praeceps: Difference between revisions

|lshtext=<b>praeceps</b>: cĭpĭtis (old form praecĭ-pes, cĭpis, Plaut. Rud. 3, 3, 8; id. et Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 725 P. (Ann. v. 391 Vahl.; abl. praecipiti), adj. [[prae]]-[[caput]].<br /><b>I</b> Lit., headforemost, [[headlong]] ([[class]].): praecipitem trahi, Plaut. Ps. 1, 5, 79: aliquem praecipitem deicere, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 40, § 86: [[praeceps]] ad terram [[datus]], dashed to the [[ground]], Liv. 31, 37: [[praeceps]] curru ab [[alto]] Desilit, Ov. M. 12, 128: hic se praecipitem tecto dedit, threw [[himself]] [[headlong]] from the [[roof]], Hor. S. 1, 2, 41: aliquem in [[praeceps]] jacere, [[headlong]], Tac. A. 4, 22; so, jacto in [[praeceps]] corpore, id. ib. 6, 49; cf.: in [[praeceps]] deferri, Liv. 5, 47.—For in [[praeceps]], in [[late]] Lat., per [[praeceps]] occurs: abiit [[grex]] per [[praeceps]] in [[mare]], Vulg. Matt. 8, 32; id. Judic. 5, 22.—Hence, of one [[going]] [[rapidly]], headforemost, [[headlong]]: de ponte Ire praecipitem in [[lutum]] per caputque pedesque, Cat. 17, 9: se jacere praecipitem e vertice, id. 63, 244; Verg. A. 5, 860: ab equo [[praeceps]] decidit, Ov. Ib. 259: (apes) praecipites Cadunt, Verg. G. 4, 80: aliquem praecipitem agere, to [[drive]] [[headlong]], Cic. Caecin. 21, 60; Verg. A. 5, 456: praecipites se fugae mandabant, Caes. B. G. 2, 24: Monoeten In [[mare]] praecipitem deturbat, Verg. A. 5, 175; cf.: [[praeceps]] amensque cucurri, Ov. M. 7, 844: [[praeceps]] Fertur, is borne [[headlong]], rushes, Hor. S. 1, 4, 30: nuntii, Tac. H. 2, 6.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>B</b> Transf., of inanim. things.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>1</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Of localities, qs. [[that]] [[descend]] [[suddenly]] in [[front]], i. e. downhill, [[steep]], [[precipitous]]: in declivi ac praecipiti [[loco]], Caes. B. G. 4, 33: via (opp. [[plana]]), Cic. Fl. 42, 105: saxa, Liv. 38, 23: fossae, Ov. M. 1, 97; Verg. A. 11, 888: [[iter]], Ov. Tr. 4, 3, 74; cf. trop.: [[iter]] ad [[malum]] [[praeceps]] ac lubricum, Cic. Rep. 1, 28, 44: loci, Col. 1, 2: [[mons]], Plin. [[Pan]]. 16.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>b</b> Subst.: [[praeceps]], cĭpĭtis, n., a [[steep]] [[place]], a [[precipice]]: turrim in praecipiti stantem, Verg. A. 2, 460: [[specus]] [[vasto]] in [[praeceps]] hiatu, Plin. 2, 45, 44, § 115: in [[praeceps]] pervenitur, Vell. 2, 3, 4: [[immane]], Juv. 10, 107: altissimum, App. M. 4, p. 144 med.—In <[[number]] opt="n">plur.</[[number]]>: in praecipitia [[cursus]] [[iste]] deducit, Sen. Ep. 8, 4.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>2</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sinking, declining: (in vitibus) praecipites palmites dicuntur, qui de hornotinis virgis enati in [[duro]] alligantur, Col. 5, 6, 33: sol Praecipitem lavit aequore currum, Verg. G. 3, 359: jam [[praeceps]] in occasum sol erat, Liv. 10, 42: [[dies]], id. 4, 9; cf.: [[senectus]], Curt. 6, 5, 3. —<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>3</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In gen., [[swift]], [[rapid]], [[rushing]], [[violent]] ([[poet]].; syn.: [[celer]], [[velox]]): [[praeceps]] [[Anio]], Hor. C. 1, 7, 13: [[Boreas]], Ov. M. 2, 185: nox, fleeting, [[transient]], id. ib. 9, 485: [[procella]], Stat. Th. 5, 419: oceani [[fragor]], Val. Fl. 3, 404: [[letum]], Sen. Hippol. 262: [[remedium]], Curt. 3, 6, 2.—<br /><b>II</b> Trop., [[headlong]], [[hasty]], [[rash]], [[precipitate]].<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>A</b> In gen. ([[class]].): [[noster]] [[erus]], qui [[scelestus]] sacerdotem anum [[praecipes]] Reppulit, Plaut. Rud. 3, 3, 10: sol jam praecipitans me [[quoque]] haec praecipitem [[paene]] evolvere coëgit, [[almost]] [[headlong]], [[precipitately]], Cic. de Or. 3, 55, 209: agunt eum praecipitem poenae civium Romanorum, [[chase]], [[pursue]], id. Verr. 2, 1, 3, § 7: praecipitem amicum ferri sinere, to [[rush]] [[into]] the [[abyss]], id. Lael. 24, 89: [[quoniam]] ab inimicis [[praeceps]] agor, am pursued, Sall. C. 31, 9: [[praeceps]] [[celeritas]] dicendi, Cic. Fl. 20, 48: [[profectio]], Att. ap. Cic. Att. 9, 10, 6: occumbunt multi [[letum]] ... praecipe cursu, in [[rapid]] [[destruction]], Enn. l. l.—With gen.: SI NON FATORVM PRAECEPS HIC MORTIS OBISSET, [[sudden]] as regards [[fate]], Inscr. Grut. 695, 9, emended by Minervini in Bullet. Arch. Napol. III. 1845, p. 41 ([[but]] Minervini's [[assumption]] of a [[new]] adj., [[praeceps]], from [[praecipio]], anticipating fale, is [[unnecessary]]).—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>B</b> In partic.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>1</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Rash, [[hasty]], [[inconsiderate]]: [[homo]] in omnibus consiliis [[praeceps]], Cic. Phil. 5, 13, 37: [[praeceps]] et effrenata [[mens]], id. Cael. 15, 35: [[praeceps]] [[consilium]] et immaturum, Suet. Aug. 8: [[cogitatio]], id. Calig. 48: [[audacia]], Val. Max. 1, 6, 7.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>2</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Inclined to [[any]] [[thing]]: [[praeceps]] in avaritiam et crudelitatem [[animus]], Liv. 26, 38: [[praeceps]] ingenio in iram, id. 23, 7: [[animus]] ad flagitia [[praeceps]], Tac. A. 16, 21.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>3</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Dangerous, [[hazardous]], [[critical]]: in tam praecipiti tempore, Ov. F. 2, 400.—Hence,<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>b</b> Subst.: [[praeceps]], cĭpĭtis, n.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>(a)</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Great [[danger]], [[extremity]], [[extreme]] [[danger]], [[critical]] circumstances: se et [[prope]] rem publicam in [[praeceps]] dederat, brought [[into]] [[extreme]] [[danger]], Liv. 27, 27: levare Aegrum ex praecipiti, Hor. S. 2, 3, 292: [[aeger]] est in praecipiti, Cels. 2, 6.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>(b)</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The [[highest]] [[part]], [[summit]], [[sublimity]] (postAug.): omne in praecipiti [[vitium]] stetit, at its [[point]] of [[culmination]], Juv. 1, 149: debet [[orator]] erigi, attolli, efferri, ac [[saepe]] accedere ad [[praeceps]], to [[verge]] on the [[sublime]], Plin. Ep. 9, 26, 2.—Hence, adv.: [[prae]]-ceps, [[headlong]].<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>1</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lit.: aliquem [[praeceps]] trahere, Tac. A. 4, 62: ex his fulgoribus quaedam [[praeceps]] eunt, similia prosilientibus stellis, Sen. Q. N. 1, 15, 2: [[moles]] convulsa dum ruit [[intus]] immensam vim mortalium [[praeceps]] trahit [[atque]] operit, Tac. A. 4, 62: toto [[praeceps]] se corpore ad undas Misit, Verg. A. 4, 253.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>2</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Trop.: [[eversio]] rei [[familiaris]] dignitatem ac famam [[praeceps]] dabat, brought [[into]] [[danger]], Tac. A. 6, 17: [[praeceps]] in [[exsilium]] acti, [[suddenly]], [[hastily]], Amm. 29, 1, 21.