I.the projecting points or pinnacles of walls (only poet.).
I. Lit.: “minae murorum,” Verg. A. 4, 88: “moenium,” Amm. 24, 2, 12; 24, 2, 19; 29, 6, 11; 20, 6, 2.—
II. Trop., threats, menaces, of animate and inanimate things (class.).
A. Of living beings: “si quidem hercle Aeacidinis minis animisque expletus cedit,” Plaut. As. 2, 3, 25: “virtutem hominibus instituendo et persuadendo, non minis et vi ac metu tradi,” Cic. de Or. 1, 58, 247: terrēre minis, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 301 Müll. (Ann. v. 261): “minas jactare,” to throw out threats, Cic. Quint. 14, 47: “intendere alicui,” Tac. A. 3, 36. —Of the threats used by cattle-drivers, Ov. P. 1, 8, 56.—Poet., of a bull: nullae in fronte minae, Ov. M. 2, 857; of a snake: tol lentemque minas, raising threats, i. e. raising himself in a threatening posture, Verg. G. 3, 421.—
B. Of inanimate things (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): “aspice, quam saevas increpat aura minas,” Prop. 1, 17, 6: “hibernae,” Tib. 2, 3, 46: “ingentes parturit ira minas,” Ov. H. 12, 208: “caelestes minae territabant,” Flor. 2, 8, 3; forebodings of misfortune, Val. Fl. 5, 342.
