Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

hasta (asta), ae, f. [Sanscr. hastas, hand; cf. Gr. root χαδ- in χανδάνω, pre-hendo], a spear (syn.: hastile, dolo, gaesum, sarisa, sparus, lancea, pilum, spiculum, telum, etc.).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. Most freq. as a military weapon, a lance, pike, javelin (cf. Becker’s Antiq. III. 2, p. 242 sq.): nec eminus hastis aut comminus gladiis uteretur, Cic. de Sen. 6, 19: dum transit, striderat hasta, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 817 P. (Ann. v. 365 Vahl.): Hastati spargunt hastas, id. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 287 ib.): evelli jussit eam, qua erat transfixus, hastam, Cic. Fin. 2, 30, 97: amentatus hastas torquebit, id. de Or. 1, 57, 242; cf. id. Brut. 78, 271; id. Top. 17, 65: hastas vibrare, id. de Or. 2, 80, 325: jactare, id. ib. 2, 78, 316: dirigere in aliquem, Ov. M. 8, 66: contendere, to hurl, Verg. A. 10, 521: protendere aut colligere, Tac. A. 2, 21 al.
      As a symbol of war, sent in making a declaration of the same, Gell. 10, 27, 3; Paul. ex Fest. p. 101 Müll., and thrown into the enemy’s territory, Liv 1, 32 fin.; Varr. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 9, 53: pura, i. e. without iron, given to brave soldiers as a mark of distinction, Plin. 7, 28, 29, § 102; Suet. Claud. 28; Inscr. Orell. 3457; cf. Varr. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 6, 760, and Fest. l. l.
      As the symbol of legal ownership: festuca uti quasi hastae loco, signo quodam justi dominii, Gai Inst. 4, 16.
      1. 2. Transf., beyond the milit. sphere: jacet, diffidit, abjecit hastas, i. e. has lost his courage, Cic. Mur. 21, 45.
    2. B. A spear stuck in the ground at public auctions or where the tribunals of the cenlumviri were held (orig. as a sign of booty gained in battle or of magisterial authority): est enim ausus (Sulla) dicere, hasta posita, cum bona in foro venderet et bonorum virorum et locupletium et certe civium praedam se suam vendere, Cic. Off. 2, 8, 27; cf.: hastam in foro ponere et bona civium voci subicere praeconis, id. ib. 2, 23, 83: hasta posita pro aede Jovis Statoris, bona voci acerbissimae subjecta praeconis, id. Phil. 2, 26, 64: quos non illa inflnita hasta satiavit, id. ib. 4, 4, 9: emptio ab hasta, id. Att. 12, 3, 2: comitibus eorum sub hasta venditis, Liv. 23, 38, 7: municipia Italiae splendidissima sub hasta venierunt, Flor. 3, 21, 27: just hastae, Tac. A. 13, 28: cum censores se jam locationibus abstinerent, convenere ad eos, qui hastae hujus generis assueverant, Liv. 24, 18, 10; as a badge of dignity: hunc miratur adhuc centum gravis hasta virorum, Mart. 7, 63, 7.
      Hence, transf., the centumviral court: ut centumviralem hastam, quam quaestura functi consuerant cogere, decemviri cogerent, Suet. Aug. 36 fin.
    3. C. A little spear with which a bride’s hair was parted into locks, Ov. F. 2, 560.
    4. D. A spear, as a gymnastic weapon, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 38; 3, 3, 24; id. Most. 1, 2, 73.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. Of the form of a comet: jubae effigies mutata in hasta est. Plin. 2, 25, 22, § 90.
    2. B. I. q. membrum virile, Auct. Priap. 45, 1.