the weapon thrown

ballista (better than balista; in Gloss. also ballistra), ae, f. [ballô], a lārge military engine, resembling a bow, stretched with cords and thongs, by which masses of stone and other missiles were thrown to a great distance; a machine for projectiles, the ballista (orig. diff. from catapulta, which was used for throwing arrows; but afterwards often interchanged with it; cf. Vitr. 10, 16-18; Veg. 4, 22): centenariae, throwing stones of a hundred pounds weight, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 555, 25: ballistae lapidum et reliqua tormenta telorum eo graviores emissiones habent, quo sunt contenta atque adducta vehementius, *Cic. Tusc. 2, 24, 57; Caes. B. C. 2, 2; Liv. 24, 40, 15; 21, 11, 10; Tac. A. 12, 56; 15, 9; id. H. 3, 23; 3, 29; 4, 23; Gell. 7 (6), 3; Sil. 1, 334; Luc. 2, 686; Vulg. 1 Macc. 6, 20;

6, 51.—Sportively: meus est ballista pugnus, cubitus catapulta est mihi, umerus aries,

Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 17. —For throwing other missiles, Caes. B. C. 2, 2; Luc. 2, 686; 3, 465.—

Transf., the weapon thrown, a missile, Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 42;

Lucil. lib. XXVIII.: ballistas jactans centenarias. Sisenn. Hist. lib. IIII: ballistas quattuor talentarias,

Non. p. 555, 24 sq. —

Trop.:

jam infortunii intenta ballista probe,

an instrument, Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 73; id. Bacch. 4, 4, 58.

Ballista, ae, v. 2. Balista.

ballista (better than balista; in Gloss. also ballistra), ae, f. [ballô], a lārge military engine, resembling a bow, stretched with cords and thongs, by which masses of stone and other missiles were thrown to a great distance; a machine for projectiles, the ballista (orig. diff. from catapulta, which was used for throwing arrows; but afterwards often interchanged with it; cf. Vitr. 10, 16-18; Veg. 4, 22): centenariae, throwing stones of a hundred pounds weight, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 555, 25: ballistae lapidum et reliqua tormenta telorum eo graviores emissiones habent, quo sunt contenta atque adducta vehementius, *Cic. Tusc. 2, 24, 57; Caes. B. C. 2, 2; Liv. 24, 40, 15; 21, 11, 10; Tac. A. 12, 56; 15, 9; id. H. 3, 23; 3, 29; 4, 23; Gell. 7 (6), 3; Sil. 1, 334; Luc. 2, 686; Vulg. 1 Macc. 6, 20;

6, 51.—Sportively: meus est ballista pugnus, cubitus catapulta est mihi, umerus aries,

Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 17. —For throwing other missiles, Caes. B. C. 2, 2; Luc. 2, 686; 3, 465.—

Transf., the weapon thrown, a missile, Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 42;

Lucil. lib. XXVIII.: ballistas jactans centenarias. Sisenn. Hist. lib. IIII: ballistas quattuor talentarias,

Non. p. 555, 24 sq. —

Trop.:

jam infortunii intenta ballista probe,

an instrument, Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 73; id. Bacch. 4, 4, 58.

Ballista, ae, v. 2. Balista.

hasta ( asta), ae, f. [Sanscr. hastas, hand; cf. Gr. root chad- in chandanô, pre-hendo], a spear (syn.: hastile, dolo, gaesum, sarisa, sparus, lancea, pilum, spiculum, telum, etc.).

Lit.

Most freq. as a military weapon, a lance, pike, javelin (cf. Becker's Antiq. III. 2, p. 242 sq.):

nec eminus hastis aut comminus gladiis uteretur,

Cic. de Sen. 6, 19: dum transit, striderat hasta, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 817 P. (Ann. v. 365 Vahl.): Hastati spargunt hastas, id. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 287 ib.):

evelli jussit eam, qua erat transfixus, hastam,

Cic. Fin. 2, 30, 97:

amentatus hastas torquebit,

id. de Or. 1, 57, 242; cf. id. Brut. 78, 271; id. Top. 17, 65:

hastas vibrare,

id. de Or. 2, 80, 325:

jactare,

id. ib. 2, 78, 316:

dirigere in aliquem,

Ov. M. 8, 66:

contendere,

to hurl, Verg. A. 10, 521:

protendere aut colligere,

Tac. A. 2, 21 al. —As a symbol of war, sent in making a declaration of the same, Gell. 10, 27, 3; Paul. ex Fest. p. 101 Müll., and thrown into the enemy's territory, Liv 1, 32 fin.; Varr. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 9, 53: pura, i. e. without iron, given to brave soldiers as a mark of distinction, Plin. 7, 28, 29, § 102; Suet. Claud. 28; Inscr. Orell. 3457; cf. Varr. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 6, 760, and Fest. l. l.— As the symbol of legal ownership: festuca uti quasi hastae loco, signo quodam justi dominii, Gai Inst. 4, 16.—

Transf., beyond the milit. sphere:

jacet, diffidit, abjecit hastas,

i. e. has lost his courage, Cic. Mur. 21, 45.—

A spear stuck in the ground at public auctions or where the tribunals of the cenlumviri were held (orig. as a sign of booty gained in battle or of magisterial authority):

est enim ausus (Sulla) dicere, hasta posita, cum bona in foro venderet et bonorum virorum et locupletium et certe civium praedam se suam vendere,

Cic. Off. 2, 8, 27; cf.:

hastam in foro ponere et bona civium voci subicere praeconis,

id. ib. 2, 23, 83:

hasta posita pro aede Jovis Statoris, bona voci acerbissimae subjecta praeconis,

id. Phil. 2, 26, 64:

quos non illa inflnita hasta satiavit,

id. ib. 4, 4, 9:

emptio ab hasta,

id. Att. 12, 3, 2:

comitibus eorum sub hasta venditis,

Liv. 23, 38, 7: municipia Italiae splendidissima sub hasta venierunt, [p. 842] Flor. 3, 21, 27:

just hastae,

Tac. A. 13, 28:

cum censores se jam locationibus abstinerent, convenere ad eos, qui hastae hujus generis assueverant,

Liv. 24, 18, 10; as a badge of dignity:

hunc miratur adhuc centum gravis hasta virorum,

Mart. 7, 63, 7.—Hence, transf., the centumviral court:

ut centumviralem hastam, quam quaestura functi consuerant cogere, decemviri cogerent,

Suet. Aug. 36 fin. —

A little spear with which a bride's hair was parted into locks, Ov. F. 2, 560.—

A spear, as a gymnastic weapon, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 38; 3, 3, 24; id. Most. 1, 2, 73.—

Transf.

Of the form of a comet: jubae effigies mutata in hasta est. Plin. 2, 25, 22, § 90.—

I. q. membrum virile, Auct. Priap. 45, 1.

missĭlis, e, adj. [id.], that may be hurled or cast, that is thrown or hurled, missile (not in Cic. or Cæs.):

lapides missiles,

slingstones, Liv. 1, 43:

telum,

id. 22, 37:

ferro, quod nunc missile libro,

a javelin, Verg. A. 10, 421:

sagittae,

Hor. C. 3, 6, 16:

uni sibi missile ferrum,

which he alone can launch, Stat. Th. 8, 524:

aculei (of the porcupine),

capable of being shot forth, Plin. 8, 35, 53, § 125.—

Subst.

missĭle, is, n., a missile weapon, missile, a javelin:

missilibus Lacedaemonii pugnabant,

Liv. 34, 39; in plur.:

missilibus lacessere,

Verg. A. 10, 716:

pellere missilibus,

id. ib. 9, 520; 10, 802; in sing., Luc. 7, 485.—

missĭlĭa, ĭum, n., or res missiles, presents thrown by the emperors among the people:

sparsa et populo missilia omnium rerum,

Suet. Ner. 11; cf.:

jocandi licentia diripiendi pomorum, et obsoniorum rerumque missilium,

id. Aug. 98.—

Trop.:

ad haec, quae a fortunā sparguntur, sinum expandit et sollicitus missilia ejus exspectat,

Sen. Ep. 74, 6.

missĭlis, e, adj. [id.], that may be hurled or cast, that is thrown or hurled, missile (not in Cic. or Cæs.):

lapides missiles,

slingstones, Liv. 1, 43:

telum,

id. 22, 37:

ferro, quod nunc missile libro,

a javelin, Verg. A. 10, 421:

sagittae,

Hor. C. 3, 6, 16:

uni sibi missile ferrum,

which he alone can launch, Stat. Th. 8, 524:

aculei (of the porcupine),

capable of being shot forth, Plin. 8, 35, 53, § 125.—

Subst.

missĭle, is, n., a missile weapon, missile, a javelin:

missilibus Lacedaemonii pugnabant,

Liv. 34, 39; in plur.:

missilibus lacessere,

Verg. A. 10, 716:

pellere missilibus,

id. ib. 9, 520; 10, 802; in sing., Luc. 7, 485.—

missĭlĭa, ĭum, n., or res missiles, presents thrown by the emperors among the people:

sparsa et populo missilia omnium rerum,

Suet. Ner. 11; cf.:

jocandi licentia diripiendi pomorum, et obsoniorum rerumque missilium,

id. Aug. 98.—

Trop.:

ad haec, quae a fortunā sparguntur, sinum expandit et sollicitus missilia ejus exspectat,

Sen. Ep. 74, 6.

missĭlis, e, adj. [id.], that may be hurled or cast, that is thrown or hurled, missile (not in Cic. or Cæs.):

lapides missiles,

slingstones, Liv. 1, 43:

telum,

id. 22, 37:

ferro, quod nunc missile libro,

a javelin, Verg. A. 10, 421:

sagittae,

Hor. C. 3, 6, 16:

uni sibi missile ferrum,

which he alone can launch, Stat. Th. 8, 524:

aculei (of the porcupine),

capable of being shot forth, Plin. 8, 35, 53, § 125.—

Subst.

missĭle, is, n., a missile weapon, missile, a javelin:

missilibus Lacedaemonii pugnabant,

Liv. 34, 39; in plur.:

missilibus lacessere,

Verg. A. 10, 716:

pellere missilibus,

id. ib. 9, 520; 10, 802; in sing., Luc. 7, 485.—

missĭlĭa, ĭum, n., or res missiles, presents thrown by the emperors among the people:

sparsa et populo missilia omnium rerum,

Suet. Ner. 11; cf.:

jocandi licentia diripiendi pomorum, et obsoniorum rerumque missilium,

id. Aug. 98.—

Trop.:

ad haec, quae a fortunā sparguntur, sinum expandit et sollicitus missilia ejus exspectat,

Sen. Ep. 74, 6.

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