mensa

mensa, ae, f [Sanscr, ma, measure; Gr. metron; cf. manus, mane, etc.], a table for any purpose, as a dining-table; a market-stand for meat, vegetables, etc.; a money-dealer's table or counter, a sacrificial table, etc.

I.

Lit. Of the table itself as a fabrid:

non ferre mensam nisi crebris distinctam venis,

Sen. Dial. 3, 35, 5:

mensa inanis nunc si adponatur mihi,

Plaut. Pers. 3, 1, 26:

cibos in mensam alicui apponere,

id. Men. 1, 3, 29:

surgunt a mensā saturi, poti,

id. Ps. 1, 3, 62: ad mensam consistere. to wait at table, Cic. Tusc. 5, 21, 61:

auferre mensam,

Plaut. Truc. 2, 4, 14:

apud mensam,

at table, id. Trin. 2, 4, 77; Gell. 2, 22, 1; 19, 7, 2:

arae vicem praestare posse mensam dicatam,

Macr. S. 3, 11, 5.—

II.

Transf.

A.

Food; a table, meal, course: quocum mensam sermonesque suos impertit, Enn. ap. Gell. 12, 4 (Ann. v. 240 Vahl.):

communicabo te semper mensā meā,

Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 51:

ita mensas exstruit,

id. Men. 1, 1, 25:

parciore mensā uti,

Tac. A. 13, 16:

Italicae Syracusiaeque mensae,

Cic. Tusc. 5, 35, 100:

cui Quintus de mensa misit,

id. Att. 5, 1, 4; so,

parāsti mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me,

Vulg. Psa. 23, 5:

una mensa,

at a single meal, Juv. 1, 138: prior, proxima mensa, the first, the second rank at table; the first or second in esteem:

Raeticis uvis prior mensa erat,

Plin. 14, 1, 3, § 16; id. 9, 17, 29, § 63: secunda mensa, the second course, the dessert (at which much wine was used), Cels 1, 2:

haec ad te scripsi, appositā secundā mensā,

during the dessert, Cic. Att. 14, 6, 2; 14, 21, 4:

Agesilaus coronas secundamque mensam servis dispertiit, Nep Ages. 8, 4: secunda mensa bono stomacho nihil nocet,

Cels. 1, 2, fin.:

mensae tempore,

meal-time, Juv. 13, 211.—

B.

The guests at table:

cum primum istorum conduxit mensa choragum,

Suet. Aug. 70.—

C.

A money-changer's counter:

decem minas dum hic solvit, omnis mensas transiit,

Plaut. Curc. 5, 3, 4:

mensam poni jubet atque Effundi saccos nummorum,

Hor. S. 2, 3, 148:

nummulariorum,

Vulg. Matt. 21, 12:

publica,

a public bank, Cic. Fl. 19, 44; id. Pis. 36, 88.—

D.

A butcher's table:

mensa lanionia,

butcher's stall, shambles, Suet. Claud. 15.—

E.

Mensa lusoria, a gaming-table (late Lat.), Aug. Conf. 8, 6.—

F.

A sacrificial table:

Curiales mensae, in quibus immolabatur Junoni, quae Curis est appellata, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. Curiales, p. 64 Müll.: mensae deorum,

Verg. A. 2, 764:

Jovis mensa,

Plin. 25, 9, 59, § 105: a small altar:

super tumulum statuere,

Cic. Leg. 2, 26, 66.—

G.

The long flat part, the table, of a military engine (e. g. of a catapult), Vitr. 10, 16.—

H.

A stand or platform on which slaves were exposed for sale:

servus de mensā paratus,

App. M. 8, p. 213; id. Mag. 17, p. 285, 15.