initium

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

ĭnĭtĭum: ĭi, n. ineo,
I a going in, en trance.
I A beginning, commencement (syn.: principium, exordium).
   A Lit.: bonis initiis orsus tribunatus, tristes exitus habuit consulatus, id. Brut. 34, 128: initio accusationis, id. de Or. 1, 26, 121: initium capere, Caes. B. G. 1, 1: dicendi initium sumere, Cic. Leg. 2, 1, 1: facere initium confligendi, id. Phil. 14, 14, 36: caedis initium ab aliquo facere, id. ib. 5, 7, 20: male ponere initia, id. Att. 10, 18, 2: ducere ab aliqua re, id. ib. 9, 9, 2: ab initio res quem ad modum facta sint, exponemus, Cic. Rosc. Am. 5, 14: ab ultimo initio repetere, Auct. Her. 1, 9, 14: seditionem ab altiore initio repetam, Tac. H. 2, 27: quia initio caedis orto difficilis modus, id. ib. 1, 39.— Pleon.: querellae ab initio tantae ordiendae rei absint, Liv. praef. § 12; cf.: prima initia incohare, id. 3, 54, 9: primum initium certaminis, id. 6, 12, 10. — The abl. sing. is used adverbially, in the beginning, at first: quemadmodum senatus initio censuit, Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 4: redeo ad illud quod initio scripsi, id. ib. 1, 7, 5; Nep. Thras. 1, 5; id. Tim. 3, 1; id. Alc. 5, 3; Curt. 3, 8, 17 al.; cf. Zumpt, Gram. § 475. —
   B Transf.
   1    Constituent parts, elements: inde est indagatio nata initiorum, et tamquam seminum, unde essent omnia orta, generata, concreta, Cic. Tusc. 5, 24, 69: illa initia, et, ut e Graeco vertam, elementa dicuntur ( = στοιχεῖα), id. Ac. 1, 7, 26; so of death: Augustus in sua resolutus initia, Vell. 2, 123, 3. —
   2    First principles, elements cf a science: illa initia mathematicorum, quibus non concessis digitum progredi non possunt, Cic. Ac. 2, 36, 116.—
   3    Beginning, origin: quomodo initium nobis rerum omnium ortus noster adferat, sic exitum mors, etc., Cic. Tusc. 1, 38, 91: natus obscurissimis initiis, Vell. 2, 761; cf.: pauca ab initio causisque talium facinorum non absurda, which relate to the origin, etc., Tac. H. 4, 48.—
   4    Auspices, because with them everything was begun; hence, the beginning of a reign: novis initiis et ominibus opus est, i. e. of a new king, Curt. 5, 9, 4.—
II Secret sacred rites, sacred mysteries, to which only the initiated were admitted: initia vocantur potissimum ea, quae Cereri fiunt sacra, Varr. R. R. 3, 1, 5: initia Cereris, Liv. 31, 47, 2; cf. 39, 8, 5: nihil melius illis mysteriis, quibus ex agresti immanique vita exculti ad humanitatem et mitigati sumus, initiaque ut appellantur, ita re vera principia vitae cognovimus, Cic. Leg. 2, 14, 36; Just. 2, 6: initia Samothracum, Curt. 8, 1, 12: initiis pacis, foedus cum feritur, Varr. R. R. 2, 4, 9.—
   B Things (musical instruments) used in celebrating these mysteries: Typanum, tubam, Cybele, tua, mater, initia, Cat. 63, 9.

Latin > French (Gaffiot 2016)

ĭnĭtĭum,⁷ ĭī, n. (inire),
1 commencement, début : initio orationis Cæs. G. 1, 43, 4, au début du discours ; initium capere ab... Cæs. G. 1, 1, 5, commencer à... ; initium dicendi sumere Cic. Leg. 2, 1, commencer à parler ; rei initium ab aliquo facere Cic. Fam. 12, 2, 1, commencer une chose par qqn, cf. Cic. Phil. 5, 20 ; belli initium ducetur a fame Cic. Att. 9, 9, 2, la guerre commencera par la famine ; initia male ponere Cic. Att. 10, 18, 2, mal débuter || initio Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 4 ; 1, 7, 5, au début, en commençant
2 [surtout au pl.] a) principes, éléments [du monde] : Cic. Tusc. 5, 69 ; Ac. 1, 26 ; b) principes [d’une science] : Cic. Ac. 2, 116 ; c) principe, origine, fondement : Cic. Ac. 2, 29 ; d) auspices : Curt. 5, 9, 4 ; e) mystères [de Cérès] : Varro R. 3, 1, 5 ; Cic. Leg. 2, 36 ; Liv. 31, 47, 2 ; [de Bacchus Liv. 39, 8, 5.