per+aversam+portam+l

porta, ae (portabus for portis, Cn. Gell. ap. Charis. p. 40 P.), f. [from root par-, to pierce, pass through; Gr. peraô, peirô, poros, ford; Lat.: peritus, ex-perior, and v. periculum], a city-gate, a gate.

Lit.:

hic (miles) portas frangit, at ille (amans) fores,

Ov. Am. 1, 9, 20:

rectā portā invadam extemplo in oppidum antiquom et vetus,

Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 60; id. Ps. 2, 2, 3:

si Hannibal ad portas venisset,

Cic. Fin. 4, 9, 22:

pedem portā efferre,

id. Att. 8, 2, 4; 7, 2, 6; Verg. A. 4, 130:

ad portam praesto esse,

Cic. Pis. 23, 55:

portā introire,

id. ib. 23, 55:

egressus portā Capenā,

id. Tusc. 1, 7, 13:

extra portam Collinam,

id. Leg. 2, 23, 58:

porta Carmentalis,

Liv. 2, 49, 8:

pars egressa portis erat,

id. 3, 60, 9; 23, 46, 10:

omnibus portis effundi,

id. 24, 1, 3:

portā Capenā Romam ingressus,

id. 26, 10, 1; 33, 26, 9:

signa portis efferre,

id. 27, 2, 5:

portis ruere,

id. 27, 41, 8:

eādem portā signa infesta urbi inferre,

id. 28, 3, 13:

patefactā portā Romani erumpunt,

id. 28, 36, 8:

subito omnibus portis eruptione factā,

Caes. B. G. 3, 6; 19; 5, 51:

omnibus portis prorumpunt,

Tac. H. 4, 20; 34:

portarum claustra,

Verg. A. 7, 185:

limina portarum,

id. ib. 2, 803:

portas obice firmā claudere,

Ov. M. 14, 780:

portas reserare hosti,

id. A. A. 3, 577:

portā triumphali ducere funus,

Tac. A. 3, 47:

sanctae quoque res, veluti muri et portae, quodammodo divini juris sunt,

Gai. Inst. 2, 8:

vidi Portas (Carthaginis) non clausas, a proof that the people were fearless,

Hor. C. 3, 5, 23.—Connected with urbis:

qui urbis portas occuparent,

Cic. Phil. 14, 6, 15:

bellum a portis hujus urbis avolsum,

id. Rep. 1, 1, 1.—With per (rare except in Livy):

per unam portam praesidium Romanum irrumpit,

Liv. 9, 24, 12:

paulo ante lucem per effractam portam urbem ingreditur,

id. 24, 46, 7:

per aversam portam silentio excedere,

id. 10, 34, 4; 4, 46, 6; 23, 47, 8:

elapsus per eam portam quae... ad Darii castra pervenit,

Curt. 4, 10, 25; Vulg. Gen. 34, 20:

in fastigio portae,

id. 2 Reg. 18, 24.—Prov.: porta itineri longissima, the way to the gate is the longest (sc. in making a journey), i. e. it is the first step that costs, Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 2.—

Transf., in gen., like our gate, of an avenue, entrance, passage, outlet, door of any kind (syn.: fores, janua, ostium). —Of the gates of a camp:

ab decumanā portā castra munita,

Caes. B. G. 3, 25; so,

principalis,

Liv. 40, 27:

quaestoria,

id. ib.:

villarum,

Plin. 28, 10, 44, § 157: venti, velut agmine facto, Quā data porta, ruunt, [p. 1401] Verg. A. 1, 82.—Of a cage:

ex portā ludis emitti, said of hares,

Plaut. Pers. 3, 3, 30: porta tonat caeli, Enn. ap. Vet. Gram. ap. Col. (Ann. v. 597 Vahl.); Verg. G. 3, 261:

somni,

id. A. 6, 893; cf.

eburna,

Hor. C. 3, 27, 41:

ubi portitor aera recepit, Obserat umbrosos lurida porta rogos,

the portal of the infernal regions, Prop. 4 (5), 11, 8: belli portae, Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 7, 622; Hor. S. 1, 4, 61 (Ann. v. 271 Vahl.):

mortis,

Vulg. Psa. 9, 15:

inferi,

id. Isa. 38, 10:

portae, quae alibi Armeniae, alibi Caspiae, alibi Ciliciae vocantur,

passes, gorges, defiles, Plin. 5, 27, 27, § 99; Nep. Dat. 7, 3; Val. Fl. 3, 496:

solis,

the signs of Cancer and Aries in the zodiac, Macr. Somn. Scip. 1, 12, and S. 1, 17: jecoris, a part of the liver (so too in Gr. pulê), Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 137:

fluviorum,

Vulg. Nahum, 2, 6.—Of the fundament, Cat. 15, 17.—

Trop.

Et quibus e portis occurri cuique deceret, by what way, by what means, Lucr. 6, 32.—

As the symbol of strength:

portae inferi,

the powers of hell, Vulg. Matt. 16, 18.

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