I.a bundle of wood, twigs, straw, reeds, etc.
I. A fagot, fascine; a packet, parcel.
A. In gen. (rare): “fasces stramentorum ac virgultorum,” Hirt. B. G. 8, 15, 6: “lignorum,” Tac. A. 13, 35: “magno comites in fasce libelli,” Juv. 7, 107: “tot crimina, tot reos uno velut fasce complecti,” Plin. Ep. 3, 9, 9.—Trop., of a crowd of people, Vulg. Isa. 24, 22.—
B. A burden, load: “Romanus in armis Injusto sub fasce viam cum carpit,” i. e. soldiers' baggage, Verg. G. 3, 347; cf. Quint. 11, 3, 26 Spald.: “(apes) saepe ultro animam sub fasce dedēre,” under the burden, Verg. G. 4, 204: “ego hoc te fasce levabo,” id. E. 9, 65: “venales humero fasces portare,” id. M. 80.—
II. In partic., in plur. fasces, a bundle carried before the highest magistrates, and consisting of rods and an axe, with which criminals were scourged and beheaded.
A. Prop.: “lictores duo, duo viminei fasces virgarum,” Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 26: “ut sibi (Tullo Hostilio) duodecim lictores cum fascibus anteire liceret, etc.,” Cic. Rep. 2, 17: “anteibant lictores cum fascibus duobus,” id. Agr. 2, 34, 93: “fasces praetoribus praeferuntur,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 9, § 22: “Publicola statim secures de fascibus demi jussit,” id. Rep. 2, 31: tum demissi populo fasces, lowered (as a mark of respect) before the people, id. ib. 1, 40, 62; cf.: “P. Valerius fasces primus demitti jussit,” id. ib. 2, 31; “for which: (P. Valerius) summissis fascibus in contionem escendit,” Liv. 2, 7, 7; cf. “under B.: paulo ante dimissi fasces,” surrendered, Plin. Pan. 61, 7: “praecedebant incompta signa, versi fasces, at the funeral of Germanicus,” Tac. A. 3, 2 init.: “neque in litteris, neque in fascibus insignia laureae praetulit,” Caes. B. C. 3, 71, 3; cf.: “visus C. Marius cum fascibus laureatis,” Cic. Div. 1, 28, 59; so, “laureati,” id. Att. 8, 3, 5: “imperatorii,” Tac. A. 13, 9.—
2. Meton., a high office, esp. the consulship (poet.): “qui petere a populo fasces saevasque secures Imbibit,” Lucr. 3, 1009: “illum non populi fasces, non purpura regum Flexit,” Verg. G. 2, 495: “ut si Detulerit fasces indigno, detrahet idem,” Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 34; id. S. 1, 6, 97: “et titulis et fascibus olim Major habebatur donandi gloria,” Juv. 5, 110; Sil. 11, 152.—Of royalty: “diadema Quirini Et fasces meruit,” Juv. 8, 260.—*
B. Trop., to give place, to acknowledge one's inferiority: “cum tibi aetas nostra jam cederet fascesque summitteret,” Cic. Brut. 6, 22.
