I.three born at a birth: fratres, three twin-brothers.
I. Lit., Liv. 1, 24, 1; cf.: “tergeminos nasci certum est Horatiorum Curiatiorumque exemplo,” Plin. 7, 3, 3, § 33: “trigeminorum matres,” Col. 3, 8, 1: “trigemini filii,” Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 123. — As subst.: trĭgĕmĭni , three brothers born at a birth, Liv. 1, 25, 1; Col. 2, 1, 3; 7, 6, 7; cf.: “trigemino partu,” id. 3, 10, 17: “Horatius trigemina spolia prae se gerens,” of the three twin-brothers, Liv. 1, 26, 2: “Trigemini,” the title of a comedy of Plautus, Gell. 7, 9, 7.—
II. Transf., in gen., threefold, triple, triform, = triplex (mostly poet.): “trigeminae victoriae triplicem triumphum egistis,” Liv. 6, 7, 4: “tripectora tergemini vis Geryonai,” Lucr. 5, 28; cf. “of the same and of Cerberus: tergeminumque virum tergeminumque canem,” Ov. Tr. 4, 7, 16; “and of Cerberus: cui tres sunt linguae tergeminumque caput,” Tib. 3, 4, 88: “canis,” Prop. 4 (5), 7, 52. tergemina Hecate (because she was also Luna and Diana; cf. “triceps and triformis),” Verg. A. 4, 511: “tergemina dextra,” i. e. of the three Graces, Stat. S. 3, 4, 83: “jus tergeminae prolis. i. e. trium liberorum,” id. ib. 4, 8, 21: “pomorum tergemina natura,” Plin. 15, 28, 34, § 114: “verba illa Ciceronis in Pisonem (cap. 1) trigemina: decepit, fefellit, induxit,” Gell. 13, 24, 22: certat tergeminis tollere honoribus, to the threefold honors, i. e. of the three highest magistracies, those of the curule ædile, the prætor, and the consul, Hor. C. 1, 1, 8: “at tibi tergeminum mugiet ille sophos,” thrice repeated, Mart. 3, 46, 8.—
III. Porta Trigemina, a gate, in the early times of Rome, at the foot of Mount Aventine, Liv. 4, 16, 2; 35, 10, 12; Plaut. Capt. 1, 1, 22; Plin. 18, 3, 4, § 15; Front. Aquaed. 5 al.; cf. Becker, Antiq. 1, p. 157 sq.
