I.a deed, act, action (class., most freq. in the special signif.).
I. In gen. (syn.: “factum, res gestae): Atridae duo fratres cluent fecisse facinus maximum, Cum Priami patriam Pergamum ... subegerunt,” Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 1; 4, 4, 2; id. Trin. 1, 1, 2: tuum nefarium facinus pejore facinore operire, Cato ap. Gell. 13, 24, 12: “nefario facinore admisso,” Caes. B. G. 7, 38, 8: “magnum et memorabile,” Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 73: “praeclarissimum,” Auct. Her. 4, 55, 68: “hic pulcherrimum facinus adivi,” Ter. Phorm. 5, 6, 30: “pulcherrimum,” Cic. Rab. Perd. 6, 19: rectissimum, Anton. ap. Cic. Phil. 13, 17 fin.: quantum, Poët. ap. Cic. Fam. 2, 9, 2: “rarum,” Tac. A. 3, 21: “suasit amor facinus,” Ov. M. 8, 90 al.—In plur.: “inaudita et singularia facinora sceleris, audaciae, perfidiae, etc.,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 72, § 189: “mirabilia facinora,” id. Phil. 2, 42, 109: “ingenii egregia facinora,” Sall. J. 2, 2. —
B. Transf. in Plautus for thing: “nimis mirum est facinus, quomodo haec hinc potuerit transire!” Plaut. Mil. 2, 4, 24: “quod facinus video? etc.,” id. Rud. 1, 2, 73.—
II. In partic., a bad deed, misdeed, outrage, villainy, crime (syn.: “culpa, peccatum, delictum, flagitium, scelus, crimen, etc.): facinus est vincire civem Romanum, scelus verberare, prope parricidium necare: quid dicam in crucem tollere?” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 66, § 170; cf.: “scelus et facinus,” id. Mil. 16, 43: “ad vim, facinus caedemque delecti,” id. Agr. 2, 28, 77: “nec in facinore, nec in libidine,” id. Mil. 27, 73: “nihil facinoris, nihil flagitii praetermittere,” Liv. 39, 13, 10: “ne facinus facere,” Cic. Fin. 2, 29, 95: “jacere humi ad facinus obeundum,” id. Cat. 1, 10, 26: “committere,” id. Fam. 3, 10, 2; Caes. B. C. 3, 60, 4: “in se admittere,” id. B. G. 3, 9, 3; cf. id. ib. 6, 13, 5: “patrare,” Sall. C. 18, 8: ad omne facinus impellere aliquem, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 424, 31 (Rep. 6, 1 ed. Mos.): “crimen facinusque libidinis,” Juv. 6, 294: “transi gymnasia atque audi facinus majoris abollae,” i. e. of a teacher, id. 3, 115 al.—Esp. in exclamations: “O facinus indignum,” Plaut. Men. 5, 7, 15; Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 19: “O indignum facinus,” id. Eun. 1, 1, 25; cf. Quint. 5, 12, 12; Cic. Att. 2, 13 init.—In plur.: “furiae vindices facinorum et sceleris,” Cic. N. D. 3, 18, 66: “homo flagitiis atque facinoribus coopertus,” Sall. C. 23, 1: “talia facinora impune suscepisse,” id. J. 31, 9.—
B. Transf., concr. (poet.), an instrument of villainy, said of the poisoned cup: “facinusque excussit ab ore,” Ov. M. 7, 423.
