spolium

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

spŏlĭum: ii, n. root spal- (skal-); cf.: populor, calamitas, calvus.
I Lit., the spoil of an animal, i. e. the skin or hide of an animal stripped off (so only poet. and very rare): pelles et spolia ferarum, Lucr. 5, 954: serpentum, id. 4, 62: leonis, Ov. M. 9, 113; 3, 81: apri, id. ib. 8, 426; id. H. 4, 100: pecudis (i. e. arietis Phrixei), id. ib. 6, 13; cf. id. M. 7, 156: viperei monstri (i. e. Medusae), id. ib. 4, 615.—
II Transf., the arms or armor stripped from a defeated enemy; hence, in gen., any thing taken from the enemy, booty, prey, spoil (the predom. signif. of the word; usu. in <number opt="n">plur.</number>; cf.: exuviae, praeda): Salmacida spolia sine sudore et sanguine, Enn. ap. Cic. Off. 1, 18, 61 (Trag. v. 36 Vahl.): spolia ducis hostium caesi suspenso ferculo gerens in Capitolium ascendit ibique, Juppiter Feretri, inquit, haec tibi victor Romulus rex regia arma fero templumque dedico, sedem opimis spoliis, etc., Liv. 1, 10, 6 (v. opimus): spoliis decorata est regia fixis, Ov. M. 8, 154: spoliorum causā hominem occidere ... cruenta spolia detrahere, Cic. Rosc. Am. 50, 145 sq.: multa spolia praeferebantur, Caes. B. C. 2, 39: ad ejus spolia detrahenda, Cic. Sest. 24, 54: indutus spoliis, Verg. A. 10, 775: victores praedā Rutuli spoliisque potiti, id. ib. 9, 450; 4, 93: virtutis honor spoliis quaeratur in istis, Ov. M. 13, 153: insignis spoliis Marcellus opimis Ingreditur, Verg. A. 6, 855: spolia jacentis hostium exercitus peditibus concessit, Liv. 44, 45: Q. Fabius spolia ducis Gallorum legens, id. 5, 36; so, legere, id. 5, 39; 8, 7; 27, 2 al.: spolia et praedas ad procuratores referre, Tac. A. 12, 54 et saep.: (forum) exuviis nauticis et classium spoliis (i. e. rostris) ornatum, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 18, 55; cf. Flor. 1, 11, 10: navalia, Suet. Aug. 18 fin.: illud natura non patitur, ut aliorum spoliis nostras facultates, copias, opes augeamus, Cic. Off. 3, 5, 22; id. Rosc. Am. 3, 8: spoliis civium exstructa domus, Tac. A. 15, 52: (delatores) sacerdotia et consulatus et spolia adepti, id. H. 1, 2.—
   (b)    Sing.: quo nunc Turnus ovat spolio, Verg. A. 10, 500: Actoris Aurunci spolium, id. ib. 12, 94: Asiam, spolium regis Antiochi, recepi, Sall. H. 4, 61, 11 Dietsch; Suet. Caes. 64; Just. 19, 3: fert secum spolium sceleris, Ov. M. 8, 87: mendici spolium, a beggar's rags, Petr. 13, 1.—Poet., in gen., = arma, arms, Ov. M. 13, 153.