1. princeps — Lewis & Short
princeps, cĭpis, adj. and
I subst. comm. [primus-capio], first in time or order (syn. primus).—Lit., in gen.:
ut quisque in fugā postremus, ita periculo princeps erat,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 34, § 90:
princeps in proelium ibat, ultimus conserto proelio excedebat,Liv. 21, 4:
princeps Horatius ibat,first, in front, in advance, id. 1, 26 Weissenb. ad loc.:
princeps fuit ad conatum exercitus comparandi,Cic. Phil. 10, 11, 24:
Firmani principes pecuniae pollicendae fuerunt,were the first to promise, id. ib. 7, 8, 23:
princeps in agendo,id. Div. in Caecil. 15, 47; Caes. B. G. 7, 2:
omnium nationum exterarum princeps Sicilia se ad amicitiam populi Romani applicuit,was the first that entered into friendship with the Roman people, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 1, § 2:
princeps et solus bellum his indixit,Nep. Thras. 1, 5:
princeps in haec verba jurat,Caes. B. C. 1, 76:
ut principes talem nuntium attulisse viderentur,to be the first, id. ib. 1, 53:
qui Formiarum moenia dicitur Princeps tenuisse,Hor. C. 3, 17, 7:
matri Qui dederit princeps oscula,Ov. F. 2, 714:
princeps turmas inducit Asilas,Verg. A. 11, 620:
princeps ante omnes,first of all, id. ib. 5, 833.—Of things:
quoniam exordium princeps omnium esse debet,Cic. Inv. 1, 7, 19:
qualitatum aliae sunt principes, aliae ex lis ortae,original, id. Ac. 1, 7, 26:
mensis Romani anni,Col. 11, 2, 3:
addere principi Limo particulam,Hor. C. 1, 16, 13:
dies imperii princeps, vitae supremus,Tac. A. 1, 9.—
B The first, chief, the most eminent, distinguished, or noble (syn. primores):
longe omnium gravitate princeps Plato,Cic. Or. 19, 62:
Eudoxus in astrologiā facile princeps,id. Div. 2, 42, 87:
quaedam principes feminae,certain noble ladies, Plin. 8, 32, 50, § 119:
principe loco genitus,id. 37, 2, 11, § 40.—Prov.:
principibus placuisse viris non ultima laus est,Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 35. —Rarely of things:
gemma princeps Sardonychus,Juv. 13, 138.—
II As subst.: princeps, cĭpis, m., the first man, first person:
princeps senatŭs,the first senator on the censor's list, the first member of the Senate, Liv. 34, 44.—
B Esp., the first, chief, principal, most distinguished person:
quales in re publicā principes essent, talis reliquos solere esse civis,Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 12:
juventutis,one of the noblest of the Roman knights, id. Vatin. 10, 24: trecenti conjuravimus principes juventutis Romanae, i. e. high-born or patrician youths, Liv. 2, 12, 15 (= proceres juventutis, id. 10, 28, 7); 42, 61, 5.—In the time of the emperors this was also a title of honor given to the prince, the heir to the empire, Tac. A. 1, 3:
sacerdotum,the high-priest, Vulg. Act. 4, 6. —
C A chief, head, author, originator, leader, contriver, etc.:
princeps atque architectus sceleris,Cic. Clu. 22, 60:
Zeno eorum (Stoicorum) princeps non tam rerum inventor fuit, quam verborum novorum,id. Fin. 3, 2, 5:
princeps Argonautarum,i. e. Jason, id. Tusc. 4, 32, 69:
principes consilii publici, i. e. senatus,id. Sest. 45, 97:
conjurationis,id. Cat. 1, 11, 27:
eorum omnium hic dux est atque princeps,id. Har. Resp. 26, 57:
regendae civitatis dux et sententiae princeps in senatu,id. de Or. 3, 17, 63:
(pueri) aequalium principes,first among their playfellows, id. Fin. 5, 22, 61:
gregis,i. e. of players, Suet. Calig. 58:
principes sententiarum consulares,who were first asked for their opinion, Liv. 8, 21:
hujus consilii principes,Caes. B. G. 2, 14:
belli inferendi,first in commencing hostilities, id. ib. 5, 52:
jam princeps equitum,at the head of, Juv. 4, 32.—Of ancestors:
hinc Dardanus ortus Iasiusque pater, genus a quo principe nostrum,Verg. A. 3, 168 (cf., in this sense, principium, Sil. 15, 748; v. principium, II. B. 2.).—
D A chief, superior, director (ante- and post-class.):
principes, qui utrique rei praeponuntur,Varr. R. R. 1, 2; Lampr. Alex. Sev. 32.—
E A prince, i. e. a ruler, sovereign, emperor (poet. and post-Aug.):
hic ames dici pater atque princeps,Hor. C. 1, 2, 50; Ov. P. 1, 2, 123; Tac. A. 1, 1:
quae non faciet quod principis uxor,Juv. 6, 617; 8, 224.—
F In milit. lang.: princĭpes, um, m., the second line of soldiers, between the hastati and triarii, Liv. 8, 8; 22, 5; 30, 8; 37, 39; cf. Varr. L. L. 5, § 89; Veg. Mil. 1, 20; 2, 15; cf. Ov. F. 3, 129; and Becker, Antiq. 3, 2, p. 249 sq.; p. 269 sq.—Princeps also signifies,
1 A company or division of the principes: signum primi principis, of the first company of the principes, Liv. 26, 6, 1:
octavum principem duxit,was centurion of the eighth maniple, Cic. ad Brut. 1, 8, 2.—
2 A centurion or captain of the principes: princeps prior, the first captain of the principes, Caes. B. C. 3, 64 fin.:
princeps tertiae legionis,Liv. 25, 14; cf. id. 42, 34.—
3 The office of centurion of the principes, the centurionship or captaincy of the principes: mihi primus princeps prioris centuriae est adsignatus, the first captaincy of the principes, Liv. 42, 34, 8.—Comp.:
omnium priorum principum principiorem, si dici fas est,Cassiod. Hist. Eccl. 1, 1.