noun · neuter
fās
fās n sg (indeclinable, no genitive)
Classical[ˈfaːs]Ecclesiastical[ˈfas]
Meaning
- indeclinableuncountabledictates of religion, divine law (opp. iūs, human law), or an obligation thereunder
hoc contra ius fasque est
this is against law and divine lawItaque si fas non est patris, vel filii, patrui vel nepotis uxorem habere in matrimonio, unum et idem de fratris uxore sentire convenit: de qua similis prorsus lex uno contextu et tenore perlata est.
And so if divine law is that the father, or the son, the uncle or the nephew are not to have a wife in marriage, it comes together as one and the same thing about the brother's wife: from which a similar law is conveyed by means of connecting and grasping [a pattern].(Can we date this quote?), Corpus Reformatorum, volume 38, page 235: - indeclinableuncountabledivine will or right, the will of God or heaven; a predetermined destiny
Latium [...]: illīc fās rēgna resurgere Troiae.
“Latium …: there it is divine will that the kingdom of Troy shall rise again.”29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 1.205–206 - indeclinableuncountableright, proper, allowable, lawful, fit, permitted, permissible, possible
fās mihi praecipuē voltūs vīdisse deōrum,
[It is] permissible, for me especially, to have seen the faces of the gods, either because I am a poet, or because I sing sacred [themes].8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 6.7–8
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | fās | — |
| accusative | fās | — |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- ius ac fas omne delere
- to trample all law under foot.
fas, indecl. n. root fa-, cf. for; Gr. φημί, φά-ναι
I. Orig. belonging to the relig. lang., the dictates of religion, divine law; opp. to jus, or human law (rare; cf.
also: aequitas, justitia): jus ac fas omne delere, Cic. Att. 1, 16, 6; cf.: festis quaedam exercere diebus Fas et jura sinunt, Verg. G. 1, 269: contra fas, contra auspicia, contra omnes divinas atque humanas religiones, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 13, § 34.—Personified: audi Juppiter, audite Fines, audiat Fas, Liv. 1, 32, 6: prima deum Fas quae Themis est Graiis, Aus. Technop. Idyll. 12: Fas omne mundi, i. e. the gods, Sen. Here. Fur. 658.— II. Transf.
A. A court-day, i. q. fastus (ante-class.):
dies qui vocatur sic: QVANDO REX COMITIAVIT, FAS, Varr. L. L. 6, §§ 31, 32.—B. In gen. (justice, equity, but usu. to be translated as an adjective), right, proper, allowable, lawful, fit, permitted; hence, possible (the predominant meaning of the word in prose and poetry;
esp. freq. in the phrase fas est, with a subjectclause): fas, justum, pium, aequum subjici possunt honestati, Quint. 3, 8, 26: cum fas atque nefas exiguo fine libidinum Discernunt avidi, Hor. C. 1, 18, 10; Ov. M. 6, 585; cf.: quippe ubi fas versum atque nefas, Verg. G. 1, 505; Hor. Epod. 5, 87: jusque fasque est, Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 22: si jus, si fas est, Ter. Hec. 3, 3, 27: sicut fas jusque est, Liv. 7, 31, 3: ut eum nihil delectaret, quod aut per naturam fas esset aut per leges liceret, Cic. Mil. 16, 43; cf.: quoad fas esset, quoad liceret, id. Agr. 2, 7, 19; and: huic legi nec obrogari fas est, neque derogari ex hac aliquid licet, id. Rep. 3, 22: si me fas est orare etiam abs te, pater, etc., Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 102: quid non adeptus est, quod homini fas esset optare? Cic. Lael. 3, 11: si eos hoc nomine appellari fas est, id. Mur. 37, 80: non esse fas, Germanos superare, si, etc., Caes. B. G. 1, 50 fin.: neque fas esse existimant, ea litteris mandare, id. ib. 6, 14, 3: ad quos (libellos) interim respicere fas sit, Quint. 10, 7, 31: velut si aliter facere fas non sit, id. 2, 13, 1; 8, 3, 36; 10, 2, 9; 12, 7, 1: nec scire fas est omnia, Hor. C. 4, 4, 22: fas omne est, Cytherea, meis te fidere regnis, there is every reason, Verg. A. 5, 800: si hoc fas est dictu, Cic. Tusc. 5, 13, 38: neque id me facere fas existimo, Plaut. As. 3, 1, 11: fas habere, id. Trin. 2, 2, 11; Quint. 3, 8, 13; Tac. A. 14, 30; id. G. 9: leporem et gallinam et anserem gustare fas non putant, Caes. B. G. 5, 12, 6; 6, 23 fin.: fas prohibet, etc., Ov. Tr. 2, 205: contra quam fas erat, Cic. Clu. 5, 12: ridetque (deus), si mortalis ultra Fas trepidat, Hor. C. 3, 29, 32: fas omne abrumpit, every right, obligation, Verg. A. 3, 55: exuere, Tac. H. 3, 5: et foedera respicere, id. ib. 4, 67; cf.: hostium quoque jus et sacra legationis et fas gentium rupistis, the law of nations, id. A. 1, 42; so in Tac. freq. = jus: patriae, the right, claim of one's native land, id. ib. 2, 10: armorum, id. H. 4, 58: disciplinae, id. A. 1, 19 al.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
fās (only nom. and acc sing.), n
1 FA-, the dictates of religion, divine law : ius ac fas omne delere: ius ac fas colere, L.: exercere Fas et iura, V.: nec te portare Creüsam Fas sinit, the divine will , V.—Person.: audiat fas, L.— Justice, equity, right, that which is proper : fas atque nefas Discernunt, H.: fasque nefasque Confusura, O.: ultra Fas trepidare, H.: fas omne abrumpit, obligation , V.—With est, it is lawful, is proper, is permitted : Nec fas esse, voluptate frui, T.: sicut fas iusque est, L.: quoad fas esset: huic legi nec obrogari fas est, neque licet, etc.: neque fas esse existimant, mandare, etc., Cs.: Fas omne est, fidere, etc., there is every reason , V.: cui litare fas habent, Ta.: anserem gustare fas non putant, Cs.: me natam nulli sociare, fas erat, V.: si hoc fas est dictu: quid, quod homini fas esset optare?: mihi iussa capessere fas est, I am bound , V.: tibi fas animum temptare, you are permitted , V.
Origins
From Proto-Italic *fās, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂os (“utterance, saying”), a derivative of the root *bʰeh₂- (“to speak”), whence also for, fārī. However, Beekes thinks there is "no convincing etymology" for Latin fās and Ancient Greek ὁσία (hosía).