Lewis & Short

scŏpŭlus, i, m., = σκόπελος, a projecting point of rock; a rock, cliff, crag, esp. a rock, shelf, ledge in the sea.

  1. I. Lit. (mostly poet.; not in Cic., but v. infra, II.; cf.: rupes, cautes), in the sea: ut pars (remigum) ad scopulos allisa interficeretur, Caes. B. C. 3, 27 fin.; id. B. G. 3, 13; Poët. ap. Cic. de Or. 3, 41, 166; Verg. G. 3, 261; id. A. 1, 145; 5, 270; Ov. M. 4, 524; 9, 592: frequentes, Juv. 13, 246: vomentes aequor, Luc. 6, 24: immanes, Ov. M. 14, 182; cf. of a promontory, Hor. C. 1, 3, 20; Ov. F. 4, 419: scopuli errantes, of the Symplegades, Val. Fl. 3, 621; 4, 681.
    On land: scopuli rupesque cavae, Verg. G. 3, 253; id. A. 4, 445; 12, 531; Sil. 10, 263; Stat. Th. 7, 665; Val. Fl. 6, 632; of the cavern of Cacus, Verg. A. 8, 192: scopulus Mavortis, of the Areopagus, Ov. M. 6, 70: his inmobilior scopulis, of a man hard to move, id. ib. 13, 801: scopulis surdior, Hor. C. 3, 7, 21; cf.: ferrum et scopulos gestare in corde, Ov. M. 7, 33: natus es e scopulis, id. Tr. 3, 11, 3.
  2. II. Trop., a rock, = a difficulty, danger, harm, evil, etc. (freq. in Cic.; also commended by him as a figure): cum neque Musarum scopulos quisquam superarat, Enn. ap. Cic. Brut. 19, 76 (Ann. v. 223 Vahl.): qui te ad scopulum e tranquillo inferat, Ter. Phorm. 4, 4, 8: Syrtim patrimonii scopulum libentius dixerim, Cic. de Or. 3, 41, 163: nec tuas umquam rationes ad eos scopulos, appulisses, ad quos Sex. Titii afflictam navem et in quibus C. Deciani naufragium fortunarum videres, id. Rab. Perd. 9, 25; id. de Or. 2, 37, 154; id. Rosc. Am. 29, 79: in scopulos vitae incidere, id. Consol. Fragm. 2, p. 489 Orell.: (Piso et Gabinius) geminae voragines scopulique rei publicae, id. Pis. 18, 41; cf. Flor. 4, 9, 1: (Pompeius) Ille tremor Ponti et piratarum scopulus, Petr. poët. 123, 240: commeatum publicum in scopulos annonae impingere, Quint. Decl. 12, 22: cujus tribunal scopulus reorum dicebatur, Val. Max. 3, 7, 9: e scopulo cadere, to be ruined, Amm. 30, 5, 10.