helm

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clāvus, i, m. [root klu-, v. claudo; prop. that which shuts or fastens].

A nail, usually of metal.

Lit.:

offerumentas habebis pluris Quam ulla navis longa clavos,

Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 48:

(leges) ad parietem fixae clavis ferreis,

id. Trin. 4, 3, 32; so,

clavi ferrei,

Cato, R. R. 18 fin.; Caes. B. G. 3, 13; Vitr. 7, 3 al.—Sometimes of hard wood:

clavis corneis occludere,

Cato, R. R. 18 fin.:

cornus... lignum utile, si quid cuneandum sit in ligno clavisve figendum ceu ferreis,

Plin. 16, 40, 76, § 206:

clavis religare tigna,

Caes. B. C. 2, 10:

clavos per modica intervalla figentes,

Liv. 28, 20, 4.—

Acc. to a Tuscan usage the ancient Romans designated the number of the year by nails, which the highest magistrate annually, at the Ides of September, drove into the wall of Jupiter's temple: clavo ab dictatore fixo,

Liv. 7, 3, 3 sqq.; 8, 18, 12 sq.; 9, 28, 6: clavus annalis, Paul. ex Fest. p. 56, 10 Müll.; cf.

O. Müll. Etrusk. 2, p. 329 sq., and Dict. of Antiq. p. 263. Also, in a later age, country people seem to have kept an account of the years in this way,

Petr. 135, 8, 9.—Prov.: clavo clavum eicere, to drive out one nail by another (Gr. hêlôi ton hêlon, pattalôi ton pattalon, sc. dei exelaunein):

novo quidam amore veterem amorem tamquam clavo clavum eiciendum putant,

Cic. Tusc. 4, 35, 75: aliquid trabali clavo figere, to fasten with a large nail, to clinch a matter, id. Verr. 2, 5, 21, § 53; Arn. 2, p. 51.—

As a symbol of immovable firmness:

Necessitas Clavos trabales Gestans,

Hor. C. 1, 35, 18:

si figit adamantinos Necessitas Clavos,

id. ib. 3, 24, 7; cf. O. Müll. as above cit., p. 331.—Hence,

Trop.:

ex hoc die clavum anni movebis,

i. e. reckon the beginning of the year, Cic. Att. 5, 15, 1:

fixus animus clavo Cupidinis,

Plaut. As. 1, 3, 4.—Prov.:

beneficium trabali clavo figere (v. trabalis),

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 21, § 53 Zumpt; cf. Arn. 2, p. 51.—

Meton. of objects of like form.

( Lit. the handle of the rudder, the tiller; hence, pars pro toto.) The rudder, helm, in gen. (only sing.): ut clavum rectum teneam, Enn. ap. Isid. Orig. 19, 2, 12 (Ann. v. 472 Vahl.):

clavum ad litora torquere,

Verg. A. 5, 177 Serv.; 10, 218.—

Trop.:

clavum tanti imperii tenere et gubernacula rei publicae tractare,

Cic. Sest. 9, 20:

abicere,

to leave off the care of a thing, Arn. 3, 106: dum clavum rectum teneam, if I keep a steady helm, am not negligent (as in Gr. orthan tan naun), Quint. 2, 17, 24 Spald.; cf. the passage of Enn. supra. —

In medic. lang., a painful tumor or excrescence, a wart, a corn; on the feet, Cels. 5, 28, 14. clavis in pedibus mederi, Plin. 20, 17, 71, § 184; 22, 23, 49, § 101 sq.; 26, 11, 66, § 106; 28, 16, 62, § 222;

on the eye,

Cels. 6, 7, 12;

in the nose,

Plin. 24, 14, 77, § 126;

upon the neck of cattle,

Col. 6, 14, 6;

in sheep,

id. 7, 5, 11.—Also a disease of the olive-tree, Plin. 17, 24, 37, § 223.—

A kind of abortion of bees, Plin. 11, 16, 16, § 50.—

A purple stripe on the tunica, which, for senators, was broad (latus, cf. laticlavius); for the equites, narrow (angustus; cf.

angusticlavius). In the time of the emperors, however, the sons of the senators and equites also, who were preparing for civil office, wore the latus clavus,

Liv. 9, 7, 9; Varr. L. L. 9, § 79 Müll.; Ov. Tr. 4, 10, 29 Jahn; cf. Hor. S. 1, 5, 36; 1, 6, 28; Quint. 11, 3, 138; Vell. 2, 88, 2; Suet. Aug. 94: tunicam ita consuere, ut altera plagula sit angustis clavis, altera latis, Varr L. L. 9, § 47 Müll.—Hence the phrase: latum clavum ab Caesare impetravi, i. e. I have become senator, Plin. Ep. 2, 9, 2; cf.:

clavum alicui tribuere,

Suet. Claud. 24:

impetrare,

id. Vesp. 4:

adimere,

id. Tib. 35:

adipisci,

id. Vesp. 2.—Rarely a purple stripe on bed or table cloths, Amm. 16, 8, 8.—

Poet., a tunic, in gen., either wide or narrow striped:

mutare in horas,

Hor. S. 2, 7, 10:

sumere depositum,

id. ib. 1, 6, 25.

mŏdĕrāmen, ĭnis, n. [id.], a means of managing or governing, e. g. a rudder, helm ( poet. and in post-class. prose).

Lit.

Innixus moderamine navis, Ov. M. 15, 726; so in plur., id. ib. 3, 644.—

Management, direction, control:

equorum,

Ov. M. 2, 48.—

Trop.: rerum, the helm, i. e. the management of affairs, the government of the state, Ov. M. 6, 677; also, a means of moderating, mitigating, controlling: verum serenitas nostra certum moderamen invenit, Cod. Th. 11, 30, 64.

puppis, is (acc. rarely puppem, Luc. 3, 545; and 4, 132, acc. to Prisc. p. 758 and 761 P.; abl. puppe, Ov. M. 5, 653; 7, 1; 11, 464 al.; Sil. 14, 525; Stat. Th. 3, 29 et saep.), f. [etym. dub.].

The hinder part of a ship, the stern or poop (where also the helm was placed):

navem convertens ad puppim,

Cic. Att. 13, 21, 3:

surgens a puppi ventus,

astern, right aft, Verg. A. 3, 130:

e puppi,

Curt. 4, 4, 8; Ov. M. 3, 651:

major pars a puppe nantes equos loris trahebat,

Curt. 7, 9, 4:

puppes citae,

Hor. Epod. 9, 20:

sedebamus in puppi et clavum tenebamus,

i. e. I sat at the helm of the ship of State, Cic. Fam. 9, 15, 3:

quam ob rem conscende nobiscum. et quidem ad puppim,

id. ib. 12, 25, 5.—

Transf.

In gen., a ship:

pictae puppes,

Hor. C. 1, 14, 14; Verg. A. 1, 399; id. G. 3, 362; Ov. H. 13, 97.—

As a constellation, The Ship, Cic. Arat. 389.—

In comic lang., the back:

puppis Pereunda est probe,

Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 69.

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gŭbernācŭlum ( poet. contr. gŭ-bernāclum, Lucr. 4, 904; Verg. A. 5, 176; 859; 6, 349 al.), i, n. [guberno], a helm, rudder (cf. clavus).

Lit.:

hominis, non sapientis inventa sunt navigia, additis a tergo gubernaculis, quae huc atque illuc cursum navigii torqueant: exemplum a piscibus tractum, qui cauda reguntur, etc.,

Sen. Ep. 90; cf.:

piscium meatus gubernaculi modo regunt (caudae),

Plin. 11, 50, 111, § 264:

ut cruribus velut gubernaculis demissis cursum dirigeret,

Front. 3, 13, 6:

hic ille naufragus ad gubernaculum accessit, et navi, quoad potuit, est opitulatus,

Cic. Inv. 2, 51, 154:

ipse gubernaclo rector subit, ipse magister,

Verg. A. 5, 176.—

Transf., guidance, direction; esp. of the state, government (usually in plur.):

clavum tanti imperii tenere et gubernacula rei publicae tractare,

Cic. Sest. 9, 20; cf.:

qui ad gubernacula rei publicae sedere debebant,

id. Rosc. Am. 18, 51:

repelli a gubernaculis civitatum,

id. de Or. 1, 11, 46:

recedere a gubernaculis,

id. Fam. 16, 27, 1:

ad gubernacula rei publicae accedere,

Liv. 4, 3, 17: quis ad gubernacula sedeat summa cura [p. 831] providendum, id. 24, 8, 13:

abicere gubernacula imperii,

Val. Max. 7, 6, 1:

transferre ad aliquem fortunarum suarum gubernacula,

Nazar. Pan. Const. 27, 2:

temperare gubernacula vitae,

Plin. 11, 37, 88, § 219.—In sing.:

(rare) exercitus non habilis gubernaculo,

Vell. 2, 113, 2:

gubernaculum rei publicae tenere,

Lact. 1, 1, 14.

gŭbernācŭlum ( poet. contr. gŭ-bernāclum, Lucr. 4, 904; Verg. A. 5, 176; 859; 6, 349 al.), i, n. [guberno], a helm, rudder (cf. clavus).

Lit.:

hominis, non sapientis inventa sunt navigia, additis a tergo gubernaculis, quae huc atque illuc cursum navigii torqueant: exemplum a piscibus tractum, qui cauda reguntur, etc.,

Sen. Ep. 90; cf.:

piscium meatus gubernaculi modo regunt (caudae),

Plin. 11, 50, 111, § 264:

ut cruribus velut gubernaculis demissis cursum dirigeret,

Front. 3, 13, 6:

hic ille naufragus ad gubernaculum accessit, et navi, quoad potuit, est opitulatus,

Cic. Inv. 2, 51, 154:

ipse gubernaclo rector subit, ipse magister,

Verg. A. 5, 176.—

Transf., guidance, direction; esp. of the state, government (usually in plur.):

clavum tanti imperii tenere et gubernacula rei publicae tractare,

Cic. Sest. 9, 20; cf.:

qui ad gubernacula rei publicae sedere debebant,

id. Rosc. Am. 18, 51:

repelli a gubernaculis civitatum,

id. de Or. 1, 11, 46:

recedere a gubernaculis,

id. Fam. 16, 27, 1:

ad gubernacula rei publicae accedere,

Liv. 4, 3, 17: quis ad gubernacula sedeat summa cura [p. 831] providendum, id. 24, 8, 13:

abicere gubernacula imperii,

Val. Max. 7, 6, 1:

transferre ad aliquem fortunarum suarum gubernacula,

Nazar. Pan. Const. 27, 2:

temperare gubernacula vitae,

Plin. 11, 37, 88, § 219.—In sing.:

(rare) exercitus non habilis gubernaculo,

Vell. 2, 113, 2:

gubernaculum rei publicae tenere,

Lact. 1, 1, 14.

incertus, a, um (archaic gen. plur. incertūm, Pac. ap. Non. 495, 27), adj. [2. incertus; hence, acc. to certus].

Object., of things whose (external or internal) qualities are not firmly established, uncertain, unsettled, doubtful, untrustworthy, not fast, not firm (class.): amicus certus in re incerta cernitur, Enn. ap. Cic. Lael. 17, 64 (Trag. v. 428 Vahl.); cf. id. ap. Non. 166, 22 (Trag. v. 12 Vahl.):

incerti socii an hostes essent,

Liv. 30, 35, 9:

incertus (infans) masculus an femina esset,

id. 31, 12, 6; cf. Sall. J. 49, 5:

cum incerta bellum an pax cum Celtiberis essent,

Liv. 34, 19, 8 Weissenb.: spe incerta certum mihi laborem sustuli, Ter. Hec. prol. alt. 9; id. And. 2, 3, 16:

nuptiae,

id. ib. 5, 1, 11:

aetas (puerilis) maxime lubrica atque incerta,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 52, § 137:

itinera,

Caes. B. G. 5, 37 fin.:

dominatus,

Cic. Rep. 1, 17:

status,

id. ib. 1, 26:

sedes,

Sall. C. 6, 1:

ambiguae testis incertaeque rei,

Juv. 8, 81:

comarum Anulus incertā non bene fixus acu,

not fast, Mart. 2, 66, 2:

colligere incertos et in ordine ponere crines,

dishevelled, Ov. Am. 1, 11, 1:

per incertam lunam sub luce maligna,

not clearly visible, dim, Verg. A. 6, 270:

soles,

id. ib. 3, 203:

securis,

that did not strike with a sure blow, id. ib. 2, 224:

vultus,

disturbed, uneasy, Sall. J. 106, 2:

ille vitam suam ad incertissimam spem reservavit,

Cic. Sest. 22, 50: arbori incertae nullam prudentia cani Rectoris cum ferret opem, the ship uncertain in her course, because no longer obeying the helm, Juv. 12, 32 Halm. — In neutr. ellipt.:

clauserant portas incertum vi an voluntate,

Liv. 31, 41, 2; 31, 43, 7 al. — Neutr. as adv. ( poet.):

incertum vigilans,

Ov. H. 10, 9; Stat. Th. 5, 212. —

Subject., as respects one's perceptions or convictions, not firmly established, uncertain, undetermined, doubtful, dubious (so most freq. in prose and poetry):

nihil est incertius vulgo,

Cic. Mur. 17, 36:

casus,

id. Or. 28, 98:

ut alia certa, alia incerta esse dicunt,

id. Off. 2, 2, 7; cf.: est igitur ridiculum, quod est dubium, id relinquere incertum, id. Mur. 32, 68; and:

incerta atque dubia,

Plin. 17, 1, 1, § 9 fin.:

ut incertis temporibus diversisque itineribus iretur,

Caes. B. G. 7, 16 fin.; so,

eventus reliqui temporis,

Cic. Quint. 26, 83:

exitus pugnarum,

id. Mil. 21, 56:

adulterium,

Quint. 7, 2, 52:

auctor,

id. 5, 11, 41:

cujus ora puellares faciunt incerta capilli,

make the sex doubtful, Juv. 15, 137:

incerta persona heres institui non potest,

Ulp. Fragm. 22, 4; Gai. Inst. 2, 242; cf. 2, 238.—

With rel. or interrog.-clause:

nunc mihi incertumst, abeam an maneam,

Plaut. Aul. 4, 9, 19:

moriendum certe est, et id incertum, an hoc ipso die,

Cic. Sen. 20, 74; cf. Quint. 1, 6, 27:

(Gallus) avem, an gentem, an nomen, an fortunam corporis significet, incertum est,

id. 7, 9, 2:

confessus est quidem sed incertum, utrum quia verum erat, an quia, etc.,

Plin. Ep. 4, 11, 5:

neque plane occultati humilitate arborum et tamen incerti, quidnam esset,

Sall. J. 49, 5 Kritz.— Abl. absol.:

multi annantes navibus incerto prae tenebris, quid aut peterent aut vitarent, foede interierunt,

Liv. 28, 36, 12.—

Subst.: incer-tum, i, n., an uncertainty:

quicquid incerti mihi in animo prius aut ambiguum fuit, Nunc liquet, nunc defaecatum est,

Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 69:

ne cujus incerti vanique auctor esset,

Liv. 4, 13, 9:

incerta maris et tempestatum,

Tac. A. 3, 54:

incerta fortunae experiri,

Plin. Ep. 3, 19, 4:

incerta belli,

Liv. 30, 2:

bona, fortunae possessionesque omnium in dubium incertumque revocabuntur,

Cic. Caecin. 27, 76; cf. id. ib. 13, 38:

Minucius praefectus annonae in incertum creatus,

for an indefinite time, Liv. 4, 13, 7:

postremo fugere an manere tutius foret, in incerto erat,

Sall. J. 38, 5:

Allobroges diu in incerto habuere, quidnam consilii caperent,

id. C. 41, 1; cf. id. J. 46, 8:

imperia ducum in incerto reliquerat,

Tac. H. 2, 33 fin. —

Transf., of a person who is in a state of uncertainty respecting any thing, uncertain, in uncertainty, hesitating, doubtful: quo ego ope mea Pro incertis certos compotesque consili Dimitto, Enn. ap. Cic. de Or. 1, 45, 199 (Trag. v. 188 Vahl.):

nolo suspensam et incertam plebem Romanam obscura spe et caeca exspectatione pendere,

Cic. Agr. 2, 25, 66; so,

varius incertusque agitabat,

Sall. J. 74, 1; Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 3:

ego certe me incerto scio hoc daturum nemini homini,

id. As. 2, 4, 60.—

With rel.-clause:

quid dicam hisce, incertus sum,

Ter. Hec. 3, 4, 36:

cum incertus essem, ubi esses,

Cic. Att. 1, 9, 1:

incerti ignarique, quid potissimum facerent,

Sall. J. 67, 1:

incerti quidnam esset,

id. ib. 49, 5:

incertus, quonam modo aciem instrueret,

id. ib. 101, 2:

incerti, quo fata ferant, ubi sistere detur,

Verg. A. 3, 7:

incertus, Geniumne loci famulumne parentis Esse putet,

id. ib. 5, 95:

faber, incertus scamnum faceretne Priapum,

Hor. S. 1, 8, 2.—

With gen. (not in Cic.): summarum rerum incerti, Enn. ap. Cic. de Or. 1, 45, 199 (Trag. v. 187 Vahl.):

incertusque meae paene salutis eram,

Ov. Tr. 3, 3, 4:

sententiae,

Liv. 4, 57, 3:

veri,

id. 4, 23, 3; 1, 27, 6:

rerum,

id. 24, 24, 9:

ultionis,

Tac. A. 2, 75:

sui,

Stat. Th. 5, 525:

naves incertae locorum, Auct. B. Afr. 7: mox incertus animi, fesso corpore, etc.,

Tac. A. 6, 46; id. H. 3, 55 fin.:

futurorum,

Plin. Ep. 9, 13, 11:

consilii,

Curt. 8, 10, 27.—

With abl.:

incerti metu,

Val. Fl. 3, 602.—

With de and abl.:

incertus de salute alicujus,

Plin. Ep. 6, 20, 10.—Hence, adv. in two forms: incertē and incerto (both ante-class.), uncertainly, not certainly, dubiously: incerte errat animus, Enn. ap. Gell. 19, 10, 12 (Trag. v. 259 Vahl.): vagat exsul, Pac. ap. Non. 467, 25 (Trag. Rel. p. 87 Rib.):

ubi Habitet dum incerto scio,

Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 69:

incerto scio,

id. Ps. 4, 2, 7:

incerto autumo,

id. Ep. 4, 1, 18.

plēctrum, i, n., = plêktron (an instrument to strike with; esp.),

A little stick with which the player struck the chords of a stringed instrument, a quill, plectrum:

itaque plectri similem linguam nostri solent dicere, chordarum dentis, naris cornibus illis qui resonant, etc.,

Cic. N. D. 2, 59, 149; Ov. M. 11, 168:

plectra movere,

id. H. 3, 113.—

Poet., transf., a lyre or lute; also a lyric poem, lyric poetry:

plectro modulatus eburno,

Tib. 3, 4, 39:

et te sonantem plenius aureo, Alcaee, plectro,

Hor. C. 2, 13, 26; 2, 1, 40; 1, 26, 11.—

A helm, rudder ( poet.):

non plectro ratis Parcitur,

Sil. 14, 549; 403.