līmĕs — Lewis & Short
līmĕs, ĭtis, m.root in līmus; cf. limen, and Gr. le/xris; cf. Just. Inst. 1, 12, 5,
I a cross-path, balk between fields.
I Lit., the Romans usually had in their fields two broad and two narrower paths; the principal balk from east to west was called limes decumanus; that from north to south was called cardo;
of the two smaller ones, that running from east to west was called prorus, the other, from north to south, transversus,Hyg. de Limit. Const. 18, 33 and 34; Col. 1, 8, 7:
lutosi limites,Varr. R. R. 2, 4, 8. —
B Transf. (mostly poet.).
1 A boundary, limit between two fields or estates, consisting of a stone or a balk:
partiri limite campum,Verg. G. 1, 126:
saxum antiquum, ingens, campo quod forte jacebat, Limes agro positus, litem ut discerneret arvis,id. A. 12, 897:
effodit medio de limite saxum,Juv. 16, 38.—
2 A fortified boundaryline, a boundary-wall:
cuncta inter castellum Alisonem ac Rhenum novis limitibus aggeribusque permunita,Tac. A. 2, 7:
limite acto promotisque praesidiis,id. G. 29: penetrat interius, aperit limites, Vell. 2, 120.—
3 In gen., any path, passage, road, way; also, by-street, by-road:
eo limite Athenienses signa extulerunt,Liv. 31, 39:
profectus inde transversis limitibus,id. ib.:
lato te limite ducam,Verg. A. 9, 323:
acclivis,Ov. M. 2, 19:
limite recto fugere,id. ib. 7, 782:
transversi,by-roads, Liv. 22, 12, 2 Fabr.; 31, 39, 5; 41, 14 init.: limes Appiae, the line of the Appian street (for the street itself), id. 22, 15, 11:
limite acto (i. e. facto),Tac. G. 29.—
Of the channel of a stream: solito dum flumina currant Limite,Ov. M. 8, 558; Prop. 5, 9, 60.—Of the track of light left behind them by comets, fiery meteors, torches, etc.:
flammiferumque trahens spatioso limite crinem, Stella micat,Ov. M. 15, 849:
tum longo limite sulcus Dat lucem,Verg. A. 2, 697; Plin. 2, 26, 25, § 96:
sectus in obliquo est lato curvamine limes,the zodiac, Ov. M. 2, 130:
latum per agmen Ardens limitem agit ferro,Verg. A. 10, 514; cf. Sil. 4, 463; 9, 379; Stat. Th. 9, 182.—
4 A line or vein in a precious stone:
nigram materiam distinguente limite albo,Plin. 37, 10, 69, § 184.—
II Trop.
A A boundary, limit:
limes carminis,Stat. Th. 1, 16:
aestuat infelix angusto limite mundi,Juv. 10, 169.—
B A distinction, difference:
judicium brevi limite falle tuum,Ov. R. Am. 325:
quaedam perquam tenui limite dividuntur,Quint. 9, 1, 3.—
C A way, path:
si maledicitis vostro gradiar limite,Plaut. Poen. 3, 3, 18:
bene meritis de patria quasi limes ad caeli aditum patet,Cic. Somn. Scip. 8; Sen. Ben. 1, 15, 2:
eundem limitem agere,to go the same way, employ the same means, Ov. A. A. 3, 558.