scriptūra

I a writing, written characters.

I In gen. (acc. to scribo, I.; Cic. uses scriptio instead): minium in voluminibus quoque scriptura usurpatur clarioresque litteras vel in auro vel in marmore etiam in sepulchris facit, Plin. 33, 7, 40, § 122: (meorum librorum) scriptura quanti constet, Mart. 1, 67, 3; Suet. Aug. 80: mendum scripturae, an error in writing, Caecin. ap. Cic Fam. 6, 7, 1.—*

2 Concr., a line (syn. scriptum): supercilia usque ad malarum scripturam currentia, the boundary line between the cheeks and eyelids, Petr. 126, 15.—

II In partic. (freq. and class.).

A (Acc. to scribo, II.) A writing, composing, composition (cf. scriptura).

1 Abstr., = scriptio: stilus optimus dicendi effector ... Nam si subitam et fortuitam orationem commentatio facile vincit: hanc ipsa profecto assidua ac diligens scriptura superabit, Cic. de Or. 1, 33, 150; cf. id. Fam. 15, 21, 4: neminem posse omnis res per scripturam complecti, id. Inv. 2, 50, 152: quod si scripturam sprevissem in praesentiā, writing, composing, Ter. Hec. prol. alt. 16: scriptura levis, id. Phorm. prol. 5; cf.: genus scripturae, Caecin. ap. Cic. Fam. 6, 7, 3; Liv 25, 12; Suet. Vit. Juven.; Nep. praef. § 1; cf. also: Naevii Punicum bellum continenti scripturā expositum, Suet. Gram. 2: C. Furnio legato plura verbo quam scriptura mandata dedimus, rather orally than in writing, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 8, 5; cf.: edebat per libellos scripturā brevi, written briefly, Suet. Caes. 41.—

2 Concr., = scriptum.

a Something written, a writing (rare, and not in Cic., for scriptum, liber, libellus): ne cum poëtā scriptura evanesceret, Ter. Hec. prol. alt. 5; id. Ad. prol. 1: diurna actorum, i. e. acta diurna, the public paper of the State, Tac. A. 3, 3: nemo annales nostros cum scripturā eorum contenderit, id. ib. 4, 32: in alterā scripturā, Val. Max. 1, 1, 12; Vitr. 5, 4, 1; Vulg. Dan. 5, 17; 25.—Of an inscription: statuae aetatem scriptura indicat, Vell. 2, 61, 3.—

b In eccl. writers: kat' e)coxh\n Scriptura, or, in the plur., Scripturae, the Scriptures, Vulg. Matt. 21, 42; id. Johan. 7, 42.—Esp. sing.: scriptūra, ae, a scripture, a passage of Scripture, Vulg. Marc. 14, 49; id. Johan. 19, 24.—

B Publicists' and jurid. t. t.

1 Public.

a A tax paid on public pastures: advorsum legem a me ob meam scripturam pecudem accepit Aeraque, Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 42 sq.; Cic. Imp. Pomp. 6, 15; Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 70, § 169; id. Att. 11, 10, 1; id. Fam. 13, 65, 1.—*

b A written law (syn. lex scripta): cum per ignorantiam scripturae multa commissa fierent, Suet. Calig. 41.—

2 Jurid. t. t.

a A testamentary provision: primum demonstrandum est, non esse ambigue scriptum ... Deinde ex superiore et ex inferiore scripturā docendum, etc. ... quae autem ex omni consideratā scripturā perspicua fiant, haec ambigua non oportere existimari, Cic. Inv. 2, 40, 117; cf. Quint. 9, 2, 34: dubia, id. 7, 9, 6.—

b A will: suprema, Cod. Th. 16, 1, 40.