noun · femininefirst declension
quadrīgae
quadrīgae f pl (genitive quadrīgārum)
Classical[kʷaˈdriː.ɡae̯]Ecclesiastical[kʷaˈdriː.d͡ʒe]
Meaning
- A four horse team, especially used for chariot racing.
- poeticThe four-horse team drawing the chariot of the sun.
- figurativelyFree rein, free course.
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | — | quadrīgae |
| genitive | — | quadrīgārum |
| dative | — | quadrīgīs |
| accusative | — | quadrīgās |
| ablative | — | quadrīgīs |
| vocative | — | quadrīgae |
quā^drīgae, ārum (collat. form in the sing.
I. v. infra), f. contr. from quadrijugae, a set or team of four, a four-abreast, fourin-hand, four together (class.).
I. Lit.
1. Of horses, applied to the animals with or without the car or vehicle, rarely to the car or chariot alone: quadrigarum currus duplici temone olim erant, perpetuoque, et qui omnibus equis iniceretur jugo. Primus Clisthenes Sicyonius tantum medios jugavit, eosque singulos ex utrāque parte simplici vinculo applicuit, quos Graeci σειραφόρους, Latini funarios vocant, Isid. Orig. 17, 5:
exinde duabus admotis quadrigis, in currus earum distentum illigat Mettum, Liv. 1, 28 fin.; so Col. 3, 9: Glauci Potniades malis membra absumpsere quadrigae, Verg. G. 3, 267 et saep.; Fest. s. v. October, p. 178 Müll.—2. Of other animals:
quadrigae (asinorum), Varr. R. R. 2, 1: camelorum, Suet. Ner. 11.— 3. Esp. freq. of the four-horse team used in races:
curru quadrigarum vehi, Cic. Div. 2, 70, 144; id. Brut. 47, 173; id. Or. 47, 157; id. Mur. 27, 57: cum carceribus sese effudere quadrigae, Verg. G. 1, 512: quadrigas agitare, Suet. Caes. 39.—4. Of the horses drawing a war chariot or car:
in extremis jugis binae eminebant falces ... sic armatae quadrigae, with scythes attached to the yokes, Liv. 37, 41, 8: falcatae, id. 37, 40, 12.—5. Poet., of the four-horse team of the Sun, Aurora, Luna, etc.:
cum quadrigis Sol exoriens, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 226: roseis Aurora quadrigis, Verg. A. 6, 535: nox aetherium nigris emensa quadrigis Mundum, Tib. 3, 4, 17.— In sing. (post-class.): quod unum ergo rarissimum videbatur, invenimus quadrigam numero singulari dictam in libro satirarum M. Varronis qui inscriptus est Exdemetricus, Gell. 19, 8, 17; Prop. 2, 34 (3, 32), 39; 3, 9 (4, 8), 17; Mart. 6, 46; Grat. Cyn. 228; Plin. 7, 21, 21, § 85; 36, 5, 4, § 36; Suet. Vit. 17; Val. Max. 1, 8, 9 ext.; Dig. 31, 1, 67; Vulg. Isa. 43, 17; id. Zech. 6, 2 and 3 et saep.—B. Transf.
1. Of abstract things:
initiorum quadrigae: locus et corpus, tempus et actio, the four parts, Varr. L. L. 5, § 12 Müll.—2. Of a chariot drawn by four horses, a chariot, car:
eburneis quadrigis ludere, Suet. Ner. 22; cf. Liv. 37, 41, 8; 37, 40, 12, supra: apta quadrigis equa, Hor. C. 2, 16, 35. — II. Trop.
A. The rapid course of any thing: irarumque effunde quadrigas, i. e. give free course to your wrath, Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 12, 499 (Ann. v. 464 Vahl.; for which Verg., in this passage, irarumque omnes effundit habenas):
numquam edepol quadrigis albis indipiscet postea (as an image of great speed), Plaut. As. 2, 2, 13: quadrigae poëticae, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 13 (15 a), 2; cf.: quadrigas inscendere Jovis, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 294; id. Aul. 4, 1, 13; id. Poen. 1, 2, 155: jam quadrigae meae decucurrerunt, i.e. my joy, cheerfulness, is gone, Petr. 64: navibus atque Quādrigis petimus bene vivere, i.e. by sea and land, in every way, Hor. Ep. 1, 11, 29.— B. Of the union of four persons or things in a common work:
quadrigae tyrannorum, Vop. Prob. 24: initiorum quadrigae, locus et corpus, tempus et actio, Varr. L. L. 5, § 12 Müll.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
quadrīgae ārum, f
for quadriiugae, a team of four, four-abreast, four-in-hand, four-horse team .—Of horses, with or without the car or vehicle, rarely of the car alone: duabus admotis quadrigis, in currūs earum inligat Mettium, L.: Glauci Potniades malis membra absumpsere quadrigae, V.: curru quadrigarum vehi: cum carceribus sese effudere quadrigae, V.: falcatae, with scythes fastened to the yokes , L.: roseis Aurora quadrigis, V.: Apta quadrigis equa, H.—Fig., a swift car : quadrigis poeticis, i. e. with utmost speed : navibus atque Quadrigis petimus bene vivere, i. e. by every means in our power , H.
Origins
Contracted from quadriiugae, feminine plural of quadriiugus (“of or pertaining to a team of four”)
Descendants
- Catalanquadriga
- Englishquadriga
- Frenchquadrige
- Italianquadriga
- Portuguesequadriga
- Spanishcuadriga