scēptrum — Lewis & Short
scēptrum, i (less correctly scaep-trum), n., = skh=ptron,
I a royal staff, a sceptre.
I Lit.:
(rex Ptolemaeus) sedens cum purpurā et sceptro et illis insignibus regiis,Cic. Sest. 26, 57; Quint. 9, 3, 57; 11, 3, 158; Suet. Aug. 94:
Augusti,id. Galb. 1; Verg. A. 7, 247:
dextrā sceptrum gerebat,id. ib. 12, 206; Ov. M. 7, 103; 1, 178; 2, 847;
5, 422. Also borne by a king's daughter,Verg. A. 1, 653 Heyne:
exitiale,Stat. Th. 1, 34;
of a triumphant general,Liv. 5, 41; Juv. 10, 43.—Poet., in the plur., by way of amplification, of a single sceptre, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 12, 21; cf.:
celsā sedet Aeolus arce Sceptra tenens,Verg. A. 1, 57;
and of Juno,Ov. M. 3, 265; 1, 596; 11, 560; Verg. A. 7, 173; 7, 252 al.—
B Transf. *
1 A teacher's rod (humorously):
ferulae tristes, sceptra paedagogorum,Mart. 10, 62, 10.— *
2 A name of the plant aspalathus, Plin. 12, 24, 52, § 110.—
3 = membrum virile, Auct. Priap. 25.—
II Trop., as a symbol of authority, also used by the poets, in the plur., for kingdom, rule, dominion, authority: en impero Argis, sceptra mihi liquit Pelops, Poët. ap. Quint. 9, 4, 140:
tu mihi quodcumque hoc regni, tu sceptra Jovemque Concilias,Verg. A. 1, 78:
sic nos in sceptra reponis?id. ib. 1, 253; 7, 422;
9, 9: pulsus solio sceptrisque paternis,id. ib. 10, 852:
sceptra Asiae tenere,Ov. H. 16, 175:
potiri perenni sceptro,id. M. 15, 585; id. F. 4, 198; id. M. 6, 677:
Heliconiadum comites, quorum unus Homerus Sceptra potitus, etc.,Lucr. 3, 1038.