I.a going in, en trance.
I. A beginning, commencement (syn.: principium, exordium).
A. Lit.: “bonis initiis orsus tribunatus, tristes exitus habuit consulatus,” id. Brut. 34, 128: “initio accusationis,” id. de Or. 1, 26, 121: “initium capere,” Caes. B. G. 1, 1: “dicendi initium sumere,” Cic. Leg. 2, 1, 1: “facere initium confligendi,” id. Phil. 14, 14, 36: “caedis initium ab aliquo facere,” id. ib. 5, 7, 20: “male ponere initia,” id. Att. 10, 18, 2: “ducere ab aliqua re,” id. ib. 9, 9, 2: “ab initio res quem ad modum facta sint, exponemus,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 5, 14: ab ultimo initio repetere, Auct. Her. 1, 9, 14: “seditionem ab altiore initio repetam,” Tac. H. 2, 27: “quia initio caedis orto difficilis modus,” id. ib. 1, 39.— Pleon.: querellae ab initio tantae ordiendae rei absint, Liv. praef. § 12; cf.: “prima initia incohare,” id. 3, 54, 9: “primum initium certaminis,” id. 6, 12, 10. — The abl. sing. is used adverbially, in the beginning, at first: “quemadmodum senatus initio censuit,” Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 4: “redeo ad illud quod initio scripsi,” id. ib. 1, 7, 5; Nep. Thras. 1, 5; id. Tim. 3, 1; id. Alc. 5, 3; Curt. 3, 8, 17 al.; cf. Zumpt, Gram. § 475. —
B. Transf.
1. Constituent parts, elements: “inde est indagatio nata initiorum, et tamquam seminum, unde essent omnia orta, generata, concreta,” Cic. Tusc. 5, 24, 69: illa initia, et, ut e Graeco vertam, elementa dicuntur ( = στοιχεῖα), id. Ac. 1, 7, 26; “so of death: Augustus in sua resolutus initia,” Vell. 2, 123, 3. —
2. First principles, elements cf a science: “illa initia mathematicorum, quibus non concessis digitum progredi non possunt,” Cic. Ac. 2, 36, 116.—
3. Beginning, origin: “quomodo initium nobis rerum omnium ortus noster adferat, sic exitum mors, etc.,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 38, 91: “natus obscurissimis initiis,” Vell. 2, 761; cf.: pauca ab initio causisque talium facinorum non absurda, which relate to the origin, etc., Tac. H. 4, 48.—
4. Auspices, because with them everything was begun; hence, the beginning of a reign: “novis initiis et ominibus opus est,” i. e. of a new king, Curt. 5, 9, 4.—
II. Secret sacred rites, sacred mysteries, to which only the initiated were admitted: “initia vocantur potissimum ea, quae Cereri fiunt sacra,” Varr. R. R. 3, 1, 5: “initia Cereris,” Liv. 31, 47, 2; cf. “39, 8, 5: nihil melius illis mysteriis, quibus ex agresti immanique vita exculti ad humanitatem et mitigati sumus, initiaque ut appellantur, ita re vera principia vitae cognovimus,” Cic. Leg. 2, 14, 36; Just. 2, 6: “initia Samothracum,” Curt. 8, 1, 12: “initiis pacis, foedus cum feritur,” Varr. R. R. 2, 4, 9.—
