Lewis & Short

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arca, ae, f. [arceo: arca et arx quasi res secretae, a quibus omnes arceantur, Serv. ad Verg. A. 1, 262; v. arceo], a place for keeping any thing, a chest, box.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: arca vestiaria, Cato, R. R. 11, 3: ex illā oleā arcam esse factam eoque conditas sortes, Cic. Div. 2, 41, 86; Suet. Tib. 63: arca ingens variorum venenorum plena, id. Calig. 59 al.
      Very freq.,
    2. B. Esp.,
      1. 1. A box for money, a safe, a coffer, and particularly of the rich, and loculi was their purse, porte-monnaie, while sacculus was the pouch of the poor, Juv. 1, 89 sq.; 11, 26; cf. id. 10, 25; 14, 259 Ruperti, and Cat. 13, 8; Varr. L. L. 5, § 182 Müll.: populus me sibilat: at mihi plaudo Ipse domi, simul ac nummos contemplor in arcā, Hor. S. 1, 1, 67.
        Hence, meton., like our purse, for the money in it: arcae nostrae confidito, rely upon my purse, Cic. Att. 1, 9; id. ad Q. Fr. 2, 12; id. Par. 6, 1; Cat. 23, 1; Col. 3, 3, 5; 8, 8, 9; Plin. Ep. 3, 19, 8; Sen. Ep. 26 fin.
        Hence, ex arcā absolvere aliquem, to pay in cash upon the spot (opp. de mensae scripturā absolvere), Ter. Ad. 2, 4, 13 Don.; cf. id. Phorm. 5, 7, 29 Don., and arcarius.
        And of public money, state treasure, revenues (late Lat.): frumentaria, Dig. 50, 4, 1, § 2: vinaria, Symm. Ep. 10, 42 al.
      2. 2. A coffin (cf. Smith, Dict. Antiq.), Liv. 40, 29; cf. Plin. 13, 13, 27, § 85; Val. Max. 1, 1: cadavera Conservus vili portanda locabat in arcā, Hor. S. 1, 8, 9; Luc. 8, 736; Dig. 11, 7; Inscr. Orell. 3560; 4429.
  2. II. Transf. Of any thing in the form of a box or chest.
    1. A. Noah’s ark (eccl. Lat.), Vulg. Gen. 6, 14 sqq.; ib. Matt. 24, 38; ib. Heb. 11, 7 al.
    2. B. In Jewish antiq., the Ark of the Covenant (eccl. Lat.): arca foederis, Vulg. Deut. 10, 8: arca foederis Domini, ib. Num. 10, 33: arca testimonii, ib. Exod. 26, 34: arca testamenti, ib. Heb. 9, 4: arca testamenti Dei, ib. Jer. 3, 16: arca Domini, ib. Jos. 4, 4: arca Dei, ib. 1 Reg. 11, 17; and absol.: arca, ib. Exod. 30, 6; ib. Deut. 10, 5.
    3. C. A small, close prison, a cell: (Servi) in arcas coniciuntur, ne quis cum iis colloqui possit, Cic. Mil. 22 fin.; cf. Fest. p. 264 Müll.
    4. D. In mechanics, the water-box of a hydraulic machine, Vitr. 10, 13.
    5. E. A watercistern, a reservoir, Vitr. 6, 3.
  3. F. A quadrangular landmark; cf. Scriptt. Agrim. pp. 119, 222, 223, 271 Goes.

arx, arcis, f. [arx ab arcendo, quod is locus munitissimus rubis, a quo facillime possit hostis prohiberi, Varr. L. L. 5, § 151 Müll; cf. Serv. ad Verg. A. 1, 20; Isid. Orig. 15, 2, 32; Doed. Syn. IV. p. 428; v. arceo], a stronghold, castle, citadel, fortress, ἀκρόπολις; in Rome, the Capitolium.

  1. I.
    1. A. Lit.: arce et urbe orba sum, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19, 44 (Trag. v. 114 Müll.): optumates, Corinthum quae arcem altam habetis, id. ap. ejusd. Fam. 7, 6: edicite per urbem ut omnes qui arcem astuque accolunt, cives, etc.; Att. ap. Non. p. 357, 14: Illa autem in arcem [hinc] abiit, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 8, 59; so id. Ps. 4, 6, 2: In arcem transcurso opus est, Ter. Hec. 3, 4, 17: Condere coeperunt urbīs arcemque locare, Lucr. 5, 1107: arcis servator, candidus anser, id. 4, 683: munire arcem, Cic. Pis. 34 fin.: cum Tarento amisso arcem tamen Livius retinuisset, id. de Or. 2, 67, 273: arx intra moenia in immanem altitudinem edita; Liv. 45, 28: arx Sion, Vulg. 2 Reg. 5, 7: arx Jerusalem, ib. 1 Macc. 13, 49: Romana, Liv. 1, 12: Capitolina, id. 6, 20; cf. id. 3, 18: Sabinus arcem Capitolii insedit mixto milite, Tac. H. 3, 69; Suet. Claud. 44 et saep. As the place on which auguries were received (cf. auguraculum): ut cum in arce augurium augures acturi essent, Cic. Off. 3, 16, 66; so Liv. 1, 18 and 24.
      Hence,
    2. B. Trop., defence, prolection, refuge, bulwark, etc.: Castoris templum fuit te consule arx civium perditorum, receptaculum veterum Catilinae militum, castellum forensis latrocinii, Cic. Pis. 5, 11: haec urbs, lux orbis terrarum atque arx omnium gentium, id. Cat. 4, 6; cf. id. Agr. 1, 6, 18: Africa arx omnium provinciarum, id. Lig. 7, 22: Stoicorum, id. Div. 1, 6, 10: arx finitimorum, Campani, Liv. 7, 29; 37, 18: tribunicium auxilium et provocationem, duas arces libertatis tuendae, id. 3, 45: arx ad aliquid faciendum, id. 28, 3: eam urbem pro arce habiturus Philippus adversus Graeciae civitates, id. 33, 14; Flor. 3, 6, 5: quasi arx aeternae dominationis, Tac. A. 14, 31.
    3. C. As the abode of tyrants, a poet. designation of tyranny (cf. Ascon. ad Cic. Div. in Caecil. 5), Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 293 Heins.: cupidi arcium, Sen. Thyest. 342; cf. id. Contr. 4, 27: non dum attigit arcem, Juris et humani culmen, Luc. 7, 593 Corte; cf. id. 8, 490, and 4, 800; Tert. Apol. 4.
    4. D. Prov.: arcem facere e cloacā, to make a mountain of a mole-hill, Cic. Planc. 40.
  2. II. Since castles were generally on a height, meton., a height, summit, pinnacle, top, peak (usu. poet. and in Aug. and postAug. prose), lit. and trop.
    1. A. Lit.: summā locum sibi legit in arce, upon the extreme height, Ov. M. 1, 27; cf. id. ib. 12, 43.
      So,
      1. 2. In partic.
        1. a. Of mountains: Parnasi constitit arce, Ov. M. 1, 467: arce loci summā, id. ib. 11, 393: Rhipaeae arces, Verg. G. 1, 240: flērunt Rhodopeïae arces, id. ib. 4, 461: septemque unā sibi muro circumdedit arces, id. ib. 2, 535: primus inexpertas adiit Tirynthius arces, i. e. Alpes, Sil. 3, 496; cf. Drak. ad id. 15, 305; Val. Fl. 3, 565: impositum arce sublimi oppidum cernimus, Petr. 116; cf. id. 123, 205, and 209.
        2. b. Of houses built on an eminence, Petr. 121, 107, and 293.
        3. c. Of the citadel of heaven: quae pater ut summā vidit Saturnius arce, Ov. M. 1, 163: summam petit arduus arcem, id. ib. 2, 306: sideream mundi qui temperat arcem, id. Am. 3, 10, 21.
        4. d. Of the heavens themselves: aetheriae arces, Ov. Tr. 5, 3, 19: arces igneae, Hor. C. 3, 3, 10: caeli quibus adnuis arcem, Verg. A. 1, 250; cf. id. ib. 1, 259.
        5. e. Of temples erected on an eminence: dexterā sacras jaculatus arces, Hor. C. 1, 2, 3.
        6. f. Of the head: arx corporis, Sen. Oedip. 185; Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 235.
    2. B. Trop., height, head, summit, etc. (rare): celsā mentis ab arce, Stat. S. 2, 2, 131: summae laudum arces, Sil. 13, 771; Sid. Carm. 2, 173: ubi Hannibal sit, ibi caput atque arcem totius belli esse, head and front, Liv. 28, 42: arx eloquentiae, Tac. Or. 10.