Lewis & Short

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cervix, īcis

    (
  1. I. gen. plur. cervicum, Cic. Or. 18, 59; Plin. 23, 2, 33, § 68: cervicium, acc. to Charis. p. 100), f. [cer-vix; cf. Sanscr. s)iras, caput, and vincio, Bopp, Gloss. 348 b], the neck, including the back of the neck, the nape (in ante-Aug. prose usu. in plur.; so always in Cic. and Sall.; acc. to Varr. L. L. 8, § 14; 10, § 78 Müll.; and Quint. 8, 3, 35, Hortensius first used the sing.; it is, however, found even in Ennius and Pacuvius; v. the foll.).
      1. 1. Sing.: caput a cervice revolsum, Enn. ap. Serv. ad Verg. A. 10, 396: quadrupes capite brevi, cervice anguinā, Pac. ap. Cic. Div. 2, 64, 133; Lucr. 1, 36; 6, 745; * Cat. 62, 83; * Tib. 3, 4, 27; Prop. 3 (4), 17, 31; Verg. G. 3, 52; 3, 524; 4, 523; id. A. 1, 402; 2, 707; 10, 137; Hor. C. 1, 13, 2; 2, 5, 2; Liv. 8, 7, 21; 22, 51, 7 Fabri ad loc.; 26, 13, 18; 27, 49, 1; 31, 34, 4; 35, 11, 8; Vell. 2, 4, 5; Hortens. ap. Varr. l. l., and Quint. l. l.; id. 1, 11, 9; 11, 3, 82; 11, 3, 83; 4, 2, 39 Spald.; Plin. 11, 37, 67, § 177.
      2. 2. Plur.: eversae cervices tuae, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 131 (cf. versa, Ov. H. 16, 231): ut gladius impenderet illius beati cervicibus, Cic. Tusc. 5, 21, 62; id. N. D. 1, 35, 99; 2, 63, 159: aliquo praesidio caput et cervices et jugulum tutari, id. Sest. 42, 90: frangere, id. Verr. 2, 5, 42, § 110; 2, 5, 57, § 147; cf. id. Phil. 11, 2, 5; Hor. C. 2, 13, 6: cervices crassae longae, Varr. R. R. 2, 5, 8; 2, 9, 4: altae, Verg. A. 2, 219: tumor cervicum, Plin. 23, 2, 33, § 68; Suet. Galb. 11; id. Vit. 17.
        Esp. in several proverbial expressions, as the vital part of a person: cervices securi subicere, Cic. Phil. 2, 21, 51; cf.: offerre cervicem percussoribus, Tac. A. 1, 53: cervices Roscio dare, i. e. to the executioner, Cic. Rosc. Am. 11, 30: praebere cervicem gladio, Juv. 10, 345.
    1. B. Trop.
      1. 1. (The figure taken from bearing the yoke; cf. Liv. 9, 6, 12.) Imposuistis in cervicibus nostris sempiternum dominum, Cic. N. D. 1, 20, 54; cf. Liv. 42, 50, 6: qui suis cervicibus tanta munia atque rem publicam sustinent, Cic. Sest. 66, 138; so id. Verr. 2, 5, 42, § 108; id. Mil. 28, 77.
        Hence, of any great burden or danger: dandae cervice erant crudelitati nefariae, to submit to, Cic. Phil. 5, 16, 42: a cervicibus nostris avertere Antonium, id. Ep. ad Brut. 1, 15, 7; id. Phil. 3, 4, 8: non facile hanc tantam molem mali a cervicibus vestris depulissem, id. Cat. 3, 7, 17: legiones in cervicibus nostris conlocare, id. Fam. 12, 23, 2: in cervicibus alicujus esse, of too great or dangerous proximity: cum in cervicibus sumus (opp. cum procul abessemus), Liv. 44, 39, 7: etsi bellum ingens in cervicibus erat, on hand, as an oppressive burden, id. 22, 33, 6: sed nec Romani, tametsi Poeni et Hannibal in cervicibus erant, Just. 29, 4, 7; cf.: rex ratus eam urbem … suis inpositam esse cervicibus, Curt. 7, 7, 1.
      2. 2. For boldness: qui tantis erunt cervicibus recuperatores, qui audeant, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 59, § 135.
  2. II. Transf., of things, the neck: amphorae, Petr. 34, 6; Mart. 12, 32: fistularum, Vitr. 10, 13: cupressi, Stat. Th. 6, 855; cf. Col. 4, 7, 3: Peloponnesi, i.e. Isthmus, Plin. 4, 3, 4, § 8; cf. id. 6, 29, 34, § 170.