favilla

făvilla, ae, f. [Sanscr. root bhā-, to shine; Gr. pha-, phôs, etc., cf. Lat. fax], hot cinders or ashes, glowing ashes, embers (cf. cinis).

I.

Lit. ( poet. and in post-Aug. prose): ibi favillae plena coquendo sit faxo (psaltria). Ter. Ad. 5, 3, 60:

scintillas agere ac late differre favillam,

Lucr. 2, 675; cf. Ov. M. 7, 80; and:

cum contectus ignis ex se favillam discutit scintillamque emittit,

Plin. 18, 35, 84, § 358:

candens,

Verg. A. 3, 573:

cana,

Ov. M. 8, 525:

e carbone restincto favilla digito sublata,

Plin. 26, 11, 72, § 118:

cinis e favilla et carbonibus ad calefaciendum triclinium illatus,

Suet. Tib. 74:

nihil invenit praeter tepidam in ara favillam,

id. Galb. 18: vi pulveris ae favillae oppressus est. (Plinius), Suet. Fragm. Hist., ed. Roth, p. 301.—

2.

In partic., the ashes of the dead still glowing:

corporis favillam ab reliquo separant cinere,

Plin. 19, 11, 4, § 19:

ibi tu calentem Debita sparges lacrima favillam Vatis amici,

Hor. C. 2, 6, 23; Tib. 3, 2, 10; Prop. 1, 19, 19; Verg. A. 6, 227; Ov. F. 3, 561.—

B.

Transf.:

salis,

powder of salt, Plin. 31, 7, 42, § 90.—

* II.

Trop., a glimmering spark, i. e. beginning, origin:

haec est venturi prima favilla mali,

Prop. 1, 9, 18.