the torch of love

* * *

fax, făcis (also in the nom. sing. ‡ faces, acc. to Paul. ex Fest. p. 87, 9 Müll.; gen. plur.: facum, acc. to Charis. p. 113 P., but without example), f. [root bhā, to shine; cf. favilla], a torch, firebrand, flambeau, link, orig. of pine or other resinous wood.

Lit. (syn.: taeda, funale, cerĕus, candela, lucerna, laterna): alii faces atque aridam materiem de muro in aggerem eminus jaciebant, * Caes. B. G. 7, 24, 4; Liv. 22, 16, 7:

ambulare cum facibus,

Hor. S. 1, 4, 52:

malleolos et faces ad inflammandam urbem comparare,

Cic. Cat. 1, 13, 32; cf.:

ego faces jam accensas ad hujus urbis incendium exstinxi,

id. Pis. 2, 5:

servi in tecta nostra cum facibus immissi,

id. Att. 14, 10, 1; cf.:

faces incendere,

id. Phil. 2, 36, 91:

si te in Capitolium faces ferre vellet,

id. Lael. 11, 37:

ardentem facem praeferre,

id. Verr. 2, 4, 34, § 74:

castris inicere,

Tac. H. 4, 60;

subdere urbi,

Curt. 5, 7, 4:

faces ferro inspicare,

Verg. G. 1, 292; cf.:

facis incidere,

Plin. 18, 26, 63, § 233:

dilapsam in cineres facem,

Hor. C. 4, 13, 28.—At weddings, the torch carried before the bride on the way to her home, usually made of white-thorn (Spina alba) or pine, the nuptial torch: spina, nuptiarum facibus auspicatissima, Masur. ap. Plin. 16, 18, 30, § 75; Fest. s. v. patrimi, p. 245; s. v. rapi, p. 289 Müll.; Varr. ap. Non. 112, 27; id. ap. Serv. Verg. E. 8, 29; Plaut. Cas. 1, 30; Cat. 61, 98 sq.; Verg. E. 8, 29; Ov. M. 10, 6; Stat. Th. 2, 259 al.;

hence, nuptiales,

Cic. Clu. 6, 15; Liv. 30, 13, 12:

maritae,

Ov. H. 11, 101:

legitimae,

Luc. 2, 356.—Cf. Anthon's Dict. of Antiq. p. 434, and v. infra. Torches were also carried in funeral processions, Verg. A. 11, 142; Prop. 3, 13 (4, 12), 17; Ov. F. 2, 561; id. H. 21, 172; Sen. Tranq. 11; id. Vit. Beat. fin.; id. Ep. 222;

and in the Eleusinian mysteries,

Juv. 15, 140.—An attribute of Cupid, Tib. 2, 1, 82; Prop. 3, 16 (4, 15), 16; Ov. M. 1, 461; 10, 312 al.;

of the Furies,

Verg. A. 7, 337; Ov. M. 4, 482; 508; 6, 430; Quint. 9, 3, 47 al.—

Transf.

On account of the use of torches at weddings ( poet.), a wedding, marriage:

face nuptiali digna,

Hor. C. 3, 11, 33; cf.:

te face sollemni junget sibi,

Ov. M. 7, 49.—And referring at the same time to the funeral torch:

viximus insignes inter utramque facem,

i. e. between marriage and death, Prop. 4 (5), 11, 46.—

The light of the heavenly bodies ( poet.):

dum roseā face sol inferret lumina caelo,

Lucr. 5, 976; cf.:

Phoebi fax, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 11, 18: canentes Rite crescentem face Noctilucam,

Hor. C. 4, 6, 38:

aeterna fax,

i. e. the sun, Sen. Thyest. 835.—

A fiery meteor, fire-ball, shooting-star, comet:

noctivagaeque faces caeli flammaeque volantes,

Lucr. 5, 1191; cf.:

nocturnasque faces caeli, sublime volantes,

id. 2, 206:

emicant et faces non nisi cum decidunt visae, etc.,

Plin. 2, 26, 25, § 96:

tum facibus visis caelestibus, tum stellis iis, quas Graeci cometas, nostri cincinnatas vocant,

Cic. N. D. 2, 5, 14; id. Cat. 3, 8, 18; Liv. 41, 21, 13; 29, 14, 3; Verg. A. 2, 694; Ov. M. 15, 787; Luc. 1, 528; Petr. 122; Sen. Oet. 232.—

Of lightning:

facem flammantem dirigere,

Val. Fl. 1, 569; id. 4, 671. —

Of the eyes:

oculi, geminae, sidera nostra, faces,

Prop. 2, 3, 14:

has ego credo faces, haec virginis ora Dianae,

Val. Fl. 5, 380; cf.:

tranquillaeque faces oculis et plurima vultu materinest,

Stat. Ach. 1, 164.—

Prima fax (noctis), early torchlight, immediately after dark (post-class.); cf.:

luminibus accensis, Auct. B. Afr. 89: tempus diei occiduum, mox suprema tempestas, hoc est diei novissimum tempus: deinde vespera: ab hoc tempore prima fax dicitur, deinde concubia, etc.,

Macr. S, 1, 3 fin.; Gell. 3, 2, 11; 18, 1 fin.; App. M. 2, p. 119, 20.

Trop.

That which illuminates, makes conspicuous ( poet.):

incipit parentum nobilitas facem praeferre pudendis,

Juv. 8, 139; cf. Sall. J. 80.—

That which inflames or incites, incitement, stimulus, cause of ruin, destruction (freq. and class.):

cum corporis facibus inflammari soleamus ad omnes fere cupiditates eoque magis incendi, quod, etc.,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 19, 44:

me torret face mutua Calais,

flame of love, Hor. C. 3, 9, 13; cf.:

iraï fax,

Lucr. 3, 303:

dicendi faces,

flames, fires of eloquence, Cic. de Or. 2, 51, 205; cf.:

alicui quasi quasdam verborum faces admovere,

id. ib. 3, 1, 4:

alicui acriores ad studia dicendi faces subdere,

Quint. 1, 2, 25 Spald.:

hortator studii causaque faxque mei,

guide, leader, Ov. Pont. 1, 7, 28; and: incitator et fax omnium, Prud. steph. 10, 67:

subicere faces invidiae alicujus,

Cic. Mil. 35, 98; cf.:

flagrantibus jam militum animis velut faces addere,

Tac. H. 1, 24:

acerrimam bello facem praetulit,

id. ib. 2, 86:

(rogationes promulgavit) duas faces novantibus res ad plebem in optimates accendendam,

Liv. 32, 38, 9:

inde faces ardent, a dote,

Juv. 6, 139: adolescentulo ad libidinem facem praeferre, i. e. to be a leader or guide, Cic. Cat. 1, 6, 13:

Antonius omnium Clodi incendiorum fax,

instigator, id. Phil. 2, 19, 48; cf.:

fax accusationis et origo,

Plin. Ep. 4, 9, 3:

fax hujus belli (Hannibal),

Liv. 21, 10, 11; Vell. 2, 25, 3:

dolorum cum admoventur faces,

Cic. Off. 2, 10, 37; cf. id. Tusc. 2, 25, 61:

(dolor) ardentes faces intentat,

id. ib. 5, 27, 76:

quae (Agrippinae) Gaium et Domitium Neronem principes genuere totidem facis generis humani,

destroyers, Plin. 7, 8, 6, § 45.— Absol.:

cum his furiis et facibus, cum his exitiosis prodigiis (i e. Gabinio et Pisone),

Cic. Har. Resp. 2, 4.

* * *

flamma, ae (archaic gen. sing. flammaï, Lucr. 1, 725; 900; 5, 1099), f. [for flagma, v. flagro; cf. Gr. phlegma, from phlegô], a blazing fire, a blaze, flame (cf. ignis).

Lit.: fana flammā deflagrata, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19, 44 (Trag. v. 116 ed. Vahl.); Lucr. 6, 1169:

dicere aiunt Ennium, flammam a sapiente facilius ore in ardente opprimi quam bona dicta teneat,

Cic. de Or. 2, 54, 222:

flammam concipere,

to take fire, Caes. B. C. 2, 14, 2:

flammā torreri,

id. B. G. 5, 43, 4:

flamma ab utroque cornu comprehensa, naves sunt combustae,

id. B. C. 3, 101, 5:

circumventi flammā,

id. B. G. 6, 16, 4:

effusa flamma pluribus locis reluxit,

Liv. 30, 6, 5:

flammam sedare,

Cic. Rep. 1, 42 fin.:

lumina illa non flammae, sed scintillis inter fumum emicantibus similia,

Quint. 8, 5, 29:

solis flammam per caeli caerula pasci,

the blazing light, Lucr. 1, 1090:

erat is splendidissimo candore inter flammas circulus elucens,

i. e. among the blazing stars, Cic. Rep. 6, 16:

polo fixae flammae,

Ov. Tr. 4, 3, 15:

deum genitor rutilas per nubila flammas Spargit,

i. e. flashing lightnings, id. F. 3, 285:

flammam media ipsa tenebat Ingentem,

i. e. a torch, Verg. A. 6, 518; so,

armant picis unguine flammas,

Val. Fl. 8, 302;

for ignis: modum ponere iambis flammā,

Hor. C. 1, 16, 3:

flamma ferroque absumi,

by fire and sword, Liv. 30, 6; Juv. 10, 266.—

Provv.

Flamma fumo est proxima:

Fumo comburi nihil potest, flamma potest,

i. e. the slightest approach to impropriety leads to vice, Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 53. —

E flamma cibum petere, to snatch [p. 757] food from the flames, i. e. to be reduced to extremities for want of it, Ter. Eun. 3, 2, 38 (cf. Cat. 59).—

Prius undis flamma (sc. miscebitur), sooner will fire mingle with water, of any thing impossible, Poët. ap. Cic. Phil. 13, 21, 49.—

Unda dabit flammas, Ov. Tr. 1, 8, 4.—

flamma recens parva sparsa resedit aqua, = obsta principiis, Ov. H. 17, 190.—

Transf.

Of color, flame-color:

reddit flammam excellentis purpurae,

Plin. 35, 6, 27, § 46:

stant lumina (i. e. oculi) flammā,

his eyes glare with fire, Verg. A. 6, 300; cf.:

rubrā suffusus lumina flammā,

Ov. M. 11, 368.—

Fever-heat, Ov. M. 7, 554.—

Trop., viz., acc. as the notion of glowing heat or of destructive power predominates (cf. flagro, II.).—

The flame or fire of passion, esp. of love, the flame or glow of love, flame, passion, love:

amoris turpissimi,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 35, § 92:

cuncto concepit pectore flammam Funditus,

Cat. 64, 92; cf.:

excute virgineo conceptas pectore flammas,

Ov. M. 7, 17:

digne puer meliore flammā,

Hor. C. 1, 27, 20:

ira feri mota est: spirat pectore flammas,

Ov. M. 8, 355; Sil. 17, 295:

omnis illa vis et quasi flamma oratoris,

Cic. Brut. 24, 93; cf.:

scilicet non ceram illam neque figuram tantam vim in sese habere, sed memoria rerum gestarum eam flammam egregiis viris in pectore crescere,

Sall. J. 4, 6.—

A devouring flame, destructive fire, suffering, danger:

incidi in ipsam flammam civilis discordiae vel potius belli,

Cic. Fam. 16, 11, 2:

invidiae,

id. de Or. 3, 3, 11:

is se tum eripuit flammā,

id. Brut. 23, 90:

implacatae gulae,

i. e. raging hunger, Ov. M. 8, 849.—

Flamma Jovis, the name of a red flower, Plin. 27, 7, 27, § 44.

Flamma, ae, m., a Roman surname, Tac. H. 4, 45.

flamma, ae (archaic gen. sing. flammaï, Lucr. 1, 725; 900; 5, 1099), f. [for flagma, v. flagro; cf. Gr. phlegma, from phlegô], a blazing fire, a blaze, flame (cf. ignis).

Lit.: fana flammā deflagrata, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19, 44 (Trag. v. 116 ed. Vahl.); Lucr. 6, 1169:

dicere aiunt Ennium, flammam a sapiente facilius ore in ardente opprimi quam bona dicta teneat,

Cic. de Or. 2, 54, 222:

flammam concipere,

to take fire, Caes. B. C. 2, 14, 2:

flammā torreri,

id. B. G. 5, 43, 4:

flamma ab utroque cornu comprehensa, naves sunt combustae,

id. B. C. 3, 101, 5:

circumventi flammā,

id. B. G. 6, 16, 4:

effusa flamma pluribus locis reluxit,

Liv. 30, 6, 5:

flammam sedare,

Cic. Rep. 1, 42 fin.:

lumina illa non flammae, sed scintillis inter fumum emicantibus similia,

Quint. 8, 5, 29:

solis flammam per caeli caerula pasci,

the blazing light, Lucr. 1, 1090:

erat is splendidissimo candore inter flammas circulus elucens,

i. e. among the blazing stars, Cic. Rep. 6, 16:

polo fixae flammae,

Ov. Tr. 4, 3, 15:

deum genitor rutilas per nubila flammas Spargit,

i. e. flashing lightnings, id. F. 3, 285:

flammam media ipsa tenebat Ingentem,

i. e. a torch, Verg. A. 6, 518; so,

armant picis unguine flammas,

Val. Fl. 8, 302;

for ignis: modum ponere iambis flammā,

Hor. C. 1, 16, 3:

flamma ferroque absumi,

by fire and sword, Liv. 30, 6; Juv. 10, 266.—

Provv.

Flamma fumo est proxima:

Fumo comburi nihil potest, flamma potest,

i. e. the slightest approach to impropriety leads to vice, Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 53. —

E flamma cibum petere, to snatch [p. 757] food from the flames, i. e. to be reduced to extremities for want of it, Ter. Eun. 3, 2, 38 (cf. Cat. 59).—

Prius undis flamma (sc. miscebitur), sooner will fire mingle with water, of any thing impossible, Poët. ap. Cic. Phil. 13, 21, 49.—

Unda dabit flammas, Ov. Tr. 1, 8, 4.—

flamma recens parva sparsa resedit aqua, = obsta principiis, Ov. H. 17, 190.—

Transf.

Of color, flame-color:

reddit flammam excellentis purpurae,

Plin. 35, 6, 27, § 46:

stant lumina (i. e. oculi) flammā,

his eyes glare with fire, Verg. A. 6, 300; cf.:

rubrā suffusus lumina flammā,

Ov. M. 11, 368.—

Fever-heat, Ov. M. 7, 554.—

Trop., viz., acc. as the notion of glowing heat or of destructive power predominates (cf. flagro, II.).—

The flame or fire of passion, esp. of love, the flame or glow of love, flame, passion, love:

amoris turpissimi,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 35, § 92:

cuncto concepit pectore flammam Funditus,

Cat. 64, 92; cf.:

excute virgineo conceptas pectore flammas,

Ov. M. 7, 17:

digne puer meliore flammā,

Hor. C. 1, 27, 20:

ira feri mota est: spirat pectore flammas,

Ov. M. 8, 355; Sil. 17, 295:

omnis illa vis et quasi flamma oratoris,

Cic. Brut. 24, 93; cf.:

scilicet non ceram illam neque figuram tantam vim in sese habere, sed memoria rerum gestarum eam flammam egregiis viris in pectore crescere,

Sall. J. 4, 6.—

A devouring flame, destructive fire, suffering, danger:

incidi in ipsam flammam civilis discordiae vel potius belli,

Cic. Fam. 16, 11, 2:

invidiae,

id. de Or. 3, 3, 11:

is se tum eripuit flammā,

id. Brut. 23, 90:

implacatae gulae,

i. e. raging hunger, Ov. M. 8, 849.—

Flamma Jovis, the name of a red flower, Plin. 27, 7, 27, § 44.

Flamma, ae, m., a Roman surname, Tac. H. 4, 45.

taeda ( tēda), ae ( gen. taedaï, Lucr. 6, 897), f. [etym. dub.; cf. taedet], a resinous species of pine-tree, the pitch-pine tree (syn. fax): Pinus combra, Linn.

Lit., Plin. 16, 10, 19, § 44; 16, 11, 21, § 52; 37, 3, 11, § 43;

35, 6, 25, § 41: ceu flamma per taedas equitavit,

Hor. C. 4, 4, 43. —

Transf.

Resinous fir or pine wood, pitch-pine:

cupas taedā ac pice refertas incendunt,

Caes. B. C. 2, 11; 3, 101:

pyrā erectā taedis atque ilice sectā,

Verg. A. 4, 505:

schedias taedā comburere,

Vitr. 7, 10.—

A pitchpine torch, a torch: circumstant cum ardentibus taedis, Enn. ap. Cic. Ac. 2, 28, 89 (Trag. v. 51 Vahl.); cf.:

taedae ardentes Furiarum,

Cic. Pis. 20, 46; id. Rosc. Am. 24, 67:

Ceres dicitur inflammasse taedas eis ignibus, etc.,

id. Verr. 2, 4, 48, § 106; cf. Ov. F. 4, 494:

accensis currere taedis,

Prop. 2, 32, 9:

taedas Hymenaeus Amorque Praecutiunt,

Ov. M. 4, 758; so of a nuptial torch, id. H. 4, 121; Verg. A. 4, 18 al.; hence, poet., a wedding, marriage, id. ib. 4, 339; 7, 388; 9, 76; Ov. M. 9, 721; 9, 768; 4, 326; 14, 677;

15, 826: copulari taedis,

Sen. Herc. Fur. 493:

jungere taedas,

Stat. S. 3, 4, 53:

teque mihi taeda pudica dedit,

Ov. H. 6, 134:

sacra conubia fallere taedae,

Mart. 6, 2, 1; and for love, in gen., Prop. 1, 8, 21: taedaeque ad funera versae, torches reversed, in sign of mourning, Sil. 2, 184; 13, 547.—As an instrument of torture:

verbera, carnifices, robur, pix, lamina, taedae,

Lucr. 3, 1017; Juv. 1, 155. —

A pine board, a sawn plank:

dolato confisus ligno, digitis a morte remotus Quattuor, aut septem, si sit latissima taeda,

Juv. 12, 59. —

A small piece of pork or fat, used for religious purposes, Arn. 7, 230.