dextera

dextĕra or dextra, ae, f. (as in most langg.; cf. Gr. dexia, Germ. die Rechte, etc.; sc. manus), the right hand (freq. a sign of greeting, of fidelity; a symbol of strength, courage, etc.).

A.

Prop.:

cedo sis dexteram,

Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 102; Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 84:

quod ego te per hanc dextram oro,

id. And. 1, 5, 54; cf.:

per dexteram te istam oro, quam, etc.,

Cic. Deiot. 3; cf. also Sall. J. 10, 3; Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 94 al.; and:

dexterae, quae fidei testes esse solebant,

Cic. Phil. 11, 2, 5:

fidem more Persarum dextra dare,

Nep. Dat. 10, 1:

vos libertatem atque patriam in dextris vostris portare,

Sall. C. 58, 8; cf. Verg. A. 2, 291; Hor. Epod. 7, 10; Ov. M. 13, 176; Sil. 1, 77 et saep.: miserat civitas Lingonum vetere instituto dona legionibus dextras, hospitii insigne, a pair of hands clasped in each other, made of gold, silver, etc., Tac. H. 1, 54; cf. id. ib. 2, 8 (so in Gr. dexian pempein and pherein).— Prov.: dextra tenet calamum;

strictum tenet altera ferrum,

Ov. H. 11, 3.—

2.

Transf.

a.

The right side:

picus et cornix est ab laeva, corvus porro ab dextera,

Plaut. As. 2, 1, 12; cf. Cic. Div. 1, 39, 85:

ab dextera,

Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 89; id. Mil. 3, 1, 13; Ter. And. 4, 3, 19; Sall. C. 59, 2; Ov. M. 2, 5 al.:

ilico equites jubet dextera inducere,

Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 88; so,

dexterā,

id. ib. 177; Caes. B. C. 2, 15, 3; Sall. J. 101, 9; Liv. 21, 43 et saep.:

specta ad dexteram,

Plaut. Poen. 3, 4, 1; so,

ad dexteram,

id. Rud. 1, 2, 67; Ter. And. 4, 4, 12; Att. ap. Cic. [p. 568] Div. 1, 22 fin.; Cic. Univ. 13; Caes. B. C. 1, 69, 3 et saep.—

b.

Poet., the hand, in gen.:

omne sacrum rapiente dextra,

Hor. Od. 3, 3, 52; id. S. 2, 1, 54.—

B.

Trop., pledge of friendship:

renovare dextras,

Tac. A. 2, 58; cf.:

Graecia tendit dexteram Italiae suumque ei praesidium pollicetur,

Cic. Phil. 10, 4, 9:

nec veriti dominorum fallere dextras,

Verg. A. 6, 613; cf. id. ib. 3, 610; Nep. Dat. 10, 1; Just. 11, 15, 13:

ne fas, fidem, dextras, deos testes fallat,

Liv. 29, 24.