noun · neutersecond declension
fastīgium
fastīgium n (genitive fastīgiī or fastīgī)
Classical[fasˈtiː.ɡi.ũː]Ecclesiastical[fasˈtiː.d͡ʒi.um]
Meaning
- peak, summit, top
- extreme part, extremity of a thing
- slope, declivity, descent
- gable
- sharp point
- highlight (of a story or poem)
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
summa pars tēctīfastīgium -ī (n) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 2
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Culmen · Fastigium
Culmen means the top, the uppermost line of the roof; fastigium, the summit, the highest point of this top, where the spars of the roof by sloping and meeting form an angle; therefore fastigium is a part of culmen. Virg. Æn. ii. 458. Evado ad summi fastigia culminis. Liv. xl. 2. Vitruv. iv. 2. Arnob. ii. 12. And figuratively culmen denotes the top only, with a local reference, as the uppermost and highest point, something like κολοφών; but fastigium with reference to rank, as the principal and most imposing point of position, something like κορυφή; therefore culmen tecti is only that which closes the building, but fastigium that which crowns it; and fastigium also denotes a throne, whence culmina montium is a much more usual term than fastigia. (ii. 111.)
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | fastīgium | fastīgia |
| genitive | fastīgiī fastīgī | fastīgiōrum |
| dative | fastīgiō | fastīgiīs |
| accusative | fastīgium | fastīgia |
| ablative | fastīgiō | fastīgiīs |
| vocative | fastīgium | fastīgia |
fastīgĭum, ii, n. cf. Sanscr. bhrshtīs, corner, rim; Gr. ἄ-φλαστον, aplustria, the ornamented stern of a ship; O. H. Germ. brort, the prow,
I. the top of a gable, a gable end, pediment (syn.: cacumen, culmen, vertex, apex).
I. Prop.:
Capitolii fastigium illud et ceterarum aedium non venustas, sed necessitas ipsa fabricata est ... utilitatem templi fastigii dignitas consecuta est, Cic. de Or. 3, 46, 180; cf.: fastigia aliquot templorum a culminibus abrupta, Liv. 40, 2, 3: evado ad summi fastigia culminis, Verg. A. 2, 458; Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 4, § 14.—Hence, meton., the roof of a house, Verg. A. 8, 491; 9, 568; Val. Fl. 2, 235: habere pulvinar, simulacrum, fastigium, flaminem, id. Phil. 2, 43, 110; cf. of the same: omnes unum in principem congesti honores: circa templa imagines ... suggestus in curia, fastigium in domo, mensis in caelo, Flor. 4, 2 fin.: Romae signa eorum sunt in Palatina aede Apollinis in fastigio, Plin. 36, 5, 4, § 13; cf. id. 35, 12, 43, § 152; Vitr. 3, 2.—Transf.: operi tamquam fastigium imponere, Cic. Off. 3, 7, 33.—B. Transf.
1. The extreme part, extremity of a thing, whether above or below.
a. Top, height, summit:
colles ... pari altitudinis fastigio oppidum cingebant, Caes. B. G. 7, 69, 4: opus nondum aquae fastigium aequabat, Curt. 4, 2, 19: summi operis, id. 4, 2, 8: jamque agger aequaverat summae fastigia terrae, id. 8, 10, 31: aquatilium ova rotunda, reliqua fere fastigio acuminata, Plin. 10, 52, 74, § 145: gracilitas (arundinis) nodis distincta leni fastigio tenuatur in cacumina, id. 16, 36, 64, § 158; cf.: cornua in leve fastigium exacuta, id. 11, 37, 45, § 124; 16, 33, 60, § 141; Vulg. 2 Reg. 18, 24.—In plur., Lucr. 4, 827: muri, Val. Fl. 2, 553: fontis fastigium, i. e. the height on which the fountain sprang up, Hirt. B. G. 8, 41, 5.—b. The lower part, depth: forsitan et scrobibus quae sint fastigia, quaeres, what should be the depth of the trenches, Verg. G. 2, 288.—
2. (From the sloping form of the gable.) A slope, declivity, descent:
ab oppido declivis locus tenui fastigio vergebat, Caes. B. C. 1, 45, 5: jugum paulo leniore fastigio, id. ib. 2, 24, 3: iniquum loci ad declivitatem fastigium, id. B. G. 7, 85, 4: rupes leniore submissa fastigio, Curt. 6, 6, 11: capreoli molli fastigio, Caes. B. C. 2, 10, 3; 2, 24, 3: musculi, id. ib. 2, 11, 1: scrobes paulatim angustiore ad infimum fastigio, i. e. gradually narrowing from top to bottom, id. B. G. 7, 73, 5; cf.: si (fossa) fastigium habet, ut (aqua) exeat e fundo, Varr. R. R. 1, 14, 2.—3. In the later grammarians, an accent placed over a word, Mart. Cap. 3, § 264; § 268 al.; Diom. p. 428 P.
II. Trop.
A. The highest part, summit, the highest degree, most exalted rank or dignity (perh. only since the Aug. per.):
quicquid numinum hanc Romani imperii molem in amplissimum terrarum orbis fastigium extulit, Vell. 2, 131, 1; cf.: sic fit, ut dei summum inter homines fastigium servent, Plin. Pan. 52, 2: et quoad usque ad memoriam nostram tribuniciis consularibusque certatum viribus est, dictaturae semper altius fastigium fuit, Liv. 6, 38 fin.; cf.: in consulare fastigium vehi, Vell. 2, 69, 1: ad regium fastigium evehere aliquem, Val. Max. 1, 6, 1: alii cives ejusdem fastigii, Liv. 3, 35, 9: stare in fastigio eloquentiae, Quint. 12, 1, 20: rhetoricen in tam sublime fastigium sine arte venisse, id. 2, 17, 3: et poësis ab Homero et Vergilio tantum fastigium accepit, et eloquentia a Demosthene, id. 12, 11, 26; cf.: magice in tantum fastigii adolevit, ut, etc., grew into such esteem, Plin. 30, 1, 1, § 2.—2. In gen., dignity, rank, condition:
(M. Laetorio) curatio altior fastigio suo data est, Liv. 2, 27, 6; cf.: ampliora etiam humano fastigio decerni sibi passus est, Suet. Caes. 76: tamquam mortale fastigium egressus, Tac. A. 15, 74: animus super humanum fastigium elatus, Curt. 9, 10 med.: quales ex humili magna ad fastigia rerum extollit Fortuna, Juv. 3, 39.—B. A leading or chief point, head in a discourse; a principal sort or kind (rare):
summa sequar fastigia rerum, Verg. A. 1, 342: e quibus tribus fastigiis (agrorum) simplicibus, sorts, kinds, Varr. R. R. 1, 6, 2: propter haec tria fastigia formae discrimina quaedam fiunt sationum, id. ib. 1, 5: haec atque hujuscemodi tria fastigia agri, etc., id. ib. 1, 6, 6; cf. also: quo fastigio sit fundus, id. ib. 1, 20 fin. (and v. Lachm. ad Lucr. p. 223): laudem relego fastigia summa, Prisc. Laud. Anast. 148.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
fastīgium ī, n
the top of a gable, gable end, pediment: Capitoli: fastigia templorum, L.: Evado ad summi fastigia culminis, V.: ut haberet fastigium, i. e. a temple in his honor: ignem ad fastigia iactant, to the roof, V.—A top, height, summit, edge: colles pari altitudinis fastigio, Cs.: fontis, Cs.: muri, Cu.—Plur, depth: scrobibus quae sint fastigia quaeras, what should be the depth of the trenches, V.—A slope, declivity, descent: locus tenui fastigio vergebat, Cs.: iniquum loci ad declivitatem, Cs.: cloacis fastigio in Tiberim ductis, by a gradual descent, L.: scrobes paulatim angustiore ad infimum fastigio, i. e. gradually narrowing, Cs.—Fig., a finish, completion: operi tamquam fastigium inponere, crown the work.— Elevation, rank, dignity: dictaturae semper altius fastigium fuit, L.: alii cives eiusdem fastigi, L.: mortale, Cu.: muliebre, womanly dignity, Ta.: fortunae, the height, Cu.: Quales ex humili magna ad fastigia rerum Extollit Fortuna, Iu.: summa sequar fastigia rerum, great outlines, V.
Origins
From Proto-Italic *farstjagjom, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰérstis, from *bʰers- (“tip”). Compare Middle Irish brostaim (“to goad, spur”), English bristle, Polish barszcz (“hogweed”).
Descendants
- Frenchfaîte
- Spanishhastialfrom Vulgar Latin *fastigiāle
- Catalanfastigi
- Italianfastigio
- Portuguesefastígio
- Spanishfastigio
- Sicilianfastigiu
In English words that came into English from fastīgium
- fastigiatefastīgiātus
- fastigiumfastīgium