I. A fire-place, hearth (syn.: clibanus, furnus, fornax, caminus): Varro focos ait dictos, quod foveat ignes, nam ignis ipsa flamma est: quicquid autem ignem fovet, focus vocatur, seu ara sit seu quid aliud, in quo ignis fovetur, Varr. ap. Isid. Orig. 20, 10, 1: “at focus a flammis, et quod fovet omnia, dictus,” Ov. F. 6, 301; Paul. ex Fest. p. 85 Müll.; Serv. Verg. A. 12, 118; Plaut. Aul. prol. 7; Plin. 19, 1, 4, § 19: “dum meus assiduo luceat igne focus,” Tib. 1, 1, 6: “jam dudum splendet focus,” Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 7: “ligna super foco Large reponens,” id. C. 1, 9, 5: “Curio ad focum sedenti magnum auri pondus Samnites, cum attulissent,” Cic. de Sen. 16, 55; cf. id. Fragm. ap. Non. 522, 28 (Rep. 3, 28 ed. Mos.); “68, 17: ad focum angues nundinari solent,” Cic. Div. 2, 31, 66: “exstruere lignis focum,” to pile on wood, Hor. Epod. 2, 43.— Poet. of a funeral-pile, Verg. A. 11, 212; of an altar, Prop. 2, 19 (3, 12), 14; 4, 5, 64 (5, 5, 66 M.); Tib. 1, 2, 82; Ov. M. 4, 753 al.—On the hearths of Roman houses were placed, in little niches, the household gods (Lares), and for them a fire was kept up: “haec imponentur in foco nostro Lari,” Plaut. Aul. 2, 8, 16; cf.: “focus Larium, quo familia convenit,” Plin. 28, 20, 81, § 267.—Hence,
B. Transf.: focus, like our hearth, serves to denote the house or family: “domi focique fac vicissim ut memineris,” Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 45; cf.: “nudum ejicit domo atque focis patriis disque penatibus praecipitem Sextum exturbat,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 8, 23: “agellus, quem tu fastidis, habitatum quinque focis,” by five houses, families, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 2.—Esp. freq.: arae et foci, pro aris et focis pugnare, to signify one's dearest possessions; v. ara. —
