I. Relating to or belonging to the head. In this signif. extant only in the subst. capital, a headdress of priests, Varr. L. L. 5, § 130 Müll.; but, capital linteum quoddam, quo in sacrificiis utebantur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 48 ib. —
II. Transf.
A. Relating to life, by which life is endangered, capital: “periculum,” peril of life, Plaut. Trin. 4, 3, 81; id. Rud. 2, 3, 19: “caedis,” id. Most. 2, 2, 44: “morbus,” endangering life, dangerous, Gell. 16, 13, 5.—
2. Esp. freq. as jurid. t. t. of those crimes which are punishable by death or by the loss of civil rights, capital, v. Dig. 21, 1, 23, § 2; 48, 1, 2: “accusare aliquem rei capitalis,” of a capital crime, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 28, § 68: “qui in vinculis essent damnati rei capitalis,” id. Sen. 12, 42: “cui rei capitalis dies dicta sit,” Liv. 3, 13, 4: “reus rerum capitalium,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 39, § 95: “manifesti rerum capitalium,” Sall. C. 52 fin.: “rerum capitalium condemnati,” id. ib. 36, 2: “damnati,” Tac. A. 1, 21 fin.: “in rerum capitalium quaestionibus,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 28, § 68: “crimen,” id. ib. 2, 5, 9, § 23; Tac. A. 3, 60: facinora, Cic. poët. N. D. 1, 6, 13; cf. “flagitia,” Ter. Ad. 4, 7, 5: “maleficia,” Dig. 48, 8, 18 pr.: “judex rei capitalis,” Quint. 7, 3, 33; Curt. 6, 8, 25; Cic. Dom. 30, 78: “capitalium rerum vindices,” Sall. C. 55 al.: “fraudem admittere,” Cic. Rab. Perd. 9, 26: “causae,” Quint. 8, 3, 14: “judicia,” id. 4, 1, 57: “noxa,” Liv. 3, 55, 5: “poenā afficere aliquem,” Suet. Caes. 48: “condemnare,” id. Dom. 14: “animadversione punire,” id. Aug. 24: “supplicio incesta coërcere,” id. Dom. 8: “capitale nullum exemplum vindictae,” Plin. 29, 1, 8, § 18: “supplicium,” Curt. 3, 2, 17: “capitalis locus ubl si quid violatum. est, caput violatoris expiatur,” Fest. p. 50: “judicium trium virorum capitalium,” who had charge of the prisons and of executions, Cic. Or. 46, 156; Liv. 39, 14, 10; 25, 1, 10; cf. id. 32, 26, 17; and the joke of Cic. Fam. 7, 13, 2.—Also subst.: căpĭtal (postAug. sometimes căpĭtāle , as also in poorer MSS. of earlier authors), plur. capitalia, a death (real or civil), banishment, etc., in consequence of crime: “capital = facinus quod capitis poenā luitur,” Fest. p. 37: capital κεφαλικὴ τιμωρία, Vet. Gloss.
(α).
Capital facere, Plaut. Men. 1, 1, 16; id. Merc. 3, 4, 26: scimus capital esse irascier, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 38, 17: “quique non paruerit capital esto,” Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 21; id. Inv. 2, 31, 96: “praesidio decedere apud Romanos capital esse,” Liv. 24, 37, 9 Gronov.; Mel. 1, 9, 7 Tzschuck; Curt. 8, 4, 17; 8, 9, 34; Quint. 9, 2, 67: “degredi viā capital leges fecere,” Plin. 12, 14, 32, § 63; 10, 23, 31, § 62; Just. 2, 7, 8; Suet. Calig. 24 Oud. and Wolf; Sil. 13, 155; cf. Front. 4, 6, 3 Oud.—
(γ).
Plur.: “capitalia: capitalia vindicanto,” Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 6: “capitalia ausi plerique,” Liv. 26, 40, 17; Suet. Tib. 58.—
b. Trop.: “inimicus,” a mortal enemy, Plaut. Poen. 4, 2, 57: “hostis,” a deadly enemy, Cic. Cat. 2, 2, 3: “adversarius,” id. Fin. 4, 12, 31: “odium,” id. Lael. 1, 2: “ira,” Hor. S. 1, 7, 13: “inimicitiae,” Dig. 17, 1, 23, § 25: “minae, Cod. 2, 20, 7: oratio,” very pernicious, dangerous, Cic. Off. 2, 21, 73: “capitalis et pestifer Antonii reditus,” id. Phil. 4, 1, 3: “totius autem injustitiae nulla capitalior quam eorum, etc.,” id. Off. 1, 13, 41: “nulla capitalior pestis quam, etc.,” id. Sen. 12, 39.—
B. That is at the head, chief, first in something, pre-eminent, distinguished (rare): capitale vocamus Ingenium sollers (as we often use capital), Ov. F. 3, 839: “Siculus ille (sc. Philistus) capitalis, creber, acutus, etc.,” a writer of the first rank, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 11 (13), 4: jocus, a capital joke, Treb. XXX. Tyrann. 10. —Comp.: “hoc autem erat capitalior, quod, etc.,” more important, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 70, § 170.—Hence, adv.: căpĭtālĭter , mortally, capitally: “lacessere,” Plin. Ep. 1, 5, 4: “odisse,” mortally, Amm. 21, 16, 11.—Esp.,
2. As judicial t. t., of punishments, capitally, so as to affect life or citizenship, Cod. Th. 3, 14, 1; Veg. Mil. 2, 22.
