“direction” in Latin

Act of directing or aiming at, directio; thus Quintilian says, a “conjecture” is a directio quaedam rationis ad veritatem.

Line of motion with reference to the point to be reached. Mostly by circumlocution or by regio, tractus (the district or quarter towards which the direction lies) or via (way); cursus (course) partes (parts). [☞ Directio is the act of directing, or of levelling.] Directions in which the motion of bodies takes place, momenta (Vid: Wolf on Tusc., 1, 17, 40). In the direction of Gaul, the Alps, etc., (after verb of motion), ad Galliam versus, ad Alpes versus [☞ very seldom without ad: as, ille supra Maleam Italiam versus navigaturus erat, Sulpic. ap. Fam., 4, 12, 1; al. in Italiam]. In a straightforward direction, recta regione: recta via: in all directions, quoquoversus (Caes.); in omnes partes (both after a verb of motion; e.g., legationes, servos, etc., dimittere): in both directions, utroque versus (Gell.): in opposite directions, in contrarias partes (e.g., abire, of two persons; fluere, of two streams): to go away in the opposite direction, in contrariam partem ire (Caes.): in different directions, in diversas partes; also diversi (e.g., discesserunt): diversis itineribus (of directions in which persons come): where the river changes the direction of its course, qua flumen intermittit (Caes., B.G., 1, 38): to regain their right direction, cursum corrigere (Liv. 29, 27): to put anybody in the right direction, ducere in viam, or (if he had before lost it) reducere in viam; erranti monstrare viam: the direction things are taking, cursus rerum. To give anything a direction towards, etc., aliquid dirigere in or ad aliquid (e.g., navem in portum; ad litora): to keep the right direction, cursum tenere (especially of a vessel): to wander from, deviate from the right direction, a via aberrare (to lose one’s road); cursum non tenere (especially of ships and sea-faring people): to take another direction, flectere iter (to take another way; of persons); immutari (to be changed; especially for the worse). A road runs in the direction of, etc., via fert aliquo (leads to it) ducit aliquo. I always move involuntarily in the direction of your room, ad diaetam tuam ipsi me pedes ducunt (Plin., Ep., 7, 5, 1): the roads, the footsteps, etc., lie or are in the direction of, etc., itinera, vestigia ferunt aliquo: my proceedings are all in the same direction, haec eadem est nostrae rationis regio et via (Cic., Verr., 5, 7, 181). To gallop in different directions, *citato cursu in diversas partes avehi (of cavalry) (☞ discurrere is to ride up and down, to and fro): to be dragged in different directions, in diversas partes distrahi (figuratively, of the desires, etc.).

Government, management, administratio (e.g., belli): moderatio: gubernatio (government, guidance; especially of the state, reipublicae): cura (the care): procuratio (as deputy for another): auctoritas (declaration of a superior’s pleasure, which the inferior submits to): summa rerum or imperii (the supreme direction of either domestic or military affairs): summa belli (the direction of military affairs): the direction of domestic concerns, cura rei domesticae. By anybody’s direction, aliquo duce; alicujus ductu (by his guidance); aliquo auctore (by his advice): to do anything by anybody’s direction, aliquo auctore facere aliquid: to have the direction of anything, regere; moderari; moderatorem esse alicujus rei; gubernare; (The words are found in this connection and order.) regere et moderari: regere et gubernare: gubernare et moderari: administrare: praeesse alicui rei (e.g., the games, ludis; a business, negotio): to be intrusted with the direction of the war, bellum administrare: to have the principal direction of public affairs, publici consilii auctorem or moderatorem esse; rempublicam procurare: to submit to anybody’s direction, or be under his direction, alicujus consilio regi; aliquem or alicujus auctoritatem sequi, alicui parere, obtemperare: to be under the direction of another, or of others, alieni arbitrii esse.

Command, order, praescriptio; (The words are found in this connection and order.) praescriptio moderatioque: praescriptum: jussum: mandatum: auctoritas. By anybody’s directions, jussu or auctoritate alicujus; jubente aliquo; jussus ab aliquo: [SYN. in COMMAND.] To follow anybody’s directions, alicujus praeceptum observare, curare (opposed to negligere): to follow the letter ofhis directions, ad praescriptum agere (of an officer); [Vid. COMMAND, for phrases].

Direction (of a letter), *inscriptio; *titulus epistolae inscriptus (after epistola, cui alicujus nomen praescriptus est, Gell.).

Body of directors, *collegium magistrorum, praefectorum, praesidum; or magistri, praefecti, praesides. SYN. in DIRECTOR.