fax

fax, făcis (also in the nom. sing. ‡ faces, acc. to Paul. ex Fest. p. 87, 9 Müll.; gen. plur.: facum, acc. to Charis. p. 113 P., but without example), f. [root bhā, to shine; cf. favilla], a torch, firebrand, flambeau, link, orig. of pine or other resinous wood.

I.

Lit. (syn.: taeda, funale, cerĕus, candela, lucerna, laterna): alii faces atque aridam materiem de muro in aggerem eminus jaciebant, * Caes. B. G. 7, 24, 4; Liv. 22, 16, 7:

ambulare cum facibus,

Hor. S. 1, 4, 52:

malleolos et faces ad inflammandam urbem comparare,

Cic. Cat. 1, 13, 32; cf.:

ego faces jam accensas ad hujus urbis incendium exstinxi,

id. Pis. 2, 5:

servi in tecta nostra cum facibus immissi,

id. Att. 14, 10, 1; cf.:

faces incendere,

id. Phil. 2, 36, 91:

si te in Capitolium faces ferre vellet,

id. Lael. 11, 37:

ardentem facem praeferre,

id. Verr. 2, 4, 34, § 74:

castris inicere,

Tac. H. 4, 60;

subdere urbi,

Curt. 5, 7, 4:

faces ferro inspicare,

Verg. G. 1, 292; cf.:

facis incidere,

Plin. 18, 26, 63, § 233:

dilapsam in cineres facem,

Hor. C. 4, 13, 28.—At weddings, the torch carried before the bride on the way to her home, usually made of white-thorn (Spina alba) or pine, the nuptial torch: spina, nuptiarum facibus auspicatissima, Masur. ap. Plin. 16, 18, 30, § 75; Fest. s. v. patrimi, p. 245; s. v. rapi, p. 289 Müll.; Varr. ap. Non. 112, 27; id. ap. Serv. Verg. E. 8, 29; Plaut. Cas. 1, 30; Cat. 61, 98 sq.; Verg. E. 8, 29; Ov. M. 10, 6; Stat. Th. 2, 259 al.;

hence, nuptiales,

Cic. Clu. 6, 15; Liv. 30, 13, 12:

maritae,

Ov. H. 11, 101:

legitimae,

Luc. 2, 356.—Cf. Anthon's Dict. of Antiq. p. 434, and v. infra. Torches were also carried in funeral processions, Verg. A. 11, 142; Prop. 3, 13 (4, 12), 17; Ov. F. 2, 561; id. H. 21, 172; Sen. Tranq. 11; id. Vit. Beat. fin.; id. Ep. 222;

and in the Eleusinian mysteries,

Juv. 15, 140.—An attribute of Cupid, Tib. 2, 1, 82; Prop. 3, 16 (4, 15), 16; Ov. M. 1, 461; 10, 312 al.;

of the Furies,

Verg. A. 7, 337; Ov. M. 4, 482; 508; 6, 430; Quint. 9, 3, 47 al.—

B.

Transf.

1.

On account of the use of torches at weddings ( poet. ), a wedding, marriage:

face nuptiali digna,

Hor. C. 3, 11, 33; cf.:

te face sollemni junget sibi,

Ov. M. 7, 49.—And referring at the same time to the funeral torch:

viximus insignes inter utramque facem,

i. e. between marriage and death, Prop. 4 (5), 11, 46.—

2.

The light of the heavenly bodies ( poet. ):

dum roseā face sol inferret lumina caelo,

Lucr. 5, 976; cf.:

Phoebi fax, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 11, 18: canentes Rite crescentem face Noctilucam,

Hor. C. 4, 6, 38:

aeterna fax,

i. e. the sun, Sen. Thyest. 835.—

3.

A fiery meteor, fire-ball, shooting-star, comet:

noctivagaeque faces caeli flammaeque volantes,

Lucr. 5, 1191; cf.:

nocturnasque faces caeli, sublime volantes,

id. 2, 206:

emicant et faces non nisi cum decidunt visae, etc.,

Plin. 2, 26, 25, § 96:

tum facibus visis caelestibus, tum stellis iis, quas Graeci cometas, nostri cincinnatas vocant,

Cic. N. D. 2, 5, 14; id. Cat. 3, 8, 18; Liv. 41, 21, 13; 29, 14, 3; Verg. A. 2, 694; Ov. M. 15, 787; Luc. 1, 528; Petr. 122; Sen. Oet. 232.—

b.

Of lightning:

facem flammantem dirigere,

Val. Fl. 1, 569; id. 4, 671. —

4.

Of the eyes:

oculi, geminae, sidera nostra, faces,

Prop. 2, 3, 14:

has ego credo faces, haec virginis ora Dianae,

Val. Fl. 5, 380; cf.:

tranquillaeque faces oculis et plurima vultu materinest,

Stat. Ach. 1, 164.—

5.

Prima fax (noctis), early torchlight, immediately after dark (post-class.); cf.:

luminibus accensis, Auct. B. Afr. 89: tempus diei occiduum, mox suprema tempestas, hoc est diei novissimum tempus: deinde vespera: ab hoc tempore prima fax dicitur, deinde concubia, etc.,

Macr. S, 1, 3 fin.; Gell. 3, 2, 11; 18, 1 fin.; App. M. 2, p. 119, 20.

II.

Trop.

A.

That which illuminates, makes conspicuous ( poet. ):

incipit parentum nobilitas facem praeferre pudendis,

Juv. 8, 139; cf. Sall. J. 80.—

B.

That which inflames or incites, incitement, stimulus, cause of ruin, destruction (freq. and class.):

cum corporis facibus inflammari soleamus ad omnes fere cupiditates eoque magis incendi, quod, etc.,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 19, 44:

me torret face mutua Calais,

flame of love, Hor. C. 3, 9, 13; cf.:

iraï fax,

Lucr. 3, 303:

dicendi faces,

flames, fires of eloquence, Cic. de Or. 2, 51, 205; cf.:

alicui quasi quasdam verborum faces admovere,

id. ib. 3, 1, 4:

alicui acriores ad studia dicendi faces subdere,

Quint. 1, 2, 25 Spald.:

hortator studii causaque faxque mei,

guide, leader, Ov. Pont. 1, 7, 28; and: incitator et fax omnium, Prud. steph. 10, 67:

subicere faces invidiae alicujus,

Cic. Mil. 35, 98; cf.:

flagrantibus jam militum animis velut faces addere,

Tac. H. 1, 24:

acerrimam bello facem praetulit,

id. ib. 2, 86:

(rogationes promulgavit) duas faces novantibus res ad plebem in optimates accendendam,

Liv. 32, 38, 9:

inde faces ardent, a dote,

Juv. 6, 139: adolescentulo ad libidinem facem praeferre, i. e. to be a leader or guide, Cic. Cat. 1, 6, 13:

Antonius omnium Clodi incendiorum fax,

instigator, id. Phil. 2, 19, 48; cf.:

fax accusationis et origo,

Plin. Ep. 4, 9, 3:

fax hujus belli (Hannibal),

Liv. 21, 10, 11; Vell. 2, 25, 3:

dolorum cum admoventur faces,

Cic. Off. 2, 10, 37; cf. id. Tusc. 2, 25, 61:

(dolor) ardentes faces intentat,

id. ib. 5, 27, 76:

quae (Agrippinae) Gaium et Domitium Neronem principes genuere totidem facis generis humani,

destroyers, Plin. 7, 8, 6, § 45.— Absol.:

cum his furiis et facibus, cum his exitiosis prodigiis (i e. Gabinio et Pisone),

Cic. Har. Resp. 2, 4.