claustra

claustra ( clostra, Cato, R. R. 13, 3; 135, 2), ōrum, n. (in sing.: claustrum, i, rare, Caes. Germ. Arat. 197; Curt. 4, 5, 21; 7, 6, 13; Petr. 89, 2, 7; Gell. 14, 6, 3; Luc. 10, 509; App. M. 4, 10, p. 146 fin.; Amm. 23, 4, 6; 26, 8, 8: clostrum, Sen. Ben. 7, 21, 2) [clausum, claudo], that by which any thing is shut up or closed, a lock, bar, bolt.

I.

Prop.: claves, claustra, Varr. ap. Non. p. 545, 12:

claustra revellere,

Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 23, § 52; Liv. 5, 21, 10: januae pandere, * Cat. 61, 76:

laxare,

Verg. A. 2, 259:

relaxare,

Ov. Am. 1, 6, 17:

rumpere,

Verg. A. 9, 758:

diu claustris retentae ferae,

Liv. 42, 59, 2:

ferae claustris fractae,

Plin. Pan. 81, 3:

claustra pati,

to submit to confinement, Col. 8, 17, 8:

discutere,

Petr. 11, 2:

reserare,

Sil. 7, 334:

portarum ingentia claustra,

Verg. A. 7, 185; Val. Fl. 3, 53:

ferrea,

Mart. 10, 28, 8:

sub signo claustrisque rei publicae positum vectigal,

Cic. Agr. 1, 7, 21. —

B.

Trop., a bar, band, barrier, bounds:

arta portarum naturae effringere,

i. e. to disclose its secrets, Lucr. 1, 72; cf.:

tua claustra fregerunt tui versus,

i. e. have become known, public, Plin. Ep. 2, 10, 3:

pudoris et reverentiae refringere,

id. ib. 2, 14, 4:

vitaï claustra resolvere,

to loose the bands of life, Lucr. 1, 416; 3, 397; 6, 1152:

temporum,

Vell. 1, 17, 4:

(animus) amat spatiis obstantia rumpere claustra (the figure drawn from the bounds of a racecourse),

Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 9.—

II.

In a more extended sense, a door or gate that shuts up any place, a dam, dike; meton., a place that is shut up:

urbis relinquant,

Ov. M. 4, 86; cf.

Thebarum,

Stat. Th. 10, 474.—Of sunken ships, closing a port, Liv. 37, 14, 7; cf.:

ubi demersis navibus frenassent claustra maris,

id. 37, 15, 1:

maris,

i.e. a harbor, haven, Sil. 12, 442:

undae,

a dam, id. 5, 44; cf.:

Lucrino addita,

Verg. G. 2, 161; cf. id. A. 1, 56:

Daedalea,

i. e. the Labyrinth, Sen. Hippol. 1166 al. —

B.

In milit. lang., a barricade, bulwark, key, defence, fortress, wall, bank, etc., for warding off an enemy:

claustra loci,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 32, § 84:

Corinthus in faucibus Graeciae, sic ut terra claustra locorum teneret,

id. Agr. 2, 32, 87:

Sutrium, quae urbs socia Romanis velut claustra Etruriae erat,

Liv. 9, 32. 1:

Aegypti,

id. 45, 11, 5; Tac. H. 2, 82; Suet. Vesp. 7:

tutissima praebet,

Liv. 42. 67, 6; cf. id. 6, 9, 4; 44, 7, 9; Tac. A. 2, 61 al.:

montium,

id. H. 3, 2:

Caspiarum,

id. ib. 1, 6:

maris,

id. ib. 3, 43; cf. Sil. 12, 442; Tac. A. 2, 59: suis claustris ( walls, intrenchments ) impeditos turbant, id. ib. 12, 31; cf. id. ib. 4, 49:

regni claustra Philae,

Luc. 10, 312:

Africae,

Flor. 4, 2, 70.—

C.

Trop.:

cum ego claustra ista nobilitatis refregissem, ut aditus ad consulatum pateret,

Cic. Mur. 8, 17:

annonae Aegyptus,

Tac. H. 3, 8.