A watercistern

arca, ae, f. [arceo:

arca et arx quasi res secretae, a quibus omnes arceantur,

Serv. ad Verg. A. 1, 262; v. arceo], a place for keeping any thing, a chest, box.

Lit.

In gen.:

arca vestiaria,

Cato, R. R. 11, 3: ex illā oleā arcam esse factam eoque [p. 153] conditas sortes, Cic. Div. 2, 41, 86; Suet. Tib. 63:

arca ingens variorum venenorum plena,

id. Calig. 59 al. —Very freq.,

Esp.,

A box for money, a safe, a coffer, and particularly of the rich, and loculi was their purse, porte-monnaie, while sacculus was the pouch of the poor, Juv. 1, 89 sq.; 11, 26; cf. id. 10, 25; 14, 259 Ruperti, and Cat. 13, 8; Varr. L. L. 5, § 182 Müll.:

populus me sibilat: at mihi plaudo Ipse domi, simul ac nummos contemplor in arcā,

Hor. S. 1, 1, 67.—Hence, meton., like our purse, for the money in it:

arcae nostrae confidito,

rely upon my purse, Cic. Att. 1, 9; id. ad Q. Fr. 2, 12; id. Par. 6, 1; Cat. 23, 1; Col. 3, 3, 5; 8, 8, 9; Plin. Ep. 3, 19, 8; Sen. Ep. 26 fin. — Hence, ex arcā absolvere aliquem, to pay in cash upon the spot (opp. de mensae scripturā absolvere), Ter. Ad. 2, 4, 13 Don.; cf. id. Phorm. 5, 7, 29 Don., and arcarius.—And of public money, state treasure, revenues (late Lat.):

frumentaria,

Dig. 50, 4, 1, § 2:

vinaria,

Symm. Ep. 10, 42 al. —

A coffin (cf. Smith, Dict. Antiq.), Liv. 40, 29; cf. Plin. 13, 13, 27, § 85; Val. Max. 1, 1:

cadavera Conservus vili portanda locabat in arcā,

Hor. S. 1, 8, 9; Luc. 8, 736; Dig. 11, 7; Inscr. Orell. 3560; 4429.—

Transf. Of any thing in the form of a box or chest.

Noah's ark (eccl. Lat.), Vulg. Gen. 6, 14 sqq.; ib. Matt. 24, 38; ib. Heb. 11, 7 al.—

In Jewish antiq., the Ark of the Covenant (eccl. Lat.):

arca foederis,

Vulg. Deut. 10, 8:

arca foederis Domini,

ib. Num. 10, 33:

arca testimonii,

ib. Exod. 26, 34:

arca testamenti,

ib. Heb. 9, 4:

arca testamenti Dei,

ib. Jer. 3, 16:

arca Domini,

ib. Jos. 4, 4:

arca Dei,

ib. 1 Reg. 11, 17; and absol.:

arca,

ib. Exod. 30, 6; ib. Deut. 10, 5.—

A small, close prison, a cell:

(Servi) in arcas coniciuntur, ne quis cum iis colloqui possit,

Cic. Mil. 22 fin.; cf. Fest. p. 264 Müll. —

In mechanics, the water-box of a hydraulic machine, Vitr. 10, 13.—

A watercistern, a reservoir, Vitr. 6, 3.—

A quadrangular landmark; cf. Scriptt. Agrim. pp. 119, 222, 223, 271 Goes.