu sceptra Jovemque Concilias, Verg. A. 1, 78: sic nos in sceptra reponis? id. ib. 1, 253; 7, 422; 9, 9: pulsus solio sceptrisque paternis, id. ib. 10, 852: sceptra Asiae tenere, Ov. H. 16, 175: potiri perenni sceptro, id. M. 15, 585; id. F. 4, 198; id. M. 6, 677: Heliconiadum comites, quorum unus Homerus Sceptra potitus, etc., Lucr. 3, 1038.