acies: Difference between revisions

|lshtext=<b>ăcĭēs</b>: ēi, f. v. 2. [[acer]] (<br /><b>I</b> gen. acii and acie, [[like]] dii and [[die]], facii and facie, fr. [[dies]], [[facies]], Cn. Mat. ap. Gell. 9, 14; Caes. B. G. 2, 23; Sall. ap. Serv. ad Verg. G. 1, 208, or Sall. Fragm. ed. Kritz. p. 118; cf. Prisc. p. 780 P.), a [[sharp]] [[edge]] or [[point]].<br /><b>I</b> Lit., of a [[sword]], [[dagger]], [[sickle]], etc.: gladiorum, Plaut. Truc. 2, 6, 11: Vulg. Heb. 11, 34: securium, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 43, § 113: falcis, Verg. G. 2, 365: hastae, Ov. M. 3, 107: ferri, Plin. 7, 15, 13.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>B</b> Transf.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>1</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Of the [[sense]] or [[faculty]] of [[sight]],<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>a</b> Keenness of [[look]] or [[glance]], [[sharpness]] of [[vision]] or [[sight]]: oculorum, Lucil. ap. Non. 34, 32; cf. Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 4; Lucr. 1, 324; also [[acies]] [[alone]], id. 2, 420; and in plur., id. 4, 693: ne [[vultum]] [[quidem]] [[atque]] aciem oculorum ferre potuisse, Caes. B. G. 1, 39: [[pupula]] ad te dirigit aciem, Cat. 63, 56: tanta [[tenuitas]], ut fugiat aciem, Cic. Tusc. 1, 22: [[bonum]] [[incolumis]] [[acies]], misera [[caecitas]], id. Fin. 5, 28, 84; so ib. 4, 24; Verg. A. 12, 558 al.—Hence,<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>b</b> Concr., the [[pupil]] of the [[eye]], Lucr. 3, 411; cf. [[with]] 414: [[acies]] ipsa, quā cernimus, quae [[pupula]] vocatur, Cic. N. D. 2, 57: in [[Albania]] gigni quosdam glaucā oculorum acie, Plin. 7, 2, 2 (cf. ib.: glaucis oculis); and [[poet]]. (as [[pars]] pro toto) for the [[eye]], Lucr. 3, 363; 4, 249; 281; 358; 720: huc geminas [[nunc]] flecte [[acies]], Verg. A. 6, 789; 12, 658 ([[hence]] the [[word]] is also used in the plur., cf. [[below]], 2.).—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>c</b> A looking at an [[object]] [[with]] [[fixed]] [[attention]], [[look]], [[aim]]: ad eam rem [[habeo]] omnem aciem, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 38.—On the contr., prima acie, at the [[first]] [[glance]], Lucr. 2, 448 (cf. [[primo]] aspectu, Cic. de Or. 3, 25, 98).—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>2</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In milit. lang., the [[front]] of an [[army]] (conceived of as the [[edge]] of a [[sword]]), [[line]] of [[battle]], [[battle]]-[[array]].<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>a</b> In abstr. (cf. Vitr. praef. 1. 7, p. 154 Rod.): quibus ego si aciem [[exercitus]] nostri ostendero, Cic. Cat. 2, 3, 5: aciem instruere, Caes. B. G. 1, 22: dirigere, id. ib. 6, 8: [[extra]] aciem procurrere, id. B. C. 1, 55: statuit non proeliis, [[neque]] in acie, sed [[alio]] [[more]] [[bellum]] gerendum, Sall. J. 54; cf. Liv. 5, 41, 4; also of the [[arrangement]] of ships for a [[naval]] [[engagement]], Nep. Hann. 11; cf. Caes. B. C. 1, 58.—Hence, metaph.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>b</b> The battlearray; in concr., an [[army]] [[drawn]] up in [[order]] of [[battle]]: [[acies]] est instructa a nobis [[decem]] cohortium, [[Galba]] ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 30: hostium [[acies]] cernebatur, Caes. B. G. 7, 62: altera [[pars]] acii vitassent fluminis undas, [[Matius]] ap. Gell. 9, 14 (as transl. of Il. 21 init.): dubitavit acie [[pars]], Sall. Fragm. l. l.: stabit [[ante]] aciem, Vulg. Deut. 20, 2; 1 Par. 12, 33: prima [[acies]] hastati erant, the [[van]], the [[first]] [[line]], Liv. 8, 8: tertiam aciem laborantibus subsidio mittere, Caes. B. G. 1, 52: ab novissima acie, from the [[rear]]: [[ante]] signa procedere, Liv. 8, 10: [[dextra]] [[acies]] (= dextrum [[cornu]]), the [[right]] [[wing]], Liv. 27, 48, 8: agmina [[magis]] [[quam]] [[acies]] pugnabant, in marching [[order]], [[rather]] [[than]] in [[order]] of [[battle]], id. 25, 34 ([[acies]] is here, and in [[similar]] cases, considered as the sing. used [[collectively]]; v. Oud. and Herz. Caes. B. G. 7, 62; [[yet]] the plur. is [[more]] [[than]] [[probable]]). Rarely of [[cavalry]], Liv. 8, 39; Vell. 2, 112.—Poet.: [[acies]] Vulcania, of a [[long]] [[line]] of [[fire]], Verg. A. 10, 408.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>c</b> The [[action]] of the [[troops]] [[drawn]] up in battlearray, a [[battle]], [[engagement]], = [[pugna]]: in acie celebri objectans vitam, Pac. ap. Non. 234, 25; Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 4: mea facta in acie obliti, Att. ap. Non. 502, 1: in acie Pharsalica, Cic. Lig. 3; so id. Fam. 6, 3: in acie vincere, Caes. B. G. 7, 29: dimicare, ib. 7, 64: copias in aciem ducere, Liv. 31, 34: producere in aciem, Nep. Milt. 5: excedere acie, Caes. B. C. 2, 41; Liv. 31, 17: direxerunt aciem [[contra]] eos, Vulg. Gen. 14, 8; 2 Par. 18, 33.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>3</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Acies ferri, [[steel]], Plin. 34, 14, 41.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>4</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Poet., [[sheen]], [[brightness]]: obtunsa stellarum, Verg. G. 1, 395.<br /><b>II</b> Fig.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>A</b> (Acc. to I. B.) ([[like]] [[acumen]].) Acuteness of the [[mind]], [[sharpness]], [[force]], [[power]] (so [[very]] [[often]] in [[Cicero]], [[but]] [[always]] [[with]] the gen. mentis, animi, ingenii): (cum [[animus]]) exacuerit illam, ut oculorum, sic ingenii aciem ad bona eligenda, etc., Cic. Leg. 1, 23, 60; so, ingenii, id. Ac. 2, 39, 122: mentis, id. N. D. 2, 17, 45; id. Tusc. 1, 30, 73: animi, id. Sen. 23, 83; id. Phil. 12, 2; Vell. 2, 118, 4; cf.: rerum [[diversitas]] aciem intentionis abrumpit, Flor. 1 prol., § 3.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>B</b> A verbal [[contest]], [[disputation]], [[discussion]], [[debate]]: orationis aciem [[contra]] conferam, Plaut. Ep. 4, 1, 20: ad philosophos me revocas, qui in aciem non [[saepe]] prodeunt, Cic. Tusc. 2, 25, 60: nos jam in aciem dimicationemque veniamus, id. Or. 13 fin.; cf. id. Opt. Gen. Or. 5, 17; Quint. 2, 10, 8; 6, 4, 17; 10, 1, 29.