I.a basket or frail woven of slender twigs, rushes, etc. (like fiscina, fiscella, q. v.); used,
I. For olives in the oilpress, Col. 12, 52, 22; 54, 2.—Far more freq.,
II. For keeping money in, a money-basket, or, as we say, a money-bag, purse (cf. aerarium): “fiscos complures cum pecunia Siciliensi a quodam senatore ad equitem Romanum esse translatos,” Cic. Verr. 1, 8, 22: “mulus ferebat fiscos cum pecunia,” Phaedr. 2, 7, 2; Suet. Claud. 18.—Poet.: “aerata multus in arca Fiscus,” i. e. much money, Juv. 14, 259.—
B. In partic.
1. The public chest, state treasury, public revenues: “quaternos HS, quos mihi senatus decrevit et ex aerario dedit, ego habebo et in cistam transferam de fisco,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 85, § 197: “qui fiscum sustulit,” id. ib. 79, § “183: de fisco quid egerit Scipio, quaeram,” id. Q. Fr. 3, 4, 5 Manut.; Eutr. 2, 16; Vulg. 1 Esdr. 7, 20. —
2. In the times of the emperors, the imperial treasury, imperial revenues, emperor's privy purse (opp. aerarium, the public chest or treasury): “quantum pecuniae in aerario et fiscis et vectigalibus residuis,” Suet. Aug. 101; 40; id. Claud. 28; id. Ner. 32; Sen. Ben. 7, 6: “fisci de imperatore rapti,” Tac. A. 1, 37: “bona in fiscum cogere,” id. ib. 6, 2; Dig. 39, 4, 9 fin.: “fortasse non eadem severitate fiscum quam aerarium cohibes,” Plin. Pan. 36 et saep.: “Judaicus,” the tax paid by the Jews into the imperial treasury, Suet. Dom. 12: “quidquid conspicuum pulchrumque est aequore toto res fisci est,” Juv. 4, 55.