pronoun #938

princĭpĭum

fem. ii · neut. ōrum · gender neuter

a beginning; commencement; origin

a beginning, commencement, origin (class.; syn.: primordia, initium).

to derive; deduce; in the beginning in general •••

In gen.: origo principii nulla est: nam ex principio oriuntur omnia, Cic. Tusc. 1, 23, 54: quid est cujus principium aliquod sit, nihil sit extremum? id. N. D. 1, 8, 20: nec principium, nec finem habere, id. Sen. 21, 78: cujus criminis neque principium invenire, neque evolvere exitum possum, id. Cael. 23, 56: hic fons, hoc principium est movendi, id. Rep. 6, 25, 27: bellorum atque imperiorum, id. Balb. 3, 9: principium pontis, Tac. A. 1, 69: principio lucis, at daybreak, Amm. 25, 5, 1: in principiis dicendi, at the commencement of a speech, Cic. de Or. 1, 26, 121; so of a declaration in a lawsuit, Juv. 6, 245: suave quoddam principium dicendi, Amm. 30, 4, 19: principia ducere ab aliquo, to derive, deduce: omnium rerum magnarum principia a dis immortalibus ducuntur, id. Vatin. 6, 14: principium urbis, id. Off. 1, 17, 54: scribendi recte sapere est et principium et fons, Hor. A. P. 309: omne principium huc refer, id. C. 3, 6, 6: a Jove principium, Verg. E. 3, 60: anni, Liv. 1, 4: a sanguine Teucri Ducere principium, Ov. M. 13, 705: capessere, to begin, Tac. A. 15, 49.—Adverb.: principio, a principio, in principio, at or in the beginning, at first: principio ... postea, etc., Cic. Div. 2, 35, 75: principio generi animantium omni est a naturā tributum, ut se tueatur, id. Off. 1, 4, 11; id. Tusc. 2, 22, 53; id. Fin. 1, 6, 17; Ter. Eun. 5, 8, 39; id. And. 3, 3, 38; Verg. A. 6, 214; Cic. Off. 3, 5, 21; so, a principio: ac vellem a principio te audissem, etc., id. Att. 7, 1, 2: dixeram a principio, de re publicā ut sileremus, id. Brut. 42, 157: in principio, id. de Or. 1, 48, 210: principio ut, as soon as, Plaut. Merc. prol. 40; v. Ritschl ad h. l.— Rarely of the boundaries of a country or people: adusque principia Carmanorum, Amm. 23, 6, 74.—

in particular

beginnings; foundations; principles plural ••

Plur., beginnings, foundations, principles, elements (class.): bene provisa et diligenter explorata principia ponantur, Cic. Leg. 1, 13, 37: juris, id. ib. 1, 6, 18: naturae, id. Off. 3, 12, 52; for which: principia naturalia, id. Fin. 3, 5, 17; cf. id. ib. 2, 11, 35: principia rerum, ex quibus omnia constant, first principles, elements, id. Ac. 2, 36, 117.— Prov.: obsta principiis (cf. the French: ce n'est que le premier pas qui coute), Ov. R. Am. 91.—

That makes a beginning; that votes first •

That makes a beginning, that votes first: tribus principium fuit, pro tribu Q. Fabius primus scivit, Lex Thoria, Rudorff. p. 142; Lex Appar. ap. Haubold, Moment. Leg. p. 85; Plebissc. ap. Front. Aquaed. 129: Faucia curia fuit principium, was the first to vote, Liv. 9, 38 fin.—

a beginner; founder; Æneas and poetic •

The foremost ranks; the front line; the front ••

The foremost ranks, the front line of soldiers, the front or van of an army: post principia, behind the front, Liv. 2, 65; cf.: hic ero post principia, inde omnibus signum dabo, Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 11: post principia paulatim recedunt, Sisenn. ap. Non. 135, 31: deinde ipse paulatim procedere; Marium post principia habere, Sall. J. 50, 2: traversis principiis, in planum deducit, id. ib. 49, 6: equites post principia collocat, Liv. 3, 22; Tac. H. 2, 43. —

The staff-officers; members of the council of war •

The staff-officers, members of the council of war (post-class.): mittere principia, Front. Strat. 2, 5, 30: a principiis salutari, Treb. Pol. Trig. Tyr. 10: advocatis legionum principiis et turmarum, Amm. 25, 5, 1; Cod. 12, 47, 1.—

A large open space in a camp; in which were the tents of the general; lieutenants ••

A large open space in a camp, in which were the tents of the general, lieutenants, and tribunes, together with the standards, and where speeches were made and councils held; the general's quarters: jura reddere in principiis, Liv. 28, 24: in principiis ac praetorio in unum sermones confundi, id. 7, 12: castrorum, Just. 11, 6, 6: in castris, Varr. R. R. 3, 4, 1: in principiis statuit tabernaculum, eoque omnes cotidie convenire (jussit), ut ibi de summis rebus consilia caperentur, Nep. Eum. 7, 2; Suet. Oth. 1; 6; Flor. 3, 10, 12: primores centurionum et paucos militum in principia vocat, Tac. H. 3, 13; 1, 48; Dig. 49, 16, 12; cf. Front. Strat. 4, 1, 16.—

Precedence; preference; the first place •

Precedence, preference, the first place: principium ergo, columenque omnium rerum preti margaritae tenent, Plin. 9, 35, 54, § 106. —

selections; selected passages plural •

Plur., selections, selected passages: principiorum libri circumferuntur, quia existimatur pars aliqua etiam sine ceteris esse perfecta, Plin. Ep. 2, 5, 12.—

mastery; dominion in particular

In partic., mastery, dominion (post-class.): ἀρχή, magisterium, magistratus, praesidatus, principium, Gloss. Philox.: in Graeco principii vocabulum, quod est ἀρχή, non tantum ordinativum, sed et potestativum capit principatum, Tert. adv. Hermog. 19.

Perseus ID: n38349 Key: principium