columen

cŏlŭmen, ĭnis, n., and contr. cul-men, mis, n. [root cel- of excello; cf.: celsus, culmus, calamus, collis], lit., that which rises in height, is prominent, projects; hence the point, top, summit, ridge.

• I Form columen, inis, n. (only this form is used by Plautus, v. Ritschl, prol. ad Plaut. p. 65).
• • A An elevated object, a pillar, column: ego vitam agam sub altis Phrygiae columinibus, the lofty buildings, or perh. the mountain-heights, Cat. 63, 71 Ellis ad loc.; and of a pillar of fire: Phoebi fax, tristis nunt a belli, quae magnum ad columen flammato ardore volabat, like an ascending column, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 11, 18.—
  • B The highest part or top of an object, e. g. of a wall; the coping; Fr. le chaperon, Cato R. R. 15, 1; of a building, a ridge, a roof, a gable: in turribus et columinibus villae, Varr. R. R. 3, 7, 1: aulae, Sen. Herc. Fur. 1000; id. Thyest. 54 Gron.; so of the Capitol, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 12, 20, and of the culmination of heavenly bodies: oritur Canicula cum Cancro, in columen venit cum Geminis, Nigid. ap. Serv. ad Verg. G. 1, 218. —
  • • 2 Trop., the top, crown, summit, first, chief, the height, etc.: columen amicorum Antonii, Cotyla Varius, Cic. Phil. 13, 12, 26: pars haec vitae jam pridem pervenit ad columen, Plin. 15, 15, 17, § 57; Col. 3, 4, 3: audaciae, the crown of impudence, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 211 (363).—
• G An elevated object that supports, sustains something; in archit., the top of a gable-end, a gable pillar, a prop, Vitr. 4, 2, 1; 4, 7, 5.—Esp. freq.,
• • • 2 Trop., a support, prop, stay: familiae, Ter. Phorm. 287; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 76, § 176: senati, praesidium popli, Plaut. Cas. 3, 2, 6 (536); cf. id. Ep. 2, 2, 7 (187): rei publicae, Cic. Sest. 8, 19; Curt. 9, 6, 8: imperii Romani, Liv. 38, 51, 3: regni Ausonii, Sil. 15, 385: Asiae, Sen. Troad. 6: rerum mearum (Maecenas), Hor. C. 2, 17, 4: doctrinarum, artium (Varro et Nigidius), Gell. 19, 14, 1; Col. 3, 4, 3.—
• II culmen, ĭnis, n. (in Cic. only once; cf. the foll. B.; not in Cat., Lucr., or Hor.; in gen. first freq. since the Aug. per.). *
• • A Any thing high; poet., of the stalk of a bean, Ov. F. 4, 734.—
  • B The top, summit, e. g. of a building, a roof, gable, cupola, etc.: columen in summo fastigio culminis, Vitr. 4, 2, 1; Ov. M. 1, 295; 1, 289; Verg. E. 1, 69: tecta domorum, id. A. 2, 446; 2, 458; 4, 186: culmina hominum, deorum, i. e. of houses and temples, id. ib. 4, 671; Liv. 27, 4, 11; 42, 3, 7.—Of the dome of heaven, * Cic. Arat. 26. —Of mountain summits: Alpium, Caes. B. G. 3, 2: Tarpeium, Suet. Dom. 23.—Of the crown of the head of men, Liv. 1, 34, 9.—Of the top of the prow of a ship, Luc. 3, 709.—
  • • 2 Trop., the summit, acme, height, point of culmination (perh. not ante-Aug.): a summo culmine fortunae ad ultimum finem, Liv. 45, 9, 7: principium culmenque (columenque, Sillig) omnium rerum pretii margaritae tenent, Plin. 9, 35, 54, § 106: ruit alta a culmine Troja, Verg. A. 2, 290 (Hom. Il. 13, 772: κατʼ ἄκρης); cf. id. ib. 2, 603: de summo culmine lapsus, Luc. 8, 8: regale, Claud. VI. Cons. Hon. 64. pastorale, id. B. Get. 355: honoris, Ap. Flor. 3.

columen, minis, n. (*cello; eig. das in die Höhe Getriebene, Hervorragende, u. zwar:) I) die Höhe, der Gipfel, A) eig.: 1) im allg. poet. vom Gebirge, alta Phrygiae columina, Catull. 63, 71. – 2) insbes.: a) die Haube einer Mauer, Cato r. r. 15, 1. – b) der Giebel, First eines Gebäudes, turres et columina villae, Varr.: so des Kapitols, Cic. poët. – c) vom höchsten Punkt in der Sternenbahn, Nigid. b. Serv. Verg. georg. 1, 218. – B) übtr., die Spitze, der Gipfel = das Vornehmste, Höchste usw., c. amicorum Antonii Cotyla Varius, Cic.: c. audaciae, Ausbund von Verwogenheit, Plaut. Amph. 367: aetas Ciceronis et Caesaris doctrinarum multiformium variarumque artium columina (Matodore) habuit M. Varronem et P. Nigidium, Gell.: id quasi caput et c. est impensarum, Col. – II) die Säule, der Balken als Pfeiler, A) eig., Cic. poët. de div. 1, 18. – als t. t. der Baukunst, der bis zum First hinaufreichende Ständer, der Giebelspieß, die Giebelsäule, Dachstuhlsäule, Vitr. 4, 2, 1 u. 4, 7, 5. – B) übtr., die Säule, der Grundpfeiler = die Stütze, der Stützpunkt, bes. v. Pers. (vgl. Ruhnken Ter. Phorm. 2, 1, 57), c. senati, Plaut.: familiae, Ter.: c. rei publicae, Cic.: caput columenque imperii Romani, Liv.: columina iustitiae prisca, Amm.: consulatum superesse plebeiis; eam esse arcem libertatis, id columen, Liv.

columen [CL] , roof, summit; b (fig.). c (? infl. by columna) prop, support. ~en, i. culmen, rof Ælf. Gl..  b Lindisie columen, Lincolnia, †sine [l. sive] columna Neckam DS V 835.  c mea spes columenque sŭave R. Cant. Malch. I 179.

cŏlŭmĕn, (12) ĭnis, n. (cello), ce qui sʼélève en lʼair, ¶ 1 cime, sommet : [poet.] Cic. Div. 1, 18 ; Catul. 63, 71 || faîte, comble [dʼun toit], chaperon : Cato Agr. 15, 1 ; Varro R. 3, 7, 1 || [fig.] : columen amicorum Antonii Cic. Phil. 13, 26, (le plus saillant) le coryphée des amis dʼAntoine ; audaciæ Pl. Amph. 367, modèle dʼeffronterie ¶ 2 poutre de support du toit, poinçon : Vitr. Arch. 4, 2, 1 ; 4, 7, 5 || [fig.] pilier, soutien, colonne : Timarchides, columen familiæ vestræ Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 176, Timarchide, soutien de votre famille ; rei publicæ Cic. Sest. 19, colonne de lʼÉtat.

columen , inis. n.
棟梁。屋脊 柱。— rei publicae 國楝梁。— audaciae 豪强至極。— actionis 訟之提網。— impensarum 支用之首項。

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columen inis, n

• 2 CEL-, a pillar, column: fax, quae magnum ad columen volabat, like an ascending column: excelsum, a pedestal: Phrygiae columina (of mountains), Ct. — Fig., of persons, the crown, summit, first, chief: amicorum.—A support, prop, stay: familiae: rerum mearum, H.

COLUMEN

CO´LUMEN(later culmen) is used in architecture, either generally for the roof of a building, or particularly for a beam in the highest part of the slope of a roof. By this description Vitruvius seems to mean either the collar-beam, or the king-post, but more probably the latter, as he derives columna from columen (Vitr. 4.2.1; 4.7.5-Z3).

[P.S]

Colŭmen

(later culmen). The roof of a building, or more particularly the beam in the highest part of the slope of a roof.