căpŭt — Lewis & Short
căpŭt (kăp-căpud), ĭtis (
I abl. sing. regularly capite:
capiti,Cat. 68, 124; cf. Tib. 1, 1, 72 Huschk., where the MSS., as well as Caes. German. Arat. 213, vary between the two forms), n. kindr. with Sanscr. kap-āla; Gr. kef-alh/; Goth. haubith; Germ. Haupt.
I The head, of men and animals:
oscitat in campis caput a cervice revolsum,Enn. Ann. 462 Vahl.: i lictor, conliga manus, caput obnubito, form. ap. Cic. Rab. Perd. 4, 13; cf. Liv. 1, 26, 6:
tun' capite cano amas, homo nequissume?Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 34; so,
cano capite,id. As. 5, 2, 84; id. Cas. 3, 1, 4; Tib. 1, 1, 72; Pers. 1, 83 al.; cf. Tib. 1, 10, 43, and:
capitis nives,Hor. C. 4, 13, 12, and Quint. 8, 6, 17 Spald.:
raso capite calvus,Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 306:
irraso,id. Rud. 5, 2, 16:
intonsum,Quint. 12, 10, 47:
amputare alicui,Suet. Galb. 20; Vulg. 1 Par. 10, 9:
capite operto,Cic. Sen. 10, 34, 34:
obvoluto,id. Phil. 2, 31, 77 Klotz:
caput aperire,id. ib.:
abscindere cervicibus,id. ib. 11, 2, 5:
demittere,Caes. B. G. 1, 32; Cat. 87, 8; Verg. A. 9, 437: attollere. Ov. M. 5, 503:
extollere,to become bold, Cic. Planc. 13, 33: efferre, to raise one's head, to be eminent, Verg. E. 1, 25 al.—Of animals, Tib. 2, 1, 8; Hor. S. 1, 2, 89; 2, 3, 200; id. Ep. 1, 1, 76 al.—
b Prov.: supra caput esse, to be over one's head, i. e. to be at one's very doors, to threaten in consequence of nearness ( = imminere, impendere), Sall. C. 52, 24; Liv. 3, 17, 2; Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 2, § 6; Tac. H. 4, 69; cf. Kritz ad Sall. l. l.: capita conferre (like our phrase to put heads together, i. e to confer together in secret), Liv. 2, 45, 7:
ire praecipitem in lutum, per caputque pedesque,over head and ears, Cat. 17, 9:
nec caput nec pedes,neither beginning nor end, good for nothing, Cic. Fam. 7, 31, 2; cf. Cato ap. Liv. Epit. lib. 50; Plaut. As. 3, 3, 139 sq.—
c Capita aut navia (al. navim), heads or tails, a play of the Roman youth in which a piece of money is thrown up, to see whether the figure-side (the head of Janus) or the reverse - side (a ship) will fall uppermost, Macr. S. 1, 7; Aur. Vict. Orig. 3; cf. Ov. F. 1, 239; Paul. Nol. Poëm. 38, 73.—
d Poet., the head, as the seat of the understanding:
aliena negotia Per caput saliunt,run through the head, Hor. S. 2, 6, 34; so id. ib. 2, 3, 132; id. A. P. 300.—
e Ad Capita bubula, a place in Rome in the tenth region, where Augustus was born, Suet. Aug. 5.—
2 Transf., of inanimate things.
a In gen., the head, top, summit, point, end, extremity (beginning or end):
ulpici,Cato, R. R. 71:
allii,Col. 6, 34, 1:
porri,id. 11, 3, 17:
papaveris,Liv. 1, 54, 6; Verg. A. 9, 437:
bulborum,Plin. 19, 5, 30, § 94:
caulis,id. 19, 8, 41, § 140 al.:
jecoris (or jecinoris, jocinoris),Cic. Div. 2, 13, 32; Liv. 8, 9, 1; cf. id. 27, 26, 14; 41, 14, 7; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 244 Müll.:
extorum,Ov. M. 15, 795; Luc. 1, 627; Plin. 11, 37, 73, § 189: pontis, tēte de pont, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 18, 4; cf. Front. Arat. 2, 13, 5:
tignorum,Caes. B. C. 2, 9:
columnae,Plin. 34, 3, 7, § 13:
molis,the highest point of the mole, Curt. 4, 2, 23:
xysti,Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 20:
porticus,id. ib. 5, 6, 19 al.—
b Esp., of rivers,
(a) The origin, source, spring (head):
caput aquae illud est, unde aqua nascitur,Dig. 43, 20, 1, § 8; so Lucr. 5, 270; 6, 636; 6, 729; Tib. 1, 7, 24; Hor. C. 1, 1, 22; id. S. 1, 10, 37; Verg. G. 4, 319; 4, 368; Ov. M. 2, 255; Hirt. B. G. 8, 41; Liv. 1, 51, 9; 2, 38, 1; 37, 18, 6:
fontium,Vitr. 8, 1; Mel. 3, 2, 8; Plin. Ep. 8, 8, 5; 10, 91, 1 al.—
(b) (more rare) The mouth, embouchure, Caes. B. G. 4, 10; Liv. 33, 41, 7; Luc. 2, 52; 3, 202.—
c Also of plants, sometimes the root, Cato, R. R. 36; 43; 51:
vitis,id. ib. 33, 1; 95, 2; Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 195; Verg. G. 2, 355.—
d Also, in reference to the vine, vine branches, Col. 3, 10, 1; Cic. Sen. 15, 53.—Poet., also the summit, top of trees, Enn. ap. Gell. 13, 20, and ap. Non. 195, 24; Ov. M. 1, 567; Poët. ap. Quint. 9, 4, 90; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 3, 370. —
e Of mountains, rocks, Verg. A. 4, 249; 6, 360.—
f Of a boil that swells out, Cels. 8, 9;
hence, facere,to come to a head, Plin. 22, 25, 76, § 159; 26, 12, 77, § 125; cf.: capita deorum appellabantur fasciculi facti ex verbenis, Paul. ex Fest. p. 64 Müll.—
II Per meton. (pars pro toto), a man, person, or animal (very freq. in prose and poetry; cf. ka/ra, kefalh/, , in the same signif.;
v. Liddell and Scott and Robinson): pro capite tuo quantum dedit,Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 54; id. Pers. 1, 1, 37:
hoc conruptum'st caput,id. Ep. 1, 1, 85:
siquidem hoc vivet caput, i. e. ego,id. Ps. 2, 4, 33; so id. Stich. 5, 5, 10; cf. id. Capt. 5, 1, 25:
ridiculum caput!Ter. And. 2, 2, 34:
festivum,id. Ad. 2, 3, 8:
lepidum,id. ib. 5, 9, 9:
carum,Verg. A. 4, 354; Hor. C. 1, 24, 2:
liberum,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 32, § 79:
vilia,Liv. 25, 6, 9:
viliora,id. 9, 26, 22:
vilissima,id. 24, 5, 13:
ignota,id. 3, 7, 7; cf. id. 2, 5, 6:
liberorum servorumque,id. 29, 29, 3 al.—In imprecations:
istic capiti dicito,Plaut. Rud. 3, 6, 47; cf.:
vae capiti tuo,id. Most. 4, 3, 10; so id. Poen. 3, 3, 32; Ter. Phorm. 3, 2, 6; Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 1, 4; Tib. 1, 2, 12; Verg. A. 8, 484; 11, 399 al.—With numerals:
capitum Helvetiorum milia CCLXIII.,souls, Caes. B. G. 1, 29; 4, 15:
quot capitum vivunt, totidem studiorum Milia,Hor. S. 2, 1, 27; id. Ep. 2, 2, 189; cf. id. C. 1, 28, 20 al.; so, in capita, in distribution, to or for each person (cf. in Heb. also , for each head, poll, = for each individual, v. Robinson in h. v.), Liv. 2, 33, 11; 32, 17, 2; 34, 50, 6 al. (cf.:
in singulos,id. 42, 4, 5).—Of. the poll-tax:
exactio capitum,Cic. Fam. 3, 8, 5; so,
capite censi, v. censeo.—Of animals,Verg. A. 3, 391; Col. 6, 5, 4 fin.; 8, 5, 4; 8, 5, 7; 8, 11, 13; Veg. Vet. 1, 18.—
III Trop.
1 Life, and specif.,
a Physical life:
carum,Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 33 sq.; 5, 1, 26:
si capitis res siet,if it is a matter of life and death, id. Trin. 4, 2, 120: capitis periculum adire, to risk one's life, Ter. And. 4, 1, 53; id. Hec. 3, 1, 54; cf. id. Phorm. 3, 2, 6 Runnk.:
capitis poena,capital punishment, Caes. B. G. 7, 71:
pactum pro capite pretium,Cic. Off. 3, 29, 107:
cum altero certamen honoris et dignitatis est, cum altero capitis et famae,id. ib. 1, 12, 38:
cum dimicatione capitis,id. Prov. Cons. 9, 23; cf.:
suo capite decernere,id. Att. 10, 9, 2; so Liv. 2, 12, 10; Cic. Fin. 5, 22, 64; Liv. 9, 5, 5:
caput offerre pro patriā,Cic. Sull. 30, 84:
patrium tibi crede caput, i. e. patris vitam et salutem,Ov. M. 8, 94; so,
capitis accusare,to accuse of a capital crime, Nep. Paus. 2 fin.:
absolvere,id. Milt. 7, 6:
damnare,id. Alcib. 4, 5; id. Eum. 5, 1:
tergo ac capite puniri,Liv. 3, 55, 14:
caput Jovi sacrum,id. 3, 55, 7:
sacratum,id. 10, 38, 3 al.; cf. Ov. M. 9, 296.—
b Civil or political life, acc. to the Roman idea, including the rights of liberty, citizenship, and family (libertatis, civitatis, familiae): its loss or deprivation was called deminutio or minutio capitis, acc. to the foll. jurid. distinction: capitis deminutionis tria genera sunt: maxima, media, minima; tria enim sunt, quae habemus: libertatem, civitatem, familiam. Igitur cum omnia haec amittimus (as by servitude or condemnation to death), maximam esse capitis deminutionem; cum vero amittimus civitatem (as in the interdictio aquae et ignis) libertatem retinemus, mediam esse capitis deminutionem;
cum et libertas et civitas retinetur, familia tantum mutatur (as by adoption, or, in the case of women, by marriage) minimam esse capitis deminutionem constat,Dig. 4, 5, 11; cf. Just. Inst. 1, 16, 4; Cic. de Or. 1, 40, 181; 1, 54, 231; id. Tusc. 1, 29, 71; Liv. 3, 55, 14; 22, 60, 15:
capitis minor,Hor. C. 3, 5, 42:
servus manumissus capite non minuitur, quia nulnum caput habuit,Dig. 4, 5, 3, § 1.—Of the deminutio media, Cic. Brut. 36, 136; Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 40, §§ 98 and 99; id. Quint. 2, 8 al.—Of the deminutio minima, Cic. Top. 4, 18; cf. Gai Inst. 1, 162.—
2 The first or chief person or thing, the head, leader, chief, guide (very freq.).
(a) With gen.:
scelerum,an arrant knave, Plaut. Curc. 2, 1, 19; id. Bacch. 4, 7, 31; id. Mil. 2, 6, 14; id. Ps. 1, 5, 31; 4, 5, 3; id. Rud. 4, 4, 54:
perjuri,id. ib. 4, 4, 55:
concitandorum Graecorum,Cic. Fl. 18, 42:
consilil,Liv. 8, 31, 7:
conjurationis,id. 9, 26, 7:
caput rei Romanae Camillus,id. 6, 3, 1; cf.:
caput rerum Masinissam fuisse,id. 28, 35, 12; so id. 26, 40, 13:
reipublicae,Tac. A. 1, 13:
nominis Latini,heads, chiefs, Liv. 1, 52, 4:
belli,id. 45, 7, 3:
Suevorum,chieftribe, Tac. G. 39 fin. al.—The predicate in gen. masc.:
capita conjurationis ejus virgis caesi ac securi percussi,Liv. 10, 1, 3.—
(b) With esse and dat.:
ego caput fui argento reperiundo,Plaut. As. 3, 3, 138; cf.:
illic est huic rei caput,author, contriver, Ter. And. 2, 6, 27; so id. Ad. 4, 2, 29 al.—
(g) Absol.:
urgerent philosophorum greges, jam ab illo fonte et capite Socrate,Cic. de Or. 1, 10, 42:
corpori valido caput deerat,guide, leader, Liv. 5, 46, 5:
esse aliquod caput (i. e. regem) placebat,id. 1, 17, 4; cf. id. 1, 23, 4; Hor. S. 2, 5, 74 al.—Of things, head, chief, capital, etc.;
thus of cities: Thebas caput fuisse totius Graeciae,head, first city, Nep. Epam. 10 fin.; so with gen., Liv. 9, 37, 12; 10, 37, 4 Weissenb. ad loc.; 23, 11, 11; 37, 18, 3 (with arx); cf.:
pro capite atque arce Italiae, urbe Romanā,Liv. 22, 32, 5; and with dat.:
Romam caput Latio esse,id. 8, 4, 5; and:
brevi caput Italiae omni Capuam fore,id. 23, 10, 2 Drak. N. cr.—Of other localities:
castellum quod caput ejus regionis erat,the head, principal place, Liv. 21, 33, 11.—Of other things:
jus nigrum, quod cenae caput erat,the principal dish, Cic. Tusc. 5, 34, 98; cf. id. Fin. 2, 8, 25:
patrimonii publici,id. Agr. 1, 7, 21; cf. id. ib. 2, 29, 80; Liv. 6, 14, 10: caput esse artis, decere, the main or principal point, Cic. de Or. 1, 29, 132:
caput esse ad beate vivendum securitatem,id. Lael. 13, 45: ad consilium de re publicā dandum caput est nosse rem publicam;
ad dicendum vero probabiliter, nosse mores civitatis,id. de Or. 2, 82, 337; 1, 19, 87:
litterarum,summary, purport, substance, id. Phil. 2, 31, 77:
caput Epicuri,the fundamental principle, dogma, id. Ac. 2, 32, 101; cf. Quint. 3, 11, 27: rerum, the chief or central point, head, Cic. Brut. 44, 164.—So in writings, a division, section, paragraph, chapter, etc.:
a primo capite legis usque ad extremum,Cic. Agr. 2, 6, 15; cf. id. ib. 2, 10, 26; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 46, § 118 Ascon.; id. Fam. 3, 8, 4; Gell. 2, 15, 4 al.; Cic. de Or. 2, 55, 223; id. Fam. 7, 22 med.; Quint. 10, 7, 32:
id quod caput est,Cic. Att. 1, 17, 4; so id. Fam. 3, 7, 4.—Of money, the principal sum, the capital, stock (syn. sors;
opp. usurae),Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 4, § 11; 2, 3, 35, § 80 sq.; id. Att. 15, 26, 4; Liv. 6, 15, 10; 6, 35, 4; Hor. S. 1, 2, 14 al.