fastigium

fastīgĭum, ii, n. [cf. Sanscr. bhrshtīs, corner, rim; Gr. a-phlaston, aplustria, the ornamented stern of a ship; O. H. Germ. brort, the prow], the top of a gable, a gable end, pediment (syn.: cacumen, culmen, vertex, apex).

I.

Prop.:

Capitolii fastigium illud et ceterarum aedium non venustas, sed necessitas ipsa fabricata est... utilitatem templi fastigii dignitas consecuta est,

Cic. de Or. 3, 46, 180; cf.:

fastigia aliquot templorum a culminibus abrupta,

Liv. 40, 2, 3:

evado ad summi fastigia culminis,

Verg. A. 2, 458; Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 4, § 14.—Hence, meton., the roof of a house, Verg. A. 8, 491; 9, 568; Val. Fl. 2, 235:

habere pulvinar, simulacrum, fastigium, flaminem,

id. Phil. 2, 43, 110; cf.

of the same: omnes unum in principem congesti honores: circa templa imagines... suggestus in curia, fastigium in domo, mensis in caelo,

Flor. 4, 2 fin.:

Romae signa eorum sunt in Palatina aede Apollinis in fastigio,

Plin. 36, 5, 4, § 13; cf. id. 35, 12, 43, § 152; Vitr. 3, 2.— Transf.:

operi tamquam fastigium imponere,

Cic. Off. 3, 7, 33.—

B.

Transf.

1.

The extreme part, extremity of a thing, whether above or below.

a.

Top, height, summit:

colles... pari altitudinis fastigio oppidum cingebant,

Caes. B. G. 7, 69, 4:

opus nondum aquae fastigium aequabat,

Curt. 4, 2, 19:

summi operis,

id. 4, 2, 8:

jamque agger aequaverat summae fastigia terrae,

id. 8, 10, 31:

aquatilium ova rotunda, reliqua fere fastigio acuminata,

Plin. 10, 52, 74, § 145:

gracilitas (arundinis) nodis distincta leni fastigio tenuatur in cacumina,

id. 16, 36, 64, § 158; cf.:

cornua in leve fastigium exacuta,

id. 11, 37, 45, § 124; 16, 33, 60, § 141; Vulg. 2 Reg. 18, 24.—In plur., Lucr. 4, 827:

muri,

Val. Fl. 2, 553:

fontis fastigium,

i. e. the height on which the fountain sprang up, Hirt. B. G. 8, 41, 5.—

b.

The lower part, depth: forsitan et scrobibus quae sint fastigia, quaeres, [p. 728] what should be the depth of the trenches, Verg. G. 2, 288.—

2.

(From the sloping form of the gable.) A slope, declivity, descent:

ab oppido declivis locus tenui fastigio vergebat,

Caes. B. C. 1, 45, 5:

jugum paulo leniore fastigio,

id. ib. 2, 24, 3:

iniquum loci ad declivitatem fastigium,

id. B. G. 7, 85, 4:

rupes leniore submissa fastigio,

Curt. 6, 6, 11:

capreoli molli fastigio,

Caes. B. C. 2, 10, 3; 2, 24, 3:

musculi,

id. ib. 2, 11, 1:

scrobes paulatim angustiore ad infimum fastigio,

i. e. gradually narrowing from top to bottom, id. B. G. 7, 73, 5; cf.:

si (fossa) fastigium habet, ut (aqua) exeat e fundo,

Varr. R. R. 1, 14, 2.—

3.

In the later grammarians, an accent placed over a word, Mart. Cap. 3, § 264; § 268 al.; Diom. p. 428 P.

II.

Trop.

A.

The highest part, summit, the highest degree, most exalted rank or dignity (perh. only since the Aug. per.):

quicquid numinum hanc Romani imperii molem in amplissimum terrarum orbis fastigium extulit,

Vell. 2, 131, 1; cf.:

sic fit, ut dei summum inter homines fastigium servent,

Plin. Pan. 52, 2:

et quoad usque ad memoriam nostram tribuniciis consularibusque certatum viribus est, dictaturae semper altius fastigium fuit,

Liv. 6, 38 fin.; cf.:

in consulare fastigium vehi,

Vell. 2, 69, 1:

ad regium fastigium evehere aliquem,

Val. Max. 1, 6, 1:

alii cives ejusdem fastigii,

Liv. 3, 35, 9:

stare in fastigio eloquentiae,

Quint. 12, 1, 20:

rhetoricen in tam sublime fastigium sine arte venisse,

id. 2, 17, 3:

et poësis ab Homero et Vergilio tantum fastigium accepit, et eloquentia a Demosthene,

id. 12, 11, 26; cf.:

magice in tantum fastigii adolevit, ut, etc.,

grew into such esteem, Plin. 30, 1, 1, § 2.—

2.

In gen., dignity, rank, condition:

(M. Laetorio) curatio altior fastigio suo data est,

Liv. 2, 27, 6; cf.:

ampliora etiam humano fastigio decerni sibi passus est,

Suet. Caes. 76:

tamquam mortale fastigium egressus,

Tac. A. 15, 74:

animus super humanum fastigium elatus,

Curt. 9, 10 med.:

quales ex humili magna ad fastigia rerum extollit Fortuna,

Juv. 3, 39.—

B.

A leading or chief point, head in a discourse; a principal sort or kind (rare):

summa sequar fastigia rerum,

Verg. A. 1, 342:

e quibus tribus fastigiis (agrorum) simplicibus,

sorts, kinds, Varr. R. R. 1, 6, 2:

propter haec tria fastigia formae discrimina quaedam fiunt sationum,

id. ib. 1, 5:

haec atque hujuscemodi tria fastigia agri, etc.,

id. ib. 1, 6, 6; cf.

also: quo fastigio sit fundus,

id. ib. 1, 20 fin. (and v. Lachm. ad Lucr. p. 223):

laudem relego fastigia summa,

Prisc. Laud. Anast. 148.