hasta — Lewis & Short
hasta (asta), ae, f.Sanscr. hastas, hand; cf. Gr. root xad- in xanda/nw, pre-hendo,
I a spear (syn.: hastile, dolo, gaesum, sarisa, sparus, lancea, pilum, spiculum, telum, etc.).
I Lit.
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.—
2 Transf., beyond the milit. sphere:
jacet, diffidit, abjecit hastas,i. e. has lost his courage, Cic. Mur. 21, 45.—
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.—
C A little spear with which a bride's hair was parted into locks, Ov. F. 2, 560.—
D A spear, as a gymnastic weapon, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 38; 3, 3, 24; id. Most. 1, 2, 73.—
II Transf.
A Of the form of a comet: jubae effigies mutata in hasta est. Plin. 2, 25, 22, § 90.—
B I. q. membrum virile, Auct. Priap. 45, 1.