I.the bill or beak of a bird; the snout, muzzle, mouth of animals (cf. proboscis).
I. Lit.: “cibum arripere aduncitate rostrorum,” Cic. N. D. 2, 47, 122: “aves corneo proceroque rostro,” id. ib. 1, 36, 101; Liv. 41, 13; Ov. M. 2, 376; 5, 545; 6, 673 et saep. al.: “arietes tortis cornibus pronis ad rostrum,” Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 4; “of goats,” id. ib. 2, 3, 2; “of swine,” Cic. Div. 1, 13, 23; 2, 21, 48; Ov. M. 8, 371; 10, 713; 14, 282; “of dogs,” id. ib. 1, 536; 3, 249; “of wolves,” Plin. 28, 10, 44, § 157; “of stags,” id. 8, 32, 50, § 112; “of a dolphin,” id. 9, 8, 7, § 20; “of tortoises,” id. 9, 10, 12, § 37; “of bees,” id. 11, 10, 10, § 21 et saep.—
B. In familiar or contemptuous lang., like our muzzle, snout, of persons, Lucil. ap. Fest. s. v. squarrosi, p. 329 Müll.; Plaut. Men. 1, 1, 13; Lucil., Nov., and Varr. ap. Non. 455, 10 sq.; Petr. 75, 10; so, “too, of human statues,” Dig. 19, 1, 17 fin.—
II. Transf.
A. In gen., of objects having a similar shape, the curved point of a vine-dresser's billhook, Col. 4, 25, 1; “of a plough,” Plin. 18, 18, 48, § 171; “of hammers,” id. 34, 14, 41, § 144; “of lamps,” id. 28, 11, 46, § 163; “of an island,” id. 10, 33, 49, § 137.—
B. Esp. freq., the curved end of a ship's prow, a ship's beak; sing.: “neque his (navibus) nostrae rostro nocere poterant,” Caes. B. G. 3, 13; so id. ib. 3, 14; id. B. C. 2, 6; Liv. 28, 30; 37, 30; Verg. A. 10, 157; 301: “navis, cui argenteum aut aureum rostrum est,” Sen. Ep. 76, 13; Ov. M. 4, 705 al. —Plur., Auct. B. Alex. 44, 3; “46, 2.—Sometimes of a triple form: convolsum remis rostrisque tridentibus aequor,” Verg. A. 5, 143; cf. Val. Fl. 1, 688: “rostrum trifidum,” Sil. 6, 358.—Hence,
C. Rostra, the Rostra, a stage or platform for speakers in the Forum, so called from being adorned with the beaks of ships taken from the Antians A.U.C. 416, Liv. 8, 14; Varr. L. L. 5, § 155 Müll.; Plin. 34, 5, 11, § 20; Ascon. Mil. p. 43 Orell.; cf. Becker, Antiq. I. p. 279 sq. and p. 290; and, in gen., the place from which the assembled people were addressed, the orator's pulpit, or platform: “ut semper in rostris curiam, in senatu populum defenderim,” Cic. Pis. 3, 7: “ut in rostris prius quam in senatu litterae recitarentur,” Liv. 27, 50 fin.: “in rostra escendere,” Cic. Off. 3, 20, 80; Liv. 30, 17: “descendere ad rostra,” Suet. Vit. 15: “procedere in rostra,” Plin. Pan. 65, 3: “cum Vettius descendisset de rostris,” Cic. Vatin. 11, 26; cf.: “aliquem de rostris deducere,” Caes. B. C. 3, 21: “rem a subselliis ad rostra detulit,” Cic. Clu. 40, 111: “caput Sulpicii erectum et ostentatum pro rostris,” Vell. 2, 19, 1; cf.: “aliquem defunctum laudare e more pro rostris (v. pro, II. 2.),” Suet. Caes. 6; so, “pro rostris,” id. ib. 17; 20; 79; 84; id. Aug. 100; id. Tib. 6; id. Calig. 10; id. Claud. 22; id. Ner. 47; Sen. Cons. ad Marc. 15, 3; Tac. A. 3, 5; 76; 4, 12; 5, 1; “for which: laudavit ipse apud rostra formam ejus,” id. ib. 16, 6: “frigidus a rostris manat per compita rumor,” Hor. S. 2, 6, 50.—Sing.: “tenere rostrum,” Luc. 1, 275: “rostrum forumque optare,” id. 7, 65.—Poet.: “campumque et rostra movebat,” i. e. the assembled people, Luc. 8, 685.
