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.
