Lewis & Short

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sā̆crāmentum, i, n. [sacro].

  1. I. In good class. Lat., a jurid. and milit. t. t.
    1. A. Jurid. t. t., the sum which the two parties to a suit at first deposited, but afterwards became bound for, with the tresviri capitales; so called because the sum deposited by the losing party was used for religious purposes, esp. for the sacra publica; v. Fest. p. 344 Müll.; or, perh. more correctly, because the money was deposited in a sacred place; v. the foll. passage of Varro and Müller’s note. (Another reason is given in Isid. Orig. 5, 24 fin.: sacramentum est pignus sponsionis; vocatum autem sacramentum, quia violare, quod quisque promittit, perfidia est): ea pecunia, quae in judicium venit in litibus, sacramentum a sacro. Qui petebat et qui infitiabatur, de aliis rebus utrique quingenos aeris ad pontem deponebant, de aliis rebus item certo alio legitimo numero assum; qui judicio vicerat, suom sacramentum e sacro auferebat, victi ad aerarium redibat, Varr. L. L. 5, § 180 Müll. N. cr.: qui prior vindicaverat, dicebat: quando tu injuria vindicavisti, de aeris sacramento te provoco; adversarius quoque dicebat: similiter ego te; seu L. asses sacramenti nominabant … Postea praedes Praetor ab utroque accipiebat sacramenti, quod id in publicum cedebat, Gai. Inst. 4, 16; cf. id. ib. 4, 16, § 13 sq.; 95: sacramenti autem nomine id aes dici coeptum est quod et propter aerarii inopiam et sacrorum publicorum multitudinem consumebatur id in rebus divinis, Fest. p. 344 Müll.: cum in rem aliquam agerent litigatores et poena se sacramenti peterent, poscebant judicem, qui dabatur post trigesimum diem, Pseudo-Ascon. ad. Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 9, § 26 (p. 164 Orell.): de multae sacramento consules comitiis centuriatis tulerunt, Cic. Rep. 2, 35, 60.
      1. 2. Meton., a cause, a civil suit or process: decemviri re quaesitā et deliberatā sacramentum nostrum justum judicaverunt, Cic. Caecin. 33, 97; cf. transf. in gen.: homines graves, quibuscum tibi justo sacramento contendere, non liceret, on equal terms, with a fair chance of success, id. de Or. 1, 10, 42: cetera … ἔντεχνα et arguta adparebunt, ut sacramento contendas mea non esse, lay a wager, i. e. confidently assert, id. Fam. 7, 32, 2: injustis vindiciis ac sacramentis ali enos fundos petere, id. Mil. 27, 74: si Xviri sacramentum in libertatem injustum judicassent, id. Dom. 29, 78.
    2. B. Milit. t. t. (cf. infra, 2, the passage from Cic. Off. 1, 11, 36), orig. the preliminary engagement entered into by newly-enlisted troops (this was followed by the proper military oath, jusjurandum, which was at first voluntary, but, after the second Punic war, was demanded by the military tribune): milites tum (i.e. 538 A.U.C.), quod numquam antea factum erat, jurejurando ab tribunis militum adacti milites [jussu consulis conventuros]: nam ad eam diem nihil praeter sacramentum fuerat; et, ubi ad decuriatum aut centuriatum convenissent, suā voluntate ipsi inter sese decuriati equites, centuriati pedites conjurabant, sese fugae atque formidinis ergo non abituros neque ex ordine recessuros, nisi, etc. … Id ex voluntario inter ipsos foedere ad tribunos ac legitimam juris jurandi adactionem translatum, Liv. 22, 38, 2 seq. Weissenb. ad loc.; cf. Front. Strat. 4, 1, 4; and v. Becker, Antiq. 3, 2, p. 292 sq.
      Hence, since that time,
      1. 2. For jusjurandum, the military oath of allegiance (very freq. and class.): milites Domitianos sacramentum apud se dicere jubet, to take the oath of allegiance, Caes. B. C. 1, 23; so, sacramentum dicere, id. ib. 1, 86 fin.: quos consulis sacramento rogavisset, id. B. G. 6, 1: sacramentum dicere alicui, Tac. A. 1, 28; and in a like signif. in Livy: sacramento (abl.) dicere, Liv. 2, 24 fin.; 4, 53; 25, 5; 41, 5 fin.: sacramento dicere alicui, id. 24, 8: ut omnes minores quinquaginta annis sacramento (abl.) rogaret, should administer the oath of allegiance to them, swear them in, id. 40, 26; so, rogare (aliquos) sacramento, id. 32, 26; 35, 2; Quint. 12, 2, 26; in a like sense: adigere sacramento aliquos, Liv. 4, 5; 7, 11; 9, 29; Tac. A. 1, 37; id. H. 1, 55: adigere aliquos sacramento Othonis, id. ib. 1, 76: Vitellii, id. ib. 2, 55: Vespasiani, id. ib. 2, 79: adigere aliquos sacramento in nomen senatūs, Suet. Galb. 16: sacramento aliquem tenere … sacramento tenere, Caes. B. C. 2, 32; cf.: secundo eum obliget militiae sacramento, quia, priore amisso, jure cum hostibus pugnare non poterat, Cic. Off. 1, 11, 36 (in which passage the primary jurid. signif. is alluded to): ex quibus (legionibus) aetate aut valetudine fessi sacramento solvebantur, Tac. A. 16, 13 fin.: legionibus, quae sacramentum mutaverant, in paenitentiam conversis, i. e. had revolted, Suet. Claud. 13; cf.: paenitentia mutati sacramenti, id. Galb. 10: alicujus sacramentum exuere, Tac. H. 3, 42: hoc sacramento (viz. in the service of Bacchus) initiatos juvenes milites faciendos censetis? Liv. 39, 15.
        1. b. Transf., in gen., an oath, a solemn obligation or engagement (mostly post-Aug.): ut sacramento contendas mea non esse, Cic. Fam. 7, 32, 2: non ego perfidum Dixi sacramentum: ibimus, ibimus, etc., Hor. C. 2, 17, 10: in verba Eumolpi sacramentum juravimus, Petr. 117, 5: amicitiae sacramentum delevi, id. 80, 4: sacramento quodam nexi, Just. 20, 4, 14: se sacramento obstringere, ne, etc., Plin. Ep. 10, 96 (97), 7: si quod inesset mutis animalibus tacitum ac naturale sacramentum, App. M. 3, p. 140, 31.
  2. II. In eccl. and late Lat., something to be kept sacred.
      1. 1. A secret: sacramentum regis abscondere, Vulg. Tob. 12, 7.
      2. 2. The gospel revelation: nolite verba, cum sacramentum meum Erit canendum, providenter quaerere, Prud. στεφ. 10,15.
      3. 3. A mystery: sacramentum stellarum, Vulg. Apoc. 1, 20: pietatis, id. 1 Tim. 3, 16; Lact. 7, 24; Aug. de Agone Christi, 24.
      4. 4. A sacrament: signa, cum ad res divinas pertinent, sacramenta appellantur, Aug. Ep. 138: baptismi, id. Doctr. Christ. 3, 13: sanguinis Christi, id. Ep. ad Bonif. 98, 9: (matrimonii), Vulg. Eph. 5, 32.
      5. 5. The office of the ministry: Athanasium episcopum … coctus in unum quaesitus (synodus ut appellant) removit a sacramento quod obtinebat, Amm. 15, 7, 7.