I.a guiding, guidance, direction (freq. only after the Aug. per., esp. in. Tac.; not in Cic. or Cæs.).
I. Lit.: “regimen equorum exercere,” Tac. A. 13, 3 fin.: “classis,” Vell. 2, 85, 2; cf.: “procellis regimen impedire,” Tac. A. 2, 23: “equarum,” id. ib. 13, 3: “vocis sermonisque regimen primores (dentes) tenet,” Plin. 7, 16, 15, § 70.—
B. Poet., concr., a rudder: “frangitur et regimen,” Ov. M. 11, 552: “regimen carinae Flectere,” id. ib. 3, 593: cum magnus inhorruit Auster ... Non regimen prodest, Petr. poët. 123, 235. —
II. Trop., a guiding, governing, directing; rule, guidance, government, command.
A. In gen.: in quo (sc. animo) consilium vitae regimenque locatum est, * Lucr. 3, 95: “regimen totius magistratūs penes Appium erat,” Liv. 3, 33: “rerum,” id. 6, 6: “summae rei penes Germanicum,” Tac. A. 1, 31: “regimen tenere,” id. ib. 13, 49: “cohortium,” id. ib. 12, 42: “morum legumque,” Suet. Aug. 27 fin.: “virtutis vestrae,” Tac. H. 1, 84: in omnia regimen, id. A. 3, 47.—
B. In partic., the direction of State affairs, rule, government, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 278 (Ann. v. 400 Vahl.); “id. ap. Censor. Fragm. c. 14 (Trag. v. 381 ib.): regimen suscipere,” Tac. A. 4, 9: “regimen manu tractare cruentum,” Stat. Th. 11, 658.—
C. Concr., a ruler, director, governor: “regimen rerum,” i. e. of the State, Liv. 4, 31, 5: “rerum humanarum,” Val. Max. 1, 1, 9.