noun · neutersecond declension
subsellium
subsellium n (genitive subselliī or subsellī)
Classical[sʊpˈsɛl.li.ũː]Ecclesiastical[subˈsɛl.li.um]
Meaning
- neutera low seat or bench
Quid quod adventū tuō ista subsellia vacuēfacta sunt? Quod omnēs cōnsulārēs, quī tibi persaepe ad caedem cōnstitūtī fuērunt, simul atque adsēdistī, partem istam subselliōrum nūdam atque inānem relīquērunt — quō tandem animō tibi ferundum putās?
What of the fact that, upon your arrival, those benches have been emptied? That all the ex-consuls, who very often have been designated by you for slaughter, as soon as you took your seat, left that section of the benches bare and empty — at last, with that in mind, do you think you can endure it?63 BCE, Cicero, In Catilinam orationes 1.16 - neuterthe bench (of a judge)
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | subsellium | subsellia |
| genitive | subselliī subsellī | subselliōrum |
| dative | subselliō | subselliīs |
| accusative | subsellium | subsellia |
| ablative | subselliō | subselliīs |
| vocative | subsellium | subsellia |
subsellĭum, ii, n. sub-sella,
I. a low bench (quod non plane erat sella, subsellium, Varr. L. L. 5, § 128 Müll.); hence, transf., a bench for sitting upon, a seat of any kind (in a house, the theatre, the curia, a court, etc.; syn.: scamnum, sedile).
I. In gen., Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 21; 1, 2, 36; id. Capt. 3, 1, 11; Suet. Ter. 2; cf. Cels. 7, 26, 1.—Of places in the theatre:
ut conquisitores singuli in subsellia Eant per totam caveam, etc., Plaut. Am. prol. 65; id. Poen. prol. 5; Cic. Corn. Fragm. med. (ap. Orell. V. 2, p. 68); Suet. Aug. 43; 44; id. Ner. 26; id. Claud. 41 al.—Of the seats of senators in the curia: volo, hoc oratori contingat, ... ut locus in subselliis occupetur, etc., Cic. Brut. 84, 290: subsellia senatūs, id. Phil. 5, 7, 18; cf. id. ib. 2, 8, 19; id. Cat. 1, 7, 16; Suet. Claud. 23 al.—In the courts, Cic. Vatin. 14, 34: sedere in accusatorum subselliis, id. Rosc. Am. 6, 17: advocato adversis subselliis sedenti, Quint. 11, 3, 132; cf. id. 6, 1, 39; 12, 3, 2.—Prov.: vir imi subselli, a man of no account, Plaut. Stich. 3, 2, 33.—II. In partic.
A. Lit., a judge's seat, the bench:
accusabat tribunus plebis idem in contionibus, idem ad subsellia, Cic. Clu. 34, 93: rem ab subselliis in rostra detulit, id. ib. 40, 111.—B. Transf.
1. The bench, i. e. the occupants of a bench:
bibis quantum subsellia quinque solus, Mart. 1, 27, 1. —2. A court, tribunal:
age vero ne semper forum, subsellia, rostra, curiamque meditere, Cic. de Or. 1, 8, 32: subsellia grandiorem et pleniorem vocem desiderant, id. Brut. 84, 289: longi subsellii judicatio et mora, id. Fam. 3, 9, 2: qui habitaret in subselliis, id. de Or. 1, 62, 264; cf. id. Div. in Caecil. 15, 48: versatus in utrisque subselliis, i. e. as judge and advocate, id. Fam. 13, 10, 2.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
subsellium ī, n
sub+sella, a low bench, seat, form : ista subsellia vacuefacta sunt (in the senate): ut locus in subselliis occupetur, etc., i. e. a senator's seat : rei subsellium, of the accused , Ct. — A judge's seat, the bench : accusabat idem ad subsellia.—Fig., a court, tribunal : age vero ne semper forum, subsellia meditere: habet Alienum, hunc tamen ab subselliis, i. e. a lawyer in the courts : versatus in utrisque subselliis, i. e. as judge and advocate .
Origins
sub- (under) + sella (seat).
Descendants
- Classical Syriacܣܦܣܠܐfrom Ancient Greek συψέλλιον
- Hebrewסַפְסָלfrom Ancient Greek συψέλλιον