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cervix , īcis (
I.gen. plur. cervicum, Cic. Or. 18, 59; Plin. 23, 2, 33, § 68: cervicium, acc. to Charis. p. 100), f. cer-vix; cf. Sanscr. s)iras, caput, and vincio, Bopp, Gloss. 348 b, the neck, including the back of the neck, the nape (in ante-Aug. prose usu. in plur.; so always in Cic. and Sall.; acc. to Varr. L. L. 8, § 14; 10, § 78 Müll.; and Quint. 8, 3, 35, Hortensius first used the sing.; it is, however, found even in Ennius and Pacuvius; v. the foll.).
1. Sing.: caput a cervice revolsum, Enn. ap. Serv. ad Verg. A. 10, 396: quadrupes capite brevi, cervice anguinā, Pac. ap. Cic. Div. 2, 64, 133; Lucr. 1, 36; 6, 745; * Cat. 62, 83; * Tib. 3, 4, 27; Prop. 3 (4), 17, 31; Verg. G. 3, 52; 3, 524; 4, 523; id. A. 1, 402; 2, 707; 10, 137; Hor. C. 1, 13, 2; 2, 5, 2; Liv. 8, 7, 21; 22, 51, 7 Fabri ad loc.; 26, 13, 18; 27, 49, 1; 31, 34, 4; 35, 11, 8; Vell. 2, 4, 5; Hortens. ap. Varr. l. l., and Quint. l. l.; id. 1, 11, 9; 11, 3, 82; 11, 3, 83; 4, 2, 39 Spald.; Plin. 11, 37, 67, § 177.—
2. Plur.: “eversae cervices tuae,” Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 131 (cf. versa, Ov. H. 16, 231): “ut gladius impenderet illius beati cervicibus,” Cic. Tusc. 5, 21, 62; id. N. D. 1, 35, 99; 2, 63, 159: “aliquo praesidio caput et cervices et jugulum tutari,” id. Sest. 42, 90: “frangere,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 42, § 110; 2, 5, 57, § 147; cf. id. Phil. 11, 2, 5; Hor. C. 2, 13, 6: “cervices crassae longae,” Varr. R. R. 2, 5, 8; 2, 9, 4: “altae,” Verg. A. 2, 219: “tumor cervicum,” Plin. 23, 2, 33, § 68; Suet. Galb. 11; id. Vit. 17.—Esp. in several proverbial expressions, as the vital part of a person: “cervices securi subicere,” Cic. Phil. 2, 21, 51; cf.: “offerre cervicem percussoribus,” Tac. A. 1, 53: “cervices Roscio dare,” i. e. to the executioner, Cic. Rosc. Am. 11, 30: “praebere cervicem gladio,” Juv. 10, 345. —
B. Trop.
1. (The figure taken from bearing the yoke; cf. Liv. 9, 6, 12.) Imposuistis in cervicibus nostris sempiternum dominum, Cic. N. D. 1, 20, 54; cf. Liv. 42, 50, 6: qui suis cervicibus tanta munia atque rem publicam sustinent, Cic. Sest. 66, 138; so Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 42, § 108; id. Mil. 28, 77. —Hence, of any great burden or danger: “dandae cervice erant crudelitati nefariae,” to submit to, Cic. Phil. 5, 16, 42: “a cervicibus nostris avertere Antonium,” id. Ep. ad Brut. 1, 15, 7; id. Phil. 3, 4, 8: “non facile hanc tantam molem mali a cervicibus vestris depulissem,” id. Cat. 3, 7, 17: “legiones in cervicibus nostris conlocare,” id. Fam. 12, 23, 2: “in cervicibus alicujus esse, of too great or dangerous proximity: cum in cervicibus sumus (opp. cum procul abessemus),” Liv. 44, 39, 7: etsi bellum ingens in cervicibus erat, on hand, as an oppressive burden, id. 22, 33, 6: “sed nec Romani, tametsi Poeni et Hannibal in cervicibus erant,” Just. 29, 4, 7; cf.: “rex ratus eam urbem... suis inpositam esse cervicibus,” Curt. 7, 7, 1.—
2. For boldness: “qui tantis erunt cervicibus recuperatores, qui audeant, etc.,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 59, § 135.—
II. Transf., of things, the neck: “amphorae,” Petr. 34, 6; Mart. 12, 32: “fistularum,” Vitr. 10, 13: “cupressi,” Stat. Th. 6, 855; cf. Col. 4, 7, 3: “Peloponnesi, i.e. Isthmus,” Plin. 4, 3, 4, § 8; cf. id. 6, 29, 34, § 170.
A Latin Dictionary. Founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary. revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by. Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1879.

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  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (40):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 12.23.2
    • Cicero, Against Catiline, 3.7.17
    • Cicero, Philippics, 11.2.5
    • Cicero, Philippics, 2.21.51
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    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.5.108
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    • Cicero, For Sestius, 66.138
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    • Vitruvius, On Architecture, 10.13
    • Tacitus, Annales, 1.53
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 1.36
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.745
    • Suetonius, Galba, 11
    • Suetonius, Vitellius, 17
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 23.68
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 4.8
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 42, 50
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 44, 39
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 22, 33
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 22, 51
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 8, 7
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 9, 6
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 1.20
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 1.35
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 2.64
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    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 8, 3.35
    • Statius, Thebias, 6
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    • Martial, Epigrammata, 12.32
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 7.7.1
    • Cicero, Orator, 18.59
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