I.v. infra, cf. Caes. ap Gell. 19, 8, 3 sq., and Charis. p. 21 P., who consider the plur. in gen. as not in use, v. Rudd. I. p. 109. From Cic. Fam. 9, 26, 3: unum caelum esset an innumerabilia, nothing can be positively inferred.—Form cael : divum domus altisonum cael, Enn. ap. Aus. Technop. 13, 17, or Ann. v. 561 Vahl.) [for cavilum, root in cavus; cf. Sanscr. çva-, to swell, be hollow; Gr. κύω, κοῖλος], the sky, heaven, the heavens, the vault of heaven (in Lucr alone more than 150 times): hoc inde circum supraque, quod complexu continet terram, id quod nostri caelum memorant, Pac. ap. Varr. L. L. 5, § 17 Müll.: “ante mare et terras et quod tegit omnia caelum,” Ov. M. 1, 5; cf.: “quis pariter (potis est) caelos omnīs convortere,” Lucr. 2, 1097: “boat caelum fremitu virum,” Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 78; cf. Tib. 2, 5, 73; Cic. Rep. 6, 18, 1; cf. Cat. 62, 26: “quicquid deorum in caelo regit,” Hor. Epod. 5, 1 et saep.: “lapides pluere, fulmina jaci de caelo,” Liv. 28, 27, 16.—Hence the phrase de caelo tangi, to be struck with lightning, Cato, R. R. 14, 3; Liv. 26, 23, 5 Drak.; 29, 14, 3; Verg. E. 1, 17; Suet. Aug. 94; id. Galb. 1; Tac. A. 13, 24; 14, 12; “so also, e caelo ictus,” Cic. Div. 1, 10, 16.—
2. Personified: Caelus (Caelum, Hyg. Fab. praef.), son of Aether and Dies, Cic. N. D. 3, 17, 44; father of Saturn, Enn. ap. Non. p. 197, 9; Cic. N. D. 2, 23, 63; of Vulcan, id. ib. 3, 21, 55; of Mercury and the first Venus, id. ib. 3, 23, 59, Serv ad Verg. A. 1, 297 al.—
3. In the lang. of augury: “de caelo servare,” to observe the signs of heaven, Cic. Att. 4, 3, 3; so, “de caelo fieri, of celestial signs,” to appear, occur, id. Div. 1, 42, 93.—
4. Prov.: “quid si nunc caelum ruat? of a vain fear,” Ter. Heaut. 4, 3, 41 Don.; cf. Varr ap. Non. p. 499, 24: delabi caelo, to drop down from the sky, of sudden or unexpected good fortune, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 14, 41; cf.. caelo missus, Tib 1, 3, 90; Liv. 10, 8, 10; Plin. 26, 3, 7, § 13: “decidere de caelo,” Plaut. Pers. 2, 3, 6 al.: caelum ac terras miscere, to confound every thing, overturn all, raise chaos, Liv 4, 3, 6; cf. Verg. A. 1, 133; 5, 790; Juv. 2, 25: findere caelum aratro, of an impossibility, Ov Tr 1, 8, 3: toto caelo errare, to err very much, be much or entirely mistaken, Macr. S. 3, 12, 10.—
5. Gen. caeli in a pun with Caeli, gen. of Caelius, Serv. et Philarg. ad Verg. E. 3, 105.—
6. In eccl. Lat. the plur caeli , ōrum, m., is very freq., the heavens, Tert. de Fuga, 12; id. adv. Marc. 4, 22; 5, 15; Lact. Epit. 1, 3; Cypr. Ep. 3, 3; 4, 5; Vulg. Psa. 32, 6; 21, 32; id. Isa. 1, 2.—
II. Meton.
A. Heaven, in a more restricted sense; the region of heaven, a climate, zone, region: “cuicumque particulae caeli officeretur, quamvis esset procul, mutari lumina putabat,” to whatever part of the horizon, however distant, the view was obstructed, Cic. de Or. 1, 39, 179; cf. Quint. 1, 10, 45: “hoc caelum, sub quo natus educatusque essem,” Liv. 5, 54, 3; so Plin. 8, 54, 80, § 216; 17, 2, 2, §§ 16 and 19 sq.; Flor. 4, 12, 62: “caelum non animum mutant, qui trans mare currunt,” Hor. Ep. 1, 11, 27.—
B. The air, sky, atmosphere, temperature, climate, weather (very freq.): “in hoc caelo, qui dicitur aër,” Lucr. 4, 132; Plin. 2, 38, 38, § 102: “caelum hoc, in quo nubes, imbres ventique coguntur,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 19, 43: “pingue et concretum caelum,” id. Div. 1, 57, 130: commoda, quae percipiuntur caeli temperatione, id. N. D. 2, 5, 13; cf.: “caell intemperies,” Liv. 8, 18, 1; Quint. 7, 2, 3; “Col. prooem. 1' intemperantia,” id. ib. 3: “spiritus,” Cic. Cat. 1, 6, 15: “gravitas,” id. Att. 11, 22, 2; Tac. A. 2, 85: “varium caeli morem praediscere,” Verg. G. 1, 51: “varietas et mutatio,” Col. 11, 2, 1: “qualitas,” Quint. 5, 9, 15: “caeli solique clementia,” Flor. 3, 3, 13: “subita mutatio,” id. 4, 10, 9 al.—With adj.: “bonum,” Cato, R. R. 1, 2: “tenue,” Cic. Fat. 4, 7: “salubre,” id. Div. 1, 57, 130: “serenum,” Verg. G. 1, 260: “palustre,” Liv. 22, 2, 11: “austerum,” Plin. 18, 12, 31, § 123: “foedum imbribus ac nebulis,” Tac. Agr. 12: “atrox,” Flor. 3, 2, 2 et saep.: “hibernum,” Plin. 2, 47, 47, § 122: “austrinum,” id. 16, 26, 46, § 109: “Italum,” Hor. C. 2, 7, 4: “Sabinum,” id. Ep. 1, 7, 77; cf.: “quae sit hiems Veliae, quod caelum Salerni,” id. ib. 1, 15, 1. —
C. Daytime, day (very rare): albente caelo, at break of day, Sisenn. ap. Quint. 8, 3, 35; Caes. B. C. 1, 68; Auct. B. Afr. 11; 80; cf.: “eodem die albescente caelo,” Dig. 28, 2, 25, § 1: “vesperascente caelo,” in the evening twilight, Nep. Pelop. 2, 5.—
D. Height: “mons in caelum attollitur,” toward heaven, heavenwards, Plin. 5, 1, 1, § 6; cf. “Verg.: aequata machina caelo,” Verg. A. 4, 89.—So of the earth or upper world in opposition to the lower world: “falsa ad caelum mittunt insomnia Manes,” Verg. A. 6, 896.—
E. Heaven, the abode of the happy dead, etc. (eccl. Lat.), Vulg. Apoc. 4, 2; 11, 15 et saep.; cf.: “cum (animus) exierit et in liberum caelum quasi domum suam venerit,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 22, 51: “ut non ad mortem trudi, verum in caelum videretur escendere,” id. ib. 1, 29, 71.—
F. Trop, the summit of prosperity, happiness, honor, etc.: “Caesar in caelum fertur,” Cic. Phil. 4, 3, 6; cf. id. Att. 14, 18, 1; 6, 2, 9: “Pisonem ferebat in caelum,” praised, id. ib. 16, 7, 5: “te summis laudibus ad caelum extulerunt,” id. Fam. 9, 14, 1; 12, 25, 7; Hor. Ep 1, 10, 9; Tac. Or. 19.—Of things: “omnia, quae etiam tu in caelum ferebas,” extolled, Cic. Att. 7, 1, 5: “caelo tenus extollere aliquid,” Just. 12, 6, 2: “in caelo ponere aliquem,” id. ,4,14; and: exaequare aliquem caelo, Lucr 1, 79; Flor. 2, 19, 3: “Catonem caelo aequavit,” Tac. A. 4, 34: “caelo Musa beat,” Hor. C. 4, 8, 29; cf.: “recludere caelum,” id. ib. 3, 2, 22; “the opp.: collegam de caelo detraxisti,” deprived of his exalted honor, Cic. Phil. 2, 42, 107: in caelo sum, I am in heaven, i. e. am very happy, id. Att. 2, 9, 1: “digito caelum attingere,” to be extremely fortunate, id. ib. 2, 1, 7: “caelum accepisse fatebor,” Ov. M. 14, 844: “tunc tangam vertice caelum,” Aus. Idyll. 8 fin.; cf.: “caelum merere,” Sen. Suas. 1 init.—
G. In gen., a vault, arch, covering: “caelum camerarum,” the interior surface of a vault, Vitr. 7, 3, 3; Flor. 3, 5, 30 dub.: “capitis,” Plin. 11, 37, 49, § 134.
