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vĭgĭlĭa , ae, f. (
I.neutr. collat. form vĭgĭ-lĭum , Varr. ap. Non. p. 232, 4) [vigil].
I. Lit.
A. In gen., wakefulness, sleeplessness, a lying awake: “ut neque vigilia praecesserit neque ventris resolutio,Cels. 2, 6: “corporum robora nocturnā vigiliā minuere,id. 1 init.: “cui non sunt auditae Demosthenis vigiliae?Cic. Tusc. 4, 19, 44; id. Par. prooem. § 5.—
B. In partic.
1. Lit., a keeping awake for the security of a place, esp. of a city or camp, a watching, watch, guard (cf.: “excubiae, statio): noctu vigilias agere ad aedes sacras,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 43, § 93: “vestra tecta custodiis vigiliisque defendite,id. Cat. 2, 12, 26: “exercitus stationibus vigiliisque fessus,Liv. 5, 48, 6: “vigiles scutum in vigiliam ferre vetuit,to take on guard, id. 44, 33, 8: “vigiliarum nocturnarum curam per urbem magistratibus mandavimus,id. 39, 16, 12.—
b. Transf.
(α). A watch, i. e. the time of keeping watch by night, among the Romans a fourth part of the night: “nox in quattuor vigilias dividitur, quae singulae trium horarum spatio supputantur,Hier. Ep. 140, 8: “primā vigiliā capite arma frequentes,Liv. 5, 44, 7; 10, 34, 13; 21, 27, 2: “cum puer tuus ad me secundā fere vigiliā venisset,Cic. Fam. 3, 7, 4: “de tertiā vigiliā,Caes. B. G. 1, 12: “tertiā vigiliā,id. ib. 2, 33; Liv. 9, 44, 10: “de quartā vigiliā,Caes. B. G. 1, 40.—
(β). The watch, i. e. those standing on guard, watchmen, sentinels: “milites disponit, non certis spatiis intermissis sed perpetuis vigiliis stationibusque,Caes. B. C. 1, 21; 2, 19; Cic. Mil. 25, 67; Sall. C. 32, 1; id. J. 45, 2; 100, 4; Liv. 39, 14, 10.—
2. A watching at religious festivals, nightly vigils: “Cereris vigiliae,Plaut. Aul. prol. 36; 4, 10, 65.—
II. Trop., watchfulness, vigilance (the figure taken from military sentinels; perh. only in the foll. passages; “whereas vigilantia is far more freq.): ut vacuum metu populum Romanum nostrā vigiliā et prospicientiā redderemus,Cic. Phil. 7, 7, 19; cf.: “quasi in vigiliā quādam consulari ac senatoriā,id. ib. 1, 1, 1: cupio jam vigiliam meam, Brute, tibi tradere: sed ita, ut ne desim constantiae meae, my post, i. e. my office, duty, id. Fam. 11, 24, 1.—Plur.: cum summis vigiliis aliquid perficere, Just. Inst. prooem. § 1.
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hide References (23 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (23):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 11.24.1
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 3.7.4
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 1.12
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 1.40
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.4.93
    • Cicero, Against Catiline, 2.12.26
    • Cicero, For Milo, 25.67
    • Cicero, Philippics, 7.7.19
    • Caesar, Civil War, 1.21
    • Sallust, Catilinae Coniuratio, 32
    • Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum, 45
    • A. Cornelius Celsus, De Medicina, 1
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 21, 27
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 39, 16
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 5, 44.7
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 44, 33
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 10, 34.13
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 5, 48.6
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 9, 44
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 39, 14
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 4.19
    • A. Cornelius Celsus, De Medicina, 2.6
    • Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum, 100
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