pons

1.

pons, ntis, m. [kindred with Sanscr. pathi, a path; Gr. patos; old Germ. phat, pfat; mod. Germ. Pfad; Angl.-Sax. padh; hence prop. a board across a ditch, brook, etc.], a bridge across a river, ditch, or marsh, between towers, etc.

I.

In gen.:

pars oppidi mari disjuncta angusto, ponte rursus adjungitur et continetur,

Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 52, §

117: pontem in Arare faciendum curat,

to throw a bridge over the stream, Caes. B. G. 1, 13: in Isarā, flumine maximo, ponte uno die facto, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 15, 3:

in Histro flumine,

Nep. Milt. 3, 1; so,

inicere pontem,

Liv. 26, 6; Tac. A. 15, 19:

flumen ponte jungere,

Liv. 21, 45; Curt. 3, 7, 1:

amnem ponte junxit,

id. 4, 9, 9:

imponere pontem flumini,

id. 5, 1, 22:

pontibus palude constratā,

Hirt. B. G. 8, 14:

pontem navibus efficere,

Tac. A. 6, 37:

ponte flumen transgredi,

id. ib. 13, 39;

also: ponte flumen transmittere,

Plin. Ep. 8, 8; and:

ponte flumen traicere,

Flor. 4, 12, 22:

interscindere pontem,

to break down, Cic. Leg. 2, 4, 10; also,

rescindere,

Nep. Milt. 3, 4:

interrumpere,

Plaut. Cas. prol. 66; Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 23, 3:

rumpere,

Quint. 2, 13, 16; Tac. A. 2, 68:

abrumpere,

id. H. 3, 6:

recidere,

Curt. 4, 16, 8:

solvere,

Tac. A. 1, 69:

dissolvere,

Nep. Them. 5, 1:

vellere,

Verg. A. 8, 650:

partem pontis rescindere,

Caes. B. G. 6, 29.—Esp., as a stand for beggars, Juv. 5, 8; cf. id. 4, 116:

aliquis de ponte,

i. e. a beggar, id. 14, 134.— Plur.:

plures dies efficiendis pontibus absumpti,

a bridge of several spans, Tac. A. 2, 8; 11, 13; Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 23, 3; cf. id. ib. 10, 18, 4.—

II.

In partic.

A.

The bridge at the Comitia, over which the voters passed one by one to the septum, to deposit their votes, Cic. Att. 1, 14, 5; Auct. Her. 1, 12, 21; Ov. F. 5, 634. Hence the proverb: sexagenarios de ponte; v. sexagenarius.—

B.

A wooden drawbridge, to be let down from besieging towers to the walls of a town or fortress, Tac. A. 4, 51; Suet. Aug. 20.—

C.

A plank bridge thrown from a vessel to the shore, Verg. A. 10, 288 and 654; Liv. 21, 28.—

D.

The deck of a ship on which the military engines were placed, Tac. A. 2, 6.—

E.

A floor of a tower, Verg. A. 9, 530; 12, 675.—

F.

A wooden bridge on a narrow wall between two towers, Verg. A. 9, 170.

2.

Pons, ntis, m., a geographical proper name.

I.

Pons Argenteus, the modern Argens, Lepid. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 34, 2; 10, 35.—

II.

Pons Campanus, Hor. S. 1, 5, 45; Plin. 14, 6, 8, § 62.—

III.

Aureoli, the modern Pontiruolo, Trebell. XXX. Tyr. Aureol. al.