arcus

arcus, ūs, m. (the orthography, arquus (cf. arquatus), is freq. in MSS., like quum for cum, quur for cur, etc.; cf. Freund ad Cic. Mil. p. 31 sq. Thus Charis. p. 92 P. upon Cic. N. D. 3, 20, 51, reads arcuis; Prisc. p. 712 P. arci; and Non. p. 425, 5, upon Lucr. 6, 526, arqui; but the distinction which the latter gram. points out (arcus suspensus fornix appellatur; arquus non nisi qui in caelo apparet, quam Irim poëtae dixerunt) does not seem to be well founded.— Abl. plur. never found;

acc. to the gram., Don. p. 1751,

Diom. p. 285, Prisc. p. 779, Rhem. Palaem. p. 1371 P. al., it was arcubus; so Vulg. 2 Esdr. 4, 13; cf. Rudd. I. p. 104, n. 48.— Gen. sing. arqui, Lucr. 6, 526 Lachm., and Cic. N. D. 3, 20, 51 B. and K.— Dat. arcu, Sil. 4, 18.— Nom. plur. ARCVVS, Corp. Inscr. V. 85; Inscr. Henz. 5313: arci, Varr. ap. Non. p. 77, 12.— Acc. ARCOS, Corp. Inscr. II. 3420.— Fem., Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 712 P.; cf. id. 658 P.; and Serv. ad Verg. 6, 610, says that Catull. and others used it as fem.; v. Neue, Formenl. I. p. 679) [cf. Sanscr. arālas = bent, the bent arm, aratnis = Gr. ôlenê; Lat. ulna; Germ. Elbogen; Engl. elbow. Curt.], prop., something bent; hence,

I.

A bow (syn. cornu).

A.

For shooting: intendit crinitus Apollo Arcum auratum, Enn. ap. Cic. Ac. 2, 28, 89 (Trag. v. 54 Müll.):

arcus intentus in aliquem,

Cic. Sest. 7:

haec cernens arcum intendebat Apollo Desuper,

Verg. A. 8, 704; 9, 665; so Vulg. Psa. 10, 3; 36, 14:

arcum tendere,

ib. 3 Reg. 22, 34; ib. 4 Reg. 9, 24:

adductus,

Verg. A. 5, 507:

remissus,

Hor. C. 3, 27, 67:

arcum dirigere in aliquem,

Pers. 3, 60:

quom arcum et pharetram mi et sagittas sumpsero,

Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 98; so,

arcum suscitare,

Vulg. Hab. 3, 9 et saep. —

B.

The rainbow (fully: pluvius arcus, v. infra, II.), Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 712 P. (Ann. v. 393 Vahl.): Tum color in nigris existit nubibus arqui, * Lucr. 6, 526 Lachm.:

arcus ipse ex nubibus efficitur quodam modo coloratis,

Cic. N. D. 3, 20, 51:

ceu nubibus arcus Mille jacit varios adverso sole colores,

Verg. A. 5, 88 Rib.; so Ov. M. 6, 63; 11, 632; 14, 838:

pluvius describitur arcus,

Hor. A. P. 18; Liv. 30, 2; 41, 21; Plin. 18, 35, 80, § 353; Sen. Q. N. 1, 5 and 6:

arcum meum ponam in nubibus,

Vulg. Gen. 9, 13 sqq. (in Vulg. Apoc. 4, 3; 10, 1, iris, q. v.) al.—

C.

A bow or arch in building, a vault, arch, triumphal arch, etc.:

efficiens humilem lapidum compagibus arcum,

Ov. M. 3, 30; 3, 160; Juv. 3, 11; Suet. Ner. 25:

marmoreus arcus,

id. Claud. 1; so id. ib. 11; id. Dom. 13; cf. Plin. Pan. 59, 2 Schwarz.—

II.

Transf.

A.

Poet. or in post-Aug. prose, any thing arched or curved like a bow; of the breaking of waves:

niger arcus aquarum,

Ov. M. 11, 568.—Of the windings of a serpent:

immensos saltu sinuatur in arcus,

Ov. M. 3, 42.—Of a curve in flight:

dea se paribus per cælum sustulit alis Ingentemque fugā secuit sub nubibus arcum,

Verg. A. 5, 658.—Of the curving or bendings of a bay:

sinus curvos falcatus in arcus,

Ov. M. 11, 229 (cf.:

inque sinus scindit sese unda reductos,

Verg. A. 1, 161 ).—

Of a harbor: Portus ab Euroo fluctu curvatus in arcum,

Verg. A. 3, 533.—Of boughs of trees, Verg. G. 2, 26 et saep.—Of the back of a chair, Tac. A. 15, 57.—

B.

The mathematical arc, Sen. Q. N. 1, 10; Col. 5, 2, 9.—Hence, of the five parallel circles of the globe which bound the zones (or perhaps rather, the zones themselves):

via quinque per arcus,

Ov. M. 2, 129.