perfugium

1. Perfuga and transfuga denote the deserter who flees from one party to another, like αὐτομόλος; but the perfuga goes over as a delinquent, who betrays his party; the transfuga, as a waverer, who changes and forsakes his party; whereas profugus and fugitivus denote the fugitive, who forsakes his abode, but profugus is the unfortunate man, who is obliged to forsake his home, and, like a banished man, wanders in the wide world, like φυγάς; fugitivus, the guilty person, who flees from his duty, his post, his prison, his master, like δραπέτης. The perfuga and transfuga are generally thought of as soldiers; the profugus, as a citizen; the fugitivus, as a slave. Liv. xxx. 43. De perfugis gravius quam de fugitivis consultum. 2. Perfugium is an open secure place of shelter in serious dangers; suffugium, if not a secret, is at least an occasional and temporary place of shelter from inconveniences; refugium is a place of shelter prepared, or at least thought of beforehand in case of a retreat. 3. Profugus denotes a merely physical state, something like fugitive; extorris, a political state, like homeless, or without a country; exul, a juridical state, like banished. The extorris suffers a misfortune, as not being able to remain in his native land; the exul, a punishment, as not being allowed. Appul. Met. v. p. 101. Extorres et . . . velut exulantes. (iv. 239.)