Lewis & Short

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tēlum, i, n. [for texlum; root τεκ-, of τίκτω, to beget; τυκ-, τυχ-, of τυγχάνω, to hit, chance upon; v. texo; cf. τόξον, a bow], a weapon used for fighting at a distance; a missile weapon, missile, as a dart, spear, javelin, etc. (while arma signifies arms for defence or close fight; v. arma; cf.: jaculum, tormentum).

  1. I. Lit.: tela proprie dici videntur ea, quae missilia sunt: ex Graeco videlicet translato eorum nomine, quoniam illi τηλόθεν missa dicunt, quae nos eminus; sicut arma ea, quae ab umeris dependentia retinentur manibus, Fest. p. 364 Müll.; cf. id. p. 3; and Serv. Verg. A. 8, 249; 9, 509: telum vulgo quidem id appellatur, quod ab arcu mittitur, sed nunc omne significatur, quod mittitur manu. Itaque sequitur, ut et lapis et lignum et ferrum hoc nomine contineatur, dictum ab eo, quod in longinquum mittitur, Graecā voce figuratum ἀπὸ τοῦ τηλοῦ, Dig. 50, 16, 233: arma rigent, horrescunt tela, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 4 (Trag. v. 177 Vahl.); so, opp. arma, Sall. C. 42, 2; 51, 38; id. J. 43, 3; Ov. M. 9, 201: tela manu jacere, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 3 (Ann. v. 438 Vahl.); cf.: si quis jaciat volatile telum, Lucr. 1, 970: tela depellere … telum jacere, Cic. Quint. 2, 8: conicere, Caes. B. G. 1, 26; 1, 46; 1, 47; 2, 27; Cic. Quint. 16, 52 al.; cf.: nubes levium telorum conjecta obruit aciem Gallorum, Liv. 38, 26, 7; and with this cf.: it toto turbida caelo Tempestas telorum ac ferreus ingruit imber, Verg. A. 12, 284: telum ex loco superiore mittere, Caes. B. G. 3, 4: Romani omni genere missilium telorum ac saxis maxime vulnerabantur, Liv. 44, 35, 21; cf. Sisenn. ap. Non. 449, 3: priusquam ad conjectum teli veniretur, Liv. 2, 31, 6: tela vitare, Caes. B. G. 2, 25: telis repulsi, id. ib. 1, 8; Cic. Rep. 1, 3, 5: non primus Teucer tela Cydonio Direxit arcu, Hor. C. 4, 9, 17: in medios telum torsisti primus Achivos, Verg. A. 5, 497: tela spargere, Luc. 3, 326; Quint. 4, 5, 14: aërias telum contendit in auras, Verg. A. 5, 520: telum volatile sensit, Ov. A. A. 1, 169: volucre, Val. Fl. 2, 524: hic confixum ferrea texit Telorum seges, Verg. A. 3, 46: nubes telorum, Liv. 38, 26, 7: nimbus, Luc. 4, 776.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. In gen., an offensive weapon of any kind, as a sword, dagger, poniard, axe, etc. (class.): Ajax gladio incubuit; Ulixes intervenit … e corpore cruentum telum educit, Auct. Her. 1, 11, 18: ex quibus (telis) ille maximum sicarum numerum et gladiorum extulit, Cic. Cat. 3, 3, 8: elatam securim in caput dejecit: relictoque in vulnere telo ambo se foras eiciunt, Liv. 1, 40, 7: non tuba terruerit, non strictis agmina telis, Ov. M. 3, 535: tela aliis hastae, aliis secures erant, Curt. 9, 1, 15: clavae tela erant, id. 9, 4, 3: stare in comitio cum telo, Cic. Cat. 1, 6, 15; so esp. freq.: esse cum telo, to be armed, id. Att. 2, 24, 3; id. Vatin. 10, 24; id. Verr. 2, 5, 3, § 7; Sall. C. 27, 2 al.; cf.: esse cum telo hominis occidendi causā (lex) vetat, Cic. Mil. 4, 11: qui caedem telo quocumque commiserint, Quint. 10, 1, 12: ut pereat positum rubigine telum, my sheathed sword, Hor. S. 2, 1, 43 et saep.: pars caret altera telo Frontis, i. e. a horn, Ov. M. 8, 883; so of the caestus, Verg. A. 5, 438; Stat. Th. 6, 772.
      2. 2. Poet., like the Gr. βέλος (v. Lidd. and Scott, sub voce),
        1. a. A sunbeam: non radii solis neque lucida tela diei, Lucr. 1, 147; 2, 60; 3, 92; 6, 40.
        2. b. Lightning: arbitrium est in sua tela Jovi, Ov. F. 3, 316: excutere irato tela trisulca Jovi, id. Am. 2, 5, 52.
      3. 3. A stitch in the side, Ser. Samm. 22, 402; cf. Isid. Orig. 4, 6.
      4. 4. = membrum virile, Mart. 11, 78, 6; Auct. Priap. 9; Just. 38, 1.
  2. II. Trop., a weapon, shaft, dart (class.), Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 113: usque quāque sapere oportet: id erit telum acerrimum, Poët. ap. Cic. Fam. 7, 16, 1; cf.: nec mediocre telum ad res gerendas existimare oportet benevolen, tiam civium, Cic. Lael. 17, 61: nec gelidis torpet telis perfixa pavoris, Lucr. 3, 305: Veneris telis accipere ictus, id. 4, 1052: necessitas, quae ultimum ac maximum telum est, Liv. 4, 28, 5; 5, 29, 9: quā lege tribunitiis rogationibus telum acerrimum datum est, id. 3, 55, 3: de corpore rei publicae tuorum scelerum tela revellere, Cic. Pis. 11, 25: tela fortunae, id. Fam. 5, 16, 2: lucubrationis telum, Suet. Calig. 53: vis tribunicia, telum a majoribus libertati paratum, Sall. Or. Macri Licinii ad Pleb. 6; Liv. 6, 35, 8: sentire et linguae tela subire tuae, Ov. P. 4, 6, 36.