I.a spring, fountain, well-source (syn.: scaturigo, puteus).
I. Lit.: “late parvus aquaï Prata riget fons,” Lucr. 5, 603: “fons dulcis aquaï,” id. 6, 890: “fons aquae dulcis, cui nomen Arethusa est,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 53, § 118: “rivorum a fonte deductio,” id. Top. 8, 33: “est apud Hammonis fanum fons luce diurna Frigidus, et calidus nocturno tempore,” Lucr. 6, 848 sq.; cf. ib. 873: eunt ad fontem, nitidant (i. e. abluunt) corpora, Enn. ap. Non. 144, 16 (Trag. v. 166 ed. Vahl.); Caes. B. C. 2, 24 fin.; 3, 49, 5: “(Romulus) locum delegit fontibus abundantem,” Cic. Rep. 2, 6: “fontium qui celat origines, Nilus,” Hor. C. 4, 14, 45; id. Ep. 1, 16, 12; id. Epod. 2, 27: “fontes Alandri,” Liv. 38, 15, 15: “Padi fons diebus aestivis aret,” Plin. 2, 102, 105, § 229: “vestris amicum fontibus et choris,” Hor. C. 3, 4, 25: fas pervicaces est mihi Thyiadas Vinique fontem lactis et uberes Cantare rivos, the fountains or streams of wine drawn from the earth by the stroke of the thyrsus, id. ib. 2, 19, 10: “cum tui fontes vel inimicis tuis pateant,” Cic. Mur. 4, 9.—
B. Esp.
1. A mineral spring, healing waters, = aquae, frigidi medicatique fontes, Cels. 4, 5; cf.: “caput et stomachum supponere fontibus Clusinis,” Hor. Ep. 1, 15, 8: “fons calidus medicae salubritatis,” Plin. 5, 15, 16, § 72: “medicatorum fontium vis,” id. 2, 93, 95, § 207.—
2. Transf., spring-water, water (poet.): “utrum fontine an Libero imperium te inhibere mavis?” Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 26: “alii fontemque ignemque ferebant,” Verg. A. 12, 119; Luc. 5, 337. —
II. Trop., a fountain-head, source, origin, cause: “meos amicos...ad Graecos ire jubeo, ut ea a fontibus potius potius hauriant, quam rivulos consectentur,” Cic. Ac. 1, 2, 8; “so opp. rivuli,” id. de Or. 2, 27, 117; id. Cael. 8, 19: “fons maledicti,” id. Planc. 23, 57: “hic fons, hoc principium est movendi,” id. Rep. 6, 25: “scribendi recte sapere est et principium et fons,” Hor. A. P. 309; cf.: “Cilicia origo et fons belli,” Flor. 3, 6: “ab illo fonte et capite Socrate,” Cic. de Or. 1, 10, 42: “quorum (philosophorum) fons ipse Socrates,” Quint. 1, 10, 13; cf.: “atqui rerum caput hoc erat et fons,” Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 45: “oratorum partus atque fontes,” Cic. Brut. 13, 49: “haec omnia ex eodem fonte fluxerunt,” id. N. D. 3, 19, 48: omnes omnium rerum, quae ad dicendum pertinerent, fontes animo ac memoria continere, id. de Or. 1, 21, 94: “philosophiae fontes aperire,” id. Tusc. 1, 3, 6: “totos eloquentiae aperire,” Quint. 6, 1, 51: “dicendi facultatem ex intimis sapientiae fontibus fluere,” id. 12, 2, 6; cf. id. 5, 10, 19: “fontes ut adire remotos Atque haurire queam vitae praecepta beate,” Hor. S. 2, 4, 94: “ex iis fontibus unde omnia ornamenta dicendi sumuntur,” Cic. de Or. 2, 11, 45; id. Rep. 5, 3: “causa atque fons maeroris,” id. Tusc. 3, 28, 67: “benevolentia, qui est amicitiae fons a natura constitutus,” id. Lael. 14, 50: “is fons mali hujusce fuit,” Liv. 39, 15, 9: “fons vitii et perjurii,” thou source of all iniquity, Plaut. Truc. 2, 7, 51; cf. Petr. 24.—
III. Fons , personified as a deity, with a chapel, Cic. N. D. 3, 20, 52.
