I.a rushing or tumbling down; a falling down, fall (syn.: casus, lapsus).
I. In abstracto.
A. Lit.
1. In gen. (rare). grandinis, Lucr. 6, 156: “aquarum,” Cael. Aur. Tard. 2, 1 med.: “nostra (sc. nucum),” Mart. 13, 25, 2: “jumentorum sarcinarumque,” Liv. 44, 5: Capanei, a fall by lightning (v. Capaneus), Prop. 2, 34 (3, 32), 40: “(apri saevi) Permixtas dabant equitum peditumque ruinas,” Lucr. 5, 1329: Tyrrhenus et Aconteus Conixi incurrunt hastis, primique ruinam Dant sonitu ingenti, rush or fall upon each other, Verg. A. 11, 613: “interea suspensa graves aulaea ruinas In patinam fecere,” fell down, Hor. S. 2, 8, 54.—
2. In partic., of buildings, a tumbling or falling down, downfall, ruin (class.; in good prose only in sing.): “repentinā ruinā pars ejus turris concidit ... tum hostes, turris repentinā ruinā commoti, etc.,” Caes. B. C. 2, 11 fin. and 12 init.; cf.: ferunt conclave illud, ubi epularetur Scopas, concidisse: eā ruinā ipsum oppressum cum suis interiisse, Cic. de Or. 2, 86, 353; id. Div. 2, 8, 20; Tac. A. 2, 47: “aedificiorum,” Suet. Oth. 8: “amphitheatri,” id. Tib. 40: “camerae,” id. Ner. 34: “spectaculorum,” id. Calig. 31: “pontis,” id. Aug. 20: “tecta Penthei Disjecta non leni ruinā,” Hor. C. 2, 19, 15: “jam Deiphobi dedit ampla ruinam, Vulcano superante, domus,” i. e. fell in, Verg. A. 2, 310; so, “trahere ruinam,” id. ib. 2, 465; 9, 712; cf. B. α, infra: “effulsisse inter ruinam ignes,” Tac. A. 2, 47: “ruinam urbis et incendia recordantes,” Just. 5, 7, 10: “morbus, captivitas, ruina, ignis,” Sen. Tranq. 11, 6: “multos occidere incendii ac ruinae potentia est,” id. Clem. 1, 26, 5.—In plur.: “tantae in te impendent ruinae, nisi suffulcis firmiter,” Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 77; so Vell. 2, 35, 4 (with incendia); Suet. Vesp. 8; Lucr. 2, 1145: “si fractus illabatur orbis, Impavidum ferient ruinae,” Hor. C. 3, 3, 8: “dum Capitolio dementes ruinas parabat,” id. ib. 1, 37, 7.—
B. Trop., a downfall, fall, ruin; accident, catastrophe, disaster, overthrow, destruction, etc. (freq. and class.; used equally in sing. and plur.; cf.: exitium, pernicies).
(α).
Sing.: “vis illa fuit et, ut saepe jam dixi, ruina quaedam atque tempestas,” a catastrophe, Cic. Clu. 35, 96: incendium meum ruinā restinguam, with the overthrow, fall (of the State), Catilina ap. Sall. C. 31, 9, and ap. Cic. Mur. 25, 51: “ut communi ruinā patriae opprimerentur,” Liv. 45, 26; Vell. 2, 91, 4; 2, 85, 1; 2, 124, 1: “in hac ruinā rerum stetit una integra atque immobilis virtus populi Romani,” Liv. 26, 41: “rerum nostrarum,” id. 5, 51: “urbis,” id. 25, 4: “ex loco superiore impetu facto, strage ac ruinā fudere Gallos,” utter defeat, id. 5, 43; cf.: “ruinae similem stragem eques dedit,” id. 4, 33: “Cannensis,” id. 23, 25; 42, 66 fin.; 4, 46; “5, 47: ruina soceri in exsilium pulsus,” Tac. H. 4, 6; cf. id. G. 36: “pereat sceleratus, regnique trahat patriaeque ruinam,” Ov. M. 8, 497: “aliae gentes belli sequuntur ruinam,” Flor. 2, 12, 1: “ille dies utramque Ducet ruinam,” i. e. death, Hor. C. 2, 17, 9: “Neronis principis,” Plin. 17, 25, 38, § 245.—
(β).
Plur.: “praetermitto ruinas fortunarum tuarum, quas omnes impendere tibi proximis Idibus senties,” Cic. Cat. 1, 6, 14: “in ruinis aversae, atque afflictae rei publicae,” id. Sest. 2, 5: “devota morti pectora liberae Quantis fatigaret ruinis,” Hor. C. 4, 14, 19; cf.: “nox auget ruinas,” Val. Fl. 3, 207: “principiis in rerum fecere ruinas et graviter magni magno cecidere ibi casu,” i. e. false steps, errors, mistakes, Lucr. 1, 740: “(Academia) si invaserit in haec, miseras edet ruinas,” Cic. Leg. 1, 13, 39: “ruinas videres,” id. Fin. 5, 28, 83.—
II. In concreto.
1. That which tumbles or falls down, a fall (not anteAug.).
A. In gen. (poet.): “disjectam Aenaeae toto videt aequore classem Fluctibus oppressos Troas caelique ruinā,” i. e. a storm, rain, Verg. A. 1, 129; so, “caeli (with insani imbres),” Sil. 1, 251: “poli,” i. e. thunder, Val. Fl. 8, 334.—
B. In partic. (acc. to I. A. 2.), a building that has tumbled down, a ruin, ruins (mostly in plur., and not in Cic. prose): “nunc humilis veteres tantummodo Troja ruinas ostendit,” Ov. M. 15, 424: “Sagunti ruinae nostris capitibus incident,” Liv. 21, 10, 10: “(urbs) deserta ac strata prope omnis ruinis,” id. 33, 38, 10: “fumantes Thebarum ruinae,” id. 9, 18, 7: “ruinis templorum templa aedificare,” id. 42, 3: “in tugurio ruinarum Carthaginiensium,” Vell. 2, 19 fin. —In sing.: “alius par labor ... flumina ad lavandam hanc ruinam jugis montium ducere,” Plin. 33, 4, 21, § 74: “EX RVINA TEMPLI MARTIS,” Inscr. Orell. 2448 (A.D. 256).—
2. Transf., of persons who cause ruin, a destroyer: “rei publicae,” Cic. Sest. 51, 109: “ruinae publicanorum,” id. Prov. Cons. 6, 13.
