purgamentum
ὥσπερ γὰρ ζώου τῶν ὄψεων ἀφαιρεθεισῶν ἀχρειοῦται τὸ ὅλον, οὕτως ἐξ ἱστορίας ἀναιρεθείσης τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ καταλειπόμενον αὐτῆς ἀνωφελὲς γίνεται διήγημα → for just as a living creature which has lost its eyesight is wholly incapacitated, so if history is stripped of her truth all that is left is but an idle tale | for, just as closed eyes make the rest of an animal useless, what is left from a history blind to the truth is just a pointless tale
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
purgāmentum: i, n. id..
I What is swept or washed off, sweepings, offscourings, filth, dirt: cloacam maximam, receptaculum omnium purgamentorum urbis, Liv. 1, 56: hortorum, Tac. A. 11, 32: cenae in pavimento, Plin. 36, 25, 60, § 184: ceparum, id. 20, 5, 20, § 41: oris, Sen. Const. 2 fin.: sanguinis, Plin. 11, 37, 74, § 192.—As a term of reproach, refuse, dregs, filth, offscouring, outcast, Petr. 74; Curt. 6, 11, 2; 10, 2, 7: purgamenta pro frugibus creat humus palustris, weeds, Sen. Ep. 73, 16.—
B Transf., washings, that which is washed up: purgamenta freti aestuantis, i.e. pearls, Col. 8, 9, 19: tanquam purgamenta hujus mundi, Vulg. 1 Cor. 4, 13.—
II A means of purgation, purification, or expiation, an expiatory sacrifice, Petr. 134, 1.
