I.gen. plur. radicium, Cassiod. H. E. 1, 1; Jul. Val. Itin. Alex. 32 (75)), f. Gr. ῥίζα, a root; ῥάδιξ, a shoot or twig; cf. ramus, a root of a plant (cf. stirps).
I. Lit.
1. In gen. (mostly in plur.): “radices agere,” to strike root, Varr. R. R. 1, 37 fin.; Ov. R. Am. 106; id. M. 4, 254; Col. 5, 6, 8; Plin. 16, 31, 56, § 127; cf. “infra, II.: capere radices,” to take root, Cato, R. R. 133, 3; Plin. 17, 17, 27, § 123: “penitus immittere radices,” Quint. 1, 3, 5: “emittere radices e capite, ex se,” Col. 3, 18, 6; 5, 10, 13: “descendunt radices,” Plin. 16, 31, 56, § 129: “arbores ab radicibus subruere,” Caes. B. G. 6, 27, 4: “herbas radice revellit,” Ov. M. 7, 226: “radicibus eruta pinus,” Verg. A. 5, 449: “segetem ab radicibus imis eruere,” id. G. 1, 319.—Sing.: “(arbos) quae, quantum vertice ad auras, tantum radice in Tartara tendit,” Verg. G. 2, 292; Plin. 16, 31, 56, § 128; Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 150; Ov. H. 5, 147. —
2. In partic., an edible root, Caes. B. C. 3, 48; esp. a radish: “Syriaca,” Col. 11, 3, 16; 59: “also simply radix,” Pall. 1, 35, 5; Hor. S. 2, 8, 8; Ov. M. 8, 666 al.: “dulcis,” licorice, Scrib. Comp. 170. —
B. Transf.
1. The root, i. e. the lower part of an object, the foot of a hill, mountain, etc.— In plur.: “in radicibus Caucasi natus,” Cic. Tusc. 2, 22, 52: “in radicibus Amani,” id. Fam. 15, 4, 9: “sub ipsis radicibus montis,” Caes. B. G. 7, 36; 7, 51 fin.; 69; id. B. C. 1, 41; 3, 85, 1 et saep. — In sing.: “a Palatii radice,” Cic. Div. 1, 45, 101; Plin. 37, 10, 66, § 180.—
2. That upon which any thing is fixed or rests (e. g. the tongue, a feather, a rock); a root, foundation (poet.; used alike in sing. and plur.): “linguae,” Ov. M. 6, 557: “plumae,” id. ib. 2, 583: “saxi,” Lucr. 2, 102; Ov. M. 14, 713.—
3. Radix virilis = membrum virile, Cael. Aur. Tard. 2, 1, 13.—
II. Trop., a root, ground, basis, foundation, origin, source (almost entirely in the plur.): “vera gloria radices agit atque etiam propagatur,” Cic. Off. 2, 12, 43: “virtus altissimis defixa radicibus,” id. Phil. 4, 5, 13: “audeamus non solum ramos amputare miseriarum, sed omnes radicum fibras evellere,” id. Tusc. 3, 6, 13: “facilitatis et patientiae,” id. Cael. 6, 14: “Pompeius eo robore vir, iis radicibus,” i. e. so deeply rooted, firmly established in the State, id. Att. 6, 6, 4: “illic radices, illic fundamenta sunt,” Quint. 10, 3, 3: “a radicibus evertere domum,” from its foundation, utterly, Phaedr. 3, 10, 49: “ex iisdem, quibus nos, radicibus natum (C. Marium),” i. e. a native of the same city, Cic. Sest. 22, 50; Varr. R. R. 2, 8, 1; cf. in sing.: “Apollinis se radice ortum,” Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 72: “ego sum radix David,” Vulg. Apoc. 22, 16 et saep.— “Of words,” origin, derivation, Varr. L. L. 6, 5, 61; 7, 3, 88 al.
