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mĕtallum , i, n., = μέταλλον,
I.a mine or quarry, of gold, silver, iron, or stone; voc. metalle, as if from metallus, Spart. Pesc. Nig. 126.
I. Lit., the place where metals are dug, a mine: “metalla vetera intermissa recoluit, et nova multis locis instituit,Liv. 39, 24: “sandaracae,Vitr. 7, 7, 5: “aurifera,gold-mines, Luc. 3, 209: “silicum,stone-quarry, id. 4, 304: “miniarium,Plin. 33, 7, 40, § 118: “praeter annuum, quod ex metallis regiis capia, vectigal,Liv. 42, 12: herba tantae suavitatis, ut metallum esse coeperit, a mine, i. e. that a tax was raised from it as from a mine, Plin. 21, 7, 20, § 44: damnare in metallum, to condemn to labor in the mines or quarries: “damnatus in metallum,Plin. Ep. 2, 11, 8: “condemnare aliquem ad metalla,Suet. Calig. 27: “mediocrium delictorum poenae sunt metallum, ludus, deportatio,Paul. Sent. 5, 17, 3; 5, 3, 5: “dare aliquem in metallum,Dig. 48, 19, 8: “metallo plecti,ib. 47, 11, 7: “puniri,ib. 48, 13, 6.—
II. Transf., the product of a mine or quarry.
1. A metal, as gold, silver, or iron: “ubicumque una inventa vena argenti est, non procul invenitur alia. Hoc quidem et in omni fere materia: unde metalla Graeci videntur dixisse,Plin. 33. 6, 31, § “96: auri,Verg. A. 8, 445: “potior metallis libertas,” i. e. gold and silver, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 39: “aeris,Verg. G. 2, 165: “pejoraque saecula ferri temporibus, quorum ... nomen a nullo posuit natura metallo,Juv. 13, 30.—
2. Other things dug from the earth.
(α). Marble, Stat. S. 4, 3, 98.—
(β). Precious stone: “radiantium metalla gemmarum,Pacat. Pan. 4.—
(δ). Sulphur: “utque est ingenium vivacis metalli (sulphuris),App. M. 9. p. 228, 23.—(ε) Salt: “metallum fragile,Prud. Hamart. 744.—
III. Trop., metal, stuff, material: “saecula meliore metallo,Claud. III. Cons. Hon. 184: “mores meliore metallo,id. Cons. Mall. Theod. 137.
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hide References (13 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (13):
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 8.445
    • Vergil, Georgics, 2.165
    • Suetonius, Caligula, 27
    • Vitruvius, On Architecture, 7.7.5
    • Lucan, Civil War, 3.209
    • Lucan, Civil War, 4.304
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 21.44
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 18.114
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 33
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 2.11.8
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 39, 24
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 42, 12
    • Statius, Silvae, 4.3
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