I.a foundation, ground-work, basis (class.; mostly in plur.; cf. basis).
I. Lit.
(α).
Sing. (rare): “quin cum fundamento (aedes) Perierint,” Plaut. Most. 1, 2, 69: “substruere fundamentum,” id. ib. 1, 2, 40.—
(β).
Plur.: “operum fastigia spectantur, latent fundamenta, Quint. prooem. § 4: agere fundamenta,” Cic. Mil. 27, 75: “maximorum operum,” id. Marc. 8, 25: “prima urbi jacere,” Liv. 1, 12, 4 (cf. under II. β the passage from Cic. Fl. 2, 4): “novae domus jacere,” Suet. Calig. 22; cf. id. Aug. 28: “alta theatri locare,” Verg. A. 1, 428: “altae Carthaginis locare,” id. ib. 4, 266; Plin. 36, 14, 21, § 95: “fodere delubro,” id. 28, 2, 4, § 15: “subdere per solidum,” Tac. A. 4, 62: “urbis quatit Neptunus,” Verg. A. 2, 611: “saxa turris, quibus fundamenta continebantur, convellunt,” Caes. B. C. 2, 11, 3: “villa a fundamentis inchoata,” Suet. Caes. 46: “Albam a fundamentis proruere,” utterly, Liv. 26, 13, 16: “urbs a fundamentis diruta,” id. 42, 63, 11; 42, 67, 9.—
B. Transf., the bottom, = fundus: “qui a fundamento mihi usque movisti mare,” id. ib. 2, 6, 55.—
II. Trop. (syn.: sedes, initium).
(α).
Sing.: “meo judicio pietas fundamentum est omnium virtutum,” Cic. Planc. 12, 29; cf.: “fundamentum justitiae est fides,” id. Off. 1, 7, 23: “narratio est quaedam quasi sedes et fundamentum constituendae fidei,” id. Part. 9, 31: “eloquentiae,” id. de Or. 3, 37, 151: “philosophiae,” id. Div. 2, 1, 2: “initium ac fundamentum defensionis,” id. Clu. 10, 30: “horum criminum,” id. Cael. 13, 30: “quod fundamentum hujus quaestionis est, id videtis,” id. N. D. 1, 17, 44: “disciplina nixa fundamento veritatis,” Gell. 14, 1, 20: “fundamentum et causa imperii,” Sen. Ep. 87, 41: “caput et fundamentum intellegitur totius testamenti heredis institutio,” Gai. Inst. 2, 229.—
(β).
Piur.: “illic radices, illic fundamenta sunt,” Quint. 10, 3, 3: “quibus initiis ac fundamentis hae tantae summis in rebus laudes excitatae sunt,” Cic. Sest. 2, 5: “libertatis,” id. Balb. 13, 31: “virtutum,” id. Fin. 2, 22, 72; cf.: “consulatus tui,” id. Pis. 4, 9: “senectus, quae fundamentis adolescentiae constituta est,” id. de Sen. 18, 62: “ad evertenda fundamenta rei publicae,” id. Cat. 4, 6, 13: “actionum,” id. Phil. 4, 1, 1: “jacere pacis fundamenta,” id. ib. 1, 1, 1; “so with jacio: rei publicae,” id. Fam. 12, 25, 2: “civitatis,” id. N. D. 3, 2, 5; id. Ac. 2, 12, 37; id. Sull. 10, 30; Curt. 5, 1, 29; Lact. 7, 1, 1: “defensionis,” Cic. Mur. 6, 14: “salutis suae,” id. Fam. 10, 29: “non praeterit me quam magnarum rerum fundamenta ponam senex,” Sen. Q. N. 3 praef. 1: “vitae,” id. Ep. 13, 16: “impudentiae, Quint 12, 6, 2: futuri oratoris,” id. ib. 1, 4, 5; for which also with the dat. (cf. supra I. the passage from Liv. 1, 12, 4): “cui causae,” Cic. Fl. 2, 4: “verecundiae,” id. Rep. 4, 4 Mos.: “imperii,” Plin. 15, 18, 20, § 78.