I.a shapeless, huge, heavy mass, huge bulk.
I. Lit.
A. In gen. (poet.): “Chaos, rudis indigestaque moles,” Ov. M. 1, 7: “vastā se mole moventem Pastorem Polyphemum,” Verg. A. 3, 656: “taurus et ipsa mole piger,” Juv. 12, 12: “stetit aequore moles Pinea,” i. e. a fleet of large ships, Prop. 4 (5), 6, 19.—
B. Esp.
3. A huge, massive structure, esp. of stone; a dam, pier, mole; a foundation, etc. (freq. and class.): “molem atque aggerem ab utrāque parte litoris jaciebat,” Caes. B. C. 1, 25: “moles oppositae fluctibus,” moles, Cic. Off. 2, 4, 14; cf. Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 53, § 118: “aditus insulae muniti mirificis molibus,” id. Att. 4, 16, 13: “exstructa moles opere magnifico, incisaeque litterae, virtutis testes sempiternae,” a monument, id. Phil. 14, 12, 33: “moles propinqua nubibus,” Hor. C. 3, 29, 10: “insanae substructionum moles,” huge buildings, piles, Cic. Mil. 31, 85; Hor. C. 3, 1, 34: “sepulcri moles,” i. e. a tomb, Luc. 8, 865: “molem aggeris ultra venire,” Juv. 16, 26.—
4. A huge engine or machine, used at sieges: “velut celsam oppugnat qui molibus urbem,” Verg. A. 5, 439.—
5. Warlike apparatus, munitions of war: “belli,” Tac. H. 1, 61: “non alias majore mole concursum,” with a greater mass, id. A. 2, 46.—
II. Trop.
A. Greatness, might, power, strength, great quantity, heap: “moles pugnae,” Liv. 26, 6: “molem invidiae austinere,” Cic. Cat. 1, 9, 23; cf.: “moles mali,” id. ib. 3, 7, 17: vis consili expers mole ruit suā, Hor. C. 3, 4, 65: “rerum,” Suet. Aug. 84: “fortunae,” Tac. A. 15, 52: “Herculea,” Sil. 12, 143: “densā ad muros mole feruntur,” a vast crowd, immense body, Verg. A. 12, 575: “curarum,” multitude, crowd, Tac. A. 12, 66: “tantae corporum moles in fugam consternati sunt,” Liv. 38, 46, 4.—
