Pĕnātes — Lewis & Short
Pĕnātes, ĭum (Penatis singulariter Labeo Antistius posse dici putat, quia pluraliter Penates dicuntur, cum patiatur proportio etiam Penas dici, ut optimas, primas, Antias, *d*e*n*a*s = *p*e*n*a*s, which some assume in Dion. Hal. 1, 68, it is probably most correct to read *d*i*s *m*a*g*n*i*s, v. Ambrosch, Studien und Andeut. vol. i. p. 231 sq.—
Fest. p. 253 Müll. But the singular is never used; and forI Acc. plur. PENATEIS, perh. Tab. Bant. lin. 22), m. from the root pa, whence pascor, pabulum, pānis; also penus, and, through the notion of a storehouse or inner chamber, also penes, penetro; v. Georg Curtius Gr. Etym. p. 270 sq.; cf. Corss. Ausspr. 1, p. 425 sq..
I Lit., the Penates, old Latin guardian deities of the household, and of the state formed of a union of households, whose seat was originally in Lavinium; usually connected with di: IN VELIA APVD AEDEM DEVM PENATIVM, Inscr. Varr. L. L. 5, § 54 Müll.; cf.:
aedes deorum Penatium in Veliā,Liv. 45, 16:
AEDEM DEVM PENATIVM IN VELIA, Monum. Ancyr.: di Penates,Plaut. Merc. 5, 1, 5 sq.: in mensā Penatium deorum, Naev. ap. Prob. Verg. E. 6, 31:
sanctis Penatium deorum Larumque familiarium sedibus,Cic. Rep. 5, 5, 7; id. Deiot. 5, 15: MENS. IANVAR. SACRIFICANT. DIS. PENATIBVS, Calend. Farnes. ap. Inscr. Orell. 2, p. 380: v. s. Inscr. Orell. 1677; cf. ib. 1675 and 1678:
DIIS. DEABVS PENATIBVS FAMILIARIBVS ET IOVI CETERISQVE DIIBVS,ib. 2118.—Without di:
vos Penates patriique dii,Cic. Sest. 20, 45:
Ilium in Italiam portans victosque Penatis,Verg. A. 1, 68; 5, 62:
impudens liqui patrios Penatis,Hor. C. 3, 27, 49:
hostia Mollivit aversos Penates,id. ib. 3, 23, 19:
iniqui,id. ib. 2, 4, 15:
profugos posuistis Penates,Ov. M. 3, 539; 9, 445; id. Tr. 1, 3, 45:
IVNIANI,Inscr. Orell. 1587; cf.
, respecting the Penates,Cic. N. D. 2, 27, 68; Varr. and Nigid. ap. Arn. 3, 123; Macr. 3, 4; Serv. Verg. A. 2, 296 and 325.—
II Transf., a dwelling, home, hearth (cf. Lares, II.):
Quintius a suis dis penatibus praeceps ejectus,Cic. Quint. 26, 83; id. Rosc. Am. 8, 23:
nostris succede penatibus hospes,Verg. A. 8, 123:
ferro Libycos populare penates,id. ib. 1, 527:
conducti penates,Mart. 8, 75, 1:
sub uno tecto esse atque ad eosdem penates,Liv. 28, 18.—Hence, poet., of the hearth:
flammis adolere penatis,Verg. A. 1, 704.— Also, of the cells of bees, Verg. G. 4, 155; of the temple of a god, Stat. Th. 1, 643.