Lewis & Short

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1. princeps, cĭpis, adj. and

  1. I. subst. comm. [primus-capio], first in time or order (syn. primus).
    Lit., in gen.: ut quisque in fugā postremus, ita periculo princeps erat, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 34, § 90: princeps in proelium ibat, ultimus conserto proelio excedebat, Liv. 21, 4: princeps Horatius ibat, first, in front, in advance, id. 1, 26 Weissenb. ad loc.: princeps fuit ad conatum exercitus comparandi, Cic. Phil. 10, 11, 24: Firmani principes pecuniae pollicendae fuerunt, were the first to promise, id. ib. 7, 8, 23: princeps in agendo, id. Div. in Caecil. 15, 47; Caes. B. G. 7, 2: omnium nationum exterarum princeps Sicilia se ad amicitiam populi Romani applicuit, was the first that entered into friendship with the Roman people, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 1, § 2: princeps et solus bellum his indixit, Nep. Thras. 1, 5: princeps in haec verba jurat, Caes. B. C. 1, 76: ut principes talem nuntium attulisse viderentur, to be the first, id. ib. 1, 53: qui Formiarum moenia dicitur Princeps tenuisse, Hor. C. 3, 17, 7: matri Qui dederit princeps oscula, Ov. F. 2, 714: princeps turmas inducit Asilas, Verg. A. 11, 620: princeps ante omnes, first of all, id. ib. 5, 833.
    Of things: quoniam exordium princeps omnium esse debet, Cic. Inv. 1, 7, 19: qualitatum aliae sunt principes, aliae ex lis ortae, original, id. Ac. 1, 7, 26: mensis Romani anni, Col. 11, 2, 3: addere principi Limo particulam, Hor. C. 1, 16, 13: dies imperii princeps, vitae supremus, Tac. A. 1, 9.
    1. B. The first, chief, the most eminent, distinguished, or noble (syn. primores): longe omnium gravitate princeps Plato, Cic. Or. 19, 62: Eudoxus in astrologiā facile princeps, id. Div. 2, 42, 87: quaedam principes feminae, certain noble ladies, Plin. 8, 32, 50, § 119: principe loco genitus, id. 37, 2, 11, § 40.
      Prov.: principibus placuisse viris non ultima laus est, Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 35.
      Rarely of things: gemma princeps Sardonychus, Juv. 13, 138.
  2. II. As subst.: princeps, cĭpis, m., the first man, first person: princeps senatŭs, the first senator on the censor’s list, the first member of the Senate, Liv. 34, 44.
    1. B. Esp., the first, chief, principal, most distinguished person: quales in re publicā principes essent, talis reliquos solere esse civis, Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 12: juventutis, one of the noblest of the Roman knights, id. Vatin. 10, 24: trecenti conjuravimus principes juventutis Romanae, i. e. high-born or patrician youths, Liv. 2, 12, 15 (= proceres juventutis, id. 10, 28, 7); 42, 61, 5.
      In the time of the emperors this was also a title of honor given to the prince, the heir to the empire, Tac. A. 1, 3: sacerdotum, the high-priest, Vulg. Act. 4, 6.
    2. C. A chief, head, author, originator, leader, contriver, etc.: princeps atque architectus sceleris, Cic. Clu. 22, 60: Zeno eorum (Stoicorum) princeps non tam rerum inventor fuit, quam verborum novorum, id. Fin. 3, 2, 5: princeps Argonautarum, i. e. Jason, id. Tusc. 4, 32, 69: principes consilii publici, i. e. senatus, id. Sest. 45, 97: conjurationis, id. Cat. 1, 11, 27: eorum omnium hic dux est atque princeps, id. Har. Resp. 26, 57: regendae civitatis dux et sententiae princeps in senatu, id. de Or. 3, 17, 63: (pueri) aequalium principes, first among their playfellows, id. Fin. 5, 22, 61: gregis, i. e. of players, Suet. Calig. 58: principes sententiarum consulares, who were first asked for their opinion, Liv. 8, 21: hujus consilii principes, Caes. B. G. 2, 14: belli inferendi, first in commencing hostilities, id. ib. 5, 52: jam princeps equitum, at the head of, Juv. 4, 32.
      Of ancestors: hinc Dardanus ortus Iasiusque pater, genus a quo principe nostrum, Verg. A. 3, 168 (cf., in this sense, principium, Sil. 15, 748; v. principium, II. B. 2.).
    3. D. A chief, superior, director (ante- and post-class.): principes, qui utrique rei praeponuntur, Varr. R. R. 1, 2; Lampr. Alex. Sev. 32.
    4. E. A prince, i. e. a ruler, sovereign, emperor (poet. and post-Aug.): hic ames dici pater atque princeps, Hor. C. 1, 2, 50; Ov. P. 1, 2, 123; Tac. A. 1, 1: quae non faciet quod principis uxor, Juv. 6, 617; 8, 224.
  3. F. In milit. lang.: princĭpes, um, m., the second line of soldiers, between the hastati and triarii, Liv. 8, 8; 22, 5; 30, 8; 37, 39; cf. Varr. L. L. 5, § 89; Veg. Mil. 1, 20; 2, 15; cf. Ov. F. 3, 129; and Becker, Antiq. 3, 2, p. 249 sq.; p. 269 sq.
    Princeps also signifies,
      1. 1. A company or division of the principes: signum primi principis, of the first company of the principes, Liv. 26, 6, 1: octavum principem duxit, was centurion of the eighth maniple, Cic. ad Brut. 1, 8, 2.
      2. 2. A centurion or captain of the principes: princeps prior, the first captain of the principes, Caes. B. C. 3, 64 fin.: princeps tertiae legionis, Liv. 25, 14; cf. id. 42, 34.
      3. 3. The office of centurion of the principes, the centurionship or captaincy of the principes: mihi primus princeps prioris centuriae est adsignatus, the first captaincy of the principes, Liv. 42, 34, 8.
        Comp.: omnium priorum principum principiorem, si dici fas est, Cassiod. Hist. Eccl. 1, 1.

2. Princeps, cĭpis, m., a celebrated flute-player, Phaedr. 5, 7, 4.

princĭpĭum, ii, n. [princeps], a beginning, commencement, origin (class.; syn.: primordia, initium).

  1. I. In gen.: origo principii nulla est: nam ex principio oriuntur omnia, Cic. Tusc. 1, 23, 54: quid est cujus principium aliquod sit, nihil sit extremum? id. N. D. 1, 8, 20: nec principium, nec finem habere, id. Sen. 21, 78: cujus criminis neque principium invenire, neque evolvere exitum possum, id. Cael. 23, 56: hic fons, hoc principium est movendi, id. Rep. 6, 25, 27: bellorum atque imperiorum, id. Balb. 3, 9: principium pontis, Tac. A. 1, 69: principio lucis, at daybreak, Amm. 25, 5, 1: in principiis dicendi, at the commencement of a speech, Cic. de Or. 1, 26, 121; so of a declaration in a lawsuit, Juv. 6, 245: suave quoddam principium dicendi, Amm. 30, 4, 19: principia ducere ab aliquo, to derive, deduce: omnium rerum magnarum principia a dis immortalibus ducuntur, id. Vatin. 6, 14: principium urbis, id. Off. 1, 17, 54: scribendi recte sapere est et principium et fons, Hor. A. P. 309: omne principium huc refer, id. C. 3, 6, 6: a Jove principium, Verg. E. 3, 60: anni, Liv. 1, 4: a sanguine Teucri Ducere principium, Ov. M. 13, 705: capessere, to begin, Tac. A. 15, 49.
    Adverb.: principio, a principio, in principio, at or in the beginning, at first: principio … postea, etc., Cic. Div. 2, 35, 75: principio generi animantium omni est a naturā tributum, ut se tueatur, id. Off. 1, 4, 11; id. Tusc. 2, 22, 53; id. Fin. 1, 6, 17; Ter. Eun. 5, 8, 39; id. And. 3, 3, 38; Verg. A. 6, 214; Cic. Off. 3, 5, 21; so, a principio: ac vellem a principio te audissem, etc., id. Att. 7, 1, 2: dixeram a principio, de re publicā ut sileremus, id. Brut. 42, 157: in principio, id. de Or. 1, 48, 210: principio ut, as soon as, Plaut. Merc. prol. 40; v. Ritschl ad h. l.
    Rarely of the boundaries of a country or people: adusque principia Carmanorum, Amm. 23, 6, 74.
  2. II. In partic.
    1. A. Plur., beginnings, foundations, principles, elements (class.): bene provisa et diligenter explorata principia ponantur, Cic. Leg. 1, 13, 37: juris, id. ib. 1, 6, 18: naturae, id. Off. 3, 12, 52; for which: principia naturalia, id. Fin. 3, 5, 17; cf. id. ib. 2, 11, 35: principia rerum, ex quibus omnia constant, first principles, elements, id. Ac. 2, 36, 117.
      Prov.: obsta principiis (cf. the French: ce n’est que le premier pas qui coute), Ov. R. Am. 91.
    2. B. That makes a beginning, that votes first: tribus principium fuit, pro tribu Q. Fabius primus scivit, Lex Thoria, Rudorff. p. 142; Lex Appar. ap. Haubold, Moment. Leg. p. 85; Plebissc. ap. Front. Aquaed. 129: Faucia curia fuit principium, was the first to vote, Liv. 9, 38 fin.
      1. 2. In gen., a beginner, originator, founder, ancestor (poet.): Graecia principium moris fuit, Ov. F. 2, 37: mihi Belus avorum Principium, ancestor, progenitor, Sil. 15, 748.
        Here, too, prob. belongs PRINCIPIA SACRA, Æneas and his successors in Lavinium, ancestors whom the Latins and Romans honored as deities, Inscr. Orell. 2276.
    3. C. In milit. lang.: princĭpĭa, ōrum, n.
      1. 1. The foremost ranks, the front line of soldiers, the front or van of an army: post principia, behind the front, Liv. 2, 65; cf.: hic ero post principia, inde omnibus signum dabo, Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 11: post principia paulatim recedunt, Sisenn. ap. Non. 135, 31: deinde ipse paulatim procedere; Marium post principia habere, Sall. J. 50, 2: traversis principiis, in planum deducit, id. ib. 49, 6: equites post principia collocat, Liv. 3, 22; Tac. H. 2, 43.
      2. 2. The staff-officers, members of the council of war (post-class.): mittere principia, Front. Strat. 2, 5, 30: a principiis salutari, Treb. Pol. Trig. Tyr. 10: advocatis legionum principiis et turmarum, Amm. 25, 5, 1; Cod. 12, 47, 1.
      3. 3. A large open space in a camp, in which were the tents of the general, lieutenants, and tribunes, together with the standards, and where speeches were made and councils held; the general’s quarters: jura reddere in principiis, Liv. 28, 24: in principiis ac praetorio in unum sermones confundi, id. 7, 12: castrorum, Just. 11, 6, 6: in castris, Varr. R. R. 3, 4, 1: in principiis statuit tabernaculum, eoque omnes cotidie convenire (jussit), ut ibi de summis rebus consilia caperentur, Nep. Eum. 7, 2; Suet. Oth. 1; 6; Flor. 3, 10, 12: primores centurionum et paucos militum in principia vocat, Tac. H. 3, 13; 1, 48; Dig. 49, 16, 12; cf. Front. Strat. 4, 1, 16.
    4. D. Precedence, preference, the first place: principium ergo, columenque omnium rerum preti margaritae tenent, Plin. 9, 35, 54, § 106.
    5. E. Plur., selections, selected passages: principiorum libri circumferuntur, quia existimatur pars aliqua etiam sine ceteris esse perfecta, Plin. Ep. 2, 5, 12.
      1. 2. In partic., mastery, dominion (post-class.): ἀρχή, magisterium, magistratus, praesidatus, principium, Gloss. Philox.: in Graeco principii vocabulum, quod est ἀρχή, non tantum ordinativum, sed et potestativum capit principatum, Tert. adv. Hermog. 19.