limen

līmen, ĭnis, n. [Gr. lechris, loxos; Lat. obliquus, līmus; hence prop. a cross-piece], a threshold; the head-piece or foot-piece of a doorway, the lintel or the sill (limen superum et inferum).

I.

Lit.:

limen superum inferumque, salve,

Plaut. Merc. 5, 1, 1: limen superum, quod mihi misero saepe confregit caput: Inferum autem, ubi ego omnis digitos defregi meos, Novius ap. Non. 336, 14:

sensim super attolle limen pedes, nova nupta,

Plaut. Cas. 4, 4, 1:

imponere foribus,

Plin. 36, 14, 21, § 96:

ad limen consulis adesse,

Liv. 2, 48:

curiae,

id. 3, 41:

primo limine,

at the outer threshold, Juv. 1, 96.— Plur. ( poet. ):

haec limina, intra quae puer est,

Juv. 14, 45; 220.—The moment of touching the threshold was regarded as ominous:

ter limen tetigi,

Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 55.—Prov.: salutare a limine, to greet in passing, i. e. to touch upon slightly, not go deeply into, Sen. Ep. 49, 6.—

B.

Transf.

1.

A door, entrance:

ubi hanc ego tetulero intra limen,

Plaut. Cist. 3, 19:

intrare intra limen,

id. Men. 2, 3, 63:

intra limen cohibere se,

to keep within doors, id. Mil. 3, 1, 11:

marmoreo stridens in limine cardo,

Verg. Cir. 222; Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 73:

fores in liminibus profanarum aedium januae nominantur,

Cic. N. D. 2, 27, 67:

ad valvas se templi limenque convertisse,

Caes. B. C. 3, 105:

penetrare aulas et limina regum,

the courts and doors, Verg. G. 2, 504:

ipso in limine portae,

id. A. 2, 242; cf.:

tremuitque saepe limite in primo sonipes,

Sen. Agam. 629:

famuli ad limina,

doorkeepers, porters, Sil. 1, 66:

in limine portūs,

at the very entrance of the haven, Verg. A. 7, 598:

densos per limina tende corymbos,

Juv. 6, 52.—

2.

Still more gen., a house, dwelling, abode:

matronae nulla auctoritate virorum contineri limine poterant,

in the house, at home, Liv. 34, 1:

ad limen consulis adesse, etc.,

id. 2, 48:

limine pelli,

Verg. A. 7, 579.—

3.

Poet., the barrier in a race-course:

limen relinquunt,

Verg. A. 5, 316.—

II.

Trop., both entrance and exit.

A.

A beginning, commencement ( poet. and in post-Aug. prose):

leti limine in ipso,

Lucr. 6, 1157:

in limine belli,

Tac. A. 3, 74:

in ipso statim limine obstare,

Quint. 2, 11, 1:

in limine victoriae,

Curt. 6, 3, 10; 6, 9, 17; 9, 10, 26:

a limine ipso mortis revocatus,

Plin. 7, 44, 45, § 143; Sen. Ep. 22, 16; Just. 14, 3, 9.—

B.

An end, termination (post-class.):

in ipso finitae lucis limine,

App. M. 11, p. 267, 18; cf.:

limina sicut in domibus finem quendam faciunt, sic et imperii finem limen esse veteres voluerunt,

Just. Inst. 1, 12, § 5.