cuniculus

cŭnīcŭlus, i, m. [Spanish], a rabbit, cony, Gr. κόνικλος or κύνικλος.

• I Prop., Varr. R. R. 3, 12, 6; Plin. 8, 55, 81, § 217; Mart. 13, 60.—
• II Transf. (from their habit of burrowing in the ground; cf. Varr. l. l.; collat. form, cŭnīcŭlum, i, n., acc. to Paul. ex Fest. p. 50, 4, but perh. an acc.; v. Müll. ad loc.), a passage under ground, a hole, pit, cavity, canal, etc.
• • A In gen., Cic. Off. 3, 23, 90; Col. 8, 17, 4; Plin. 2, 80, 82, § 193; 6, 27, 31, §§ 128 and 135.—
  • B In partic., milit. t. t., a mine, Caes. B. G. 3, 21; 7, 22 (three times); 7, 24; Hirt. B. G. 8, 41; Cic. Phil. 3, 8, 20; id. Caecin. 30, 88; Liv. 5, 19, 10: ad murum cuniculis pervenire, id. 31, 17, 2: occultus vineis, id. 38, 7, 6; Amm.24, 4, 13: cuniculorum fodinae, id. 24, 4, 21.—
  • • 2 Trop.: quae res aperte petebatur, ea nunc occulte cuniculis oppugnatur, i.e. by secret devices, Cic. Agr. 1, 1, 1.

cunīculus, ī, m. (iberisches Wort), I) das Kaninchen, Varro r. r. 3, 12, 6. Plin. 8, 217: mollior cuniculi capillo, Catull. 25, 1: gaudet in effossis habitare cuniculus antris, Mart. 13, 60. – II) der niedrige unterirdische Gang, omne genus cuniculorum apud eos notum atque usitatum est, Caes.: agere (führen, anlegen) cuniculos ad aerarium, Cic.: cuniculi latebris evadere conari, Val. Max.: cuniculos in altum defodere, Cod. Theod.: cuniculos sub terra facere (v. Kaninchen), Varro: perpetuus cuniculus iter praebet in campos (in eine Höhle), Curt. – So nun insbes.: α) im Wasserbau= der verdeckte Wassergraben, -Wassergang, -Kanal, aqua per secretos cuniculos reddita, Sen.: C et LXXX cuniculis divisus alveus (amnis), Sen.: si aqua cuniculo veniet, Plin.: rivos (aquae marinae) cuniculis perducere, Col. – β) im Bergbau = der Gang, die Grube, der Stollen, Schacht, cuniculi longissimi, Sen.: e cuniculis effossum sulphur, Plin.: propter hoc (aurum) cuniculos egit, Sen. – γ) in der Kriegsbaukunst = die Mine, solum infimum cuniculi, Liv.: c. occultus, Liv.: cuniculi tecti, Hirt. b. G.: cuniculi transversi, Liv.: c. delectis militibus eo tempore plenus, Liv.: – u. agere cuniculum (auch m. Ang. »von wo aus ?« durch ab u. Abl., u. »wohin?« durch ad od. in m. Akk.), Caes. u. Liv. (vgl. Drak. Liv. 5, 19, 10): aperire, adaperire cuniculum, Caes. u. Liv.: aperire rectam in cuniculum viam, Liv.: cuniculi moenibus appropinquant, Caes.: per cuniculum Gallorum ascendere in templum, Cic.: capere urbem cuniculo, Curt.: egredi per cuniculum, Veget. mil.: erumpere per cuniculos, Vell.: esse in cuniculo, Liv.: transversis cuniculis hostium cuniculos excipere, Liv.: fodere cuniculos, Ps. Quint. decl.: intersaepire cuniculum nunc ciliciis praetentis nunc foribus raptim obiectis, Liv.: cuniculis venas fontis intercīdere atque avertere, Hirt. b. G.: cuniculos maximi ponderis saxis morari, die Fortführung der M. aufhalten, Caes.: quae res aperte petebatur, ea nunc occulte cuniculis oppugnatur (bildl.), Cic.: cum e fossa in cuniculum pateret iter, Liv.: cum ad interiorem raptim oppositum murum cuniculis iam perventum esset, Liv.: subruere cuniculo murum od. muros, Liv. u. Curt.: suffodere cuniculo moenia, Liv. – δ) ein gemauerter Kanal, eine Röhre in Öfen, Wänden u. dgl., longinquae fornacis c., Plin. 9, 133: cuniculus, per quem vapor trahitur (in Bädern), Ulp. dig. 43, 3, 21. § 6. – ➳ Synkop. Abl. Plur. cuniclis, Apic. 2, 49.

cuniculus [CL] 1 mine, tunnel (also fig); b (dug by animal). postquam ilia Arii scismatici in abstrusum latrinae ~um turpiter defluxerant Aldh. VirgP 32; ~um, foramen vel canalis ‥, ~os, smyglas GlC C 922, 927; 799 cujus murus nequaquam debet insidiosis ~is cujuslibet perfidie alicubi perforari Alcuin Ep. 166; 9‥ †cuniullus, lytel wærc, ~um, i. foramen canalis, puteum vel greop GlH C 2156–7; ut ille evangelicus perfuga ‥ per meatum ~i excessit Gosc. Wulfh. 2; regis Francie fossores ~is subterraneis ‥ paulatim progredientes eo usque profecerant ut muri extrema fundamenta diruerent Itin. Ric. III 9; rex proposuit oppugnacionem fecisse per ~os et in viis subterraneis suffodisse muros G. Hen. V 6; non obstitit quin dux ~um in terra fodi faceret Liv. Hen. V 4b.  b subterraneos fodiunt ~os talpe Neckam NR II 122; formice ‥ ~os magnos componunt, in quibus habitant Upton 162. 2 rabbit (cf.Agric. Hist. Rev. V 85–90); b (w. ref. to skin). c badger. 1176 omnes decimas meas de Sully [Scilly I.] et nominatim de ~is Cart. Tavistock 365; c1225 (v. chova); 1242 (v. cunera); etc. (v. cuningaria); 1245 de x s. de El’ de Flete pro delicto ~orum Pipe Wint. 11M59/B1/18 r. 9 (cum imagine); 1252 (v. cuniculicuria); c1255 si coniculum in dampnis suis invenerint, occidant ipsum (Dunster, Som) BBC 107; 1285 (v. cunicularium); in expensis W. camerarii regis capientis †~as cum aliis garcionibus FormMan 34; Gad. 47 v. 1 (v. capreolus 1); 1292 prior ‥ sepius furectavit pro ~is in bosco de Bocwode Ann. Dunstable 374; c1300 de proventibus ‥ ~orum Conc. Syn. 1391 (cf. Lyndw. 201: †thenecii); 1320 habet j canem qui momordit unum ~um domini CBaron 131; cunniculos S. Sim. Itin. 54 (v. 1 cancellus 3c); 1339 bankar’ novum de taune cum cervo, canibus et coniculis (Invent. Pri. Cant.) Arch. J. LIII 283; s1381 ceperunt ‥ ~um vivum ‥ et super collistrigium ‥ in signum libertatis et warenne ‥ adepte defixerunt G. S. Alb. III 303; 1384 licenciam ‥ fugandi ‥ de ~is cum furettis et alio modo SelPlForest cxxx n; 1553 officium locum tenentis nostri omnium et singulorum ~orum [in Clarendon Park] CalPat V 276.  b 1189 pro penula de ~is Pipe 19; † a1204 de quolibet trousello pannorum ‥ vel †caniculorum vel †quorumcunque pellium (Ch) Reg. Wint. (1282–1304) II 742; 1206 j robam de viridi cum ~is Cl 61a; 1208 pro duabus penulis de coniculis Ib. 109a; 1213 tunicas ‥ cum penulis de minuto vario vel †cunulorum Ib. 144b; 1225 de cc pellibus ~orum ibidem [I. of Wight] venditis Ac. Foreign 1 r. 2d.; 1235 ~os quos W. scissor regis cepit apud Lond’ ad opus regis Cl 120; 1303 duodena de conis, j d.; m pellium ~orum, iiij d. (Ipswich) EEC 162; 1427 lego ‥ meam togam blodiam penulatam cum ~is Mem. Ripon 330.  c taxus vel meles, ~us, broc Ælf. Gl..

cŭnīcŭlus, (11) ī, m. , ¶ 1 lapin : Varro R. 3, 12, 6 ; Catul. 25, 1 ¶ 2 a) [en gén.] galerie souterraine, canal souterrain, conduit, tuyau : Cic. Off. 3, 90 ; Col. Rust. 8, 17, 4 ; Plin. 6, 128 ; Sen. Nat. 3, 21, 6 ; b) [en part.] galerie de mine, mine, sape : Cic. Cæc. 88 ; Cæs. G. 3, 21, 3 ; 7, 22, 2 ; cuniculis venæ fontis intercisæ sunt Hirt. G. 8, 43, 4, au moyen de sapes on coupa lʼadduction dʼeau || [fig.] cuniculis oppugnare Cic. Agr. 1, 1, attaquer par des moyens détournés.

cuniculus , i. m.
兎。埋道。溝。

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cŭnīcŭlus, i, m.: coniglio

♢ gen. pl. cuniculum Ruf.

cunīculus ī, m

• Spanish, a rabbit, cony, Ct. —A passage underground, mine, excavation: cuniculos agere ad aerarium: cuniculis ad aggerem actis, Cs.: per cuniculum Gallorum ascendit: in arcem agi coeptus, L.—Fig.: ea (res) occulte cuniculis oppugnatur, i. e. by secret devices.

CUNICULUS

CUNI´CULUS(ὑπόνομος, ὑπόρυγμα), a mine or subterranean passage, was so called from its resemblance to the burrowing of a rabbit. Thus Martial (Mart. 13.60) says: Gaudet in effossis habitare cuniculus antris;Monstravit tacitas hostibus ille vias.

The word is applied to natural passages underground, like the katavóthra into which some rivers disappear (Plin. Nat.3.117; 5.55; 6.128); to sulphur mines (ib. 35.174); to the flues of furnaces (ib. 9.133) [BALNEAEp. 278 a]; to sewers (ib. 2.197); to the underground channels of aqueducts, thus distinguished from the specus of the exposed portions (ib. 36.121). But it is most commonly used as a military technical term, denoting either the mines of besiegers or the counter-mines of defenders. The use of the former was mainly, if not exclusively, to sap the foundations of a wall and make a breach for the assailants: cuniculo suffossa moenia, Q. Curt. 7.6. The stories of towns entered by mines, such as Fidenae (Liv. 4.22), Veii (id. 5.19), Chalcedon (Polyaen. 7.11.5), and an Indian town in Alexander's expedition (Q. Curt. 9.8) are now rejected as unhistorical. The want of evidence for these cases is pointed out by Niebuhr (R. H 2.483, n. 1063; e. g. the capture of Chalcedon by Darius is not mentioned by Herodotus). The earliest military writer, Aeneas Tacticus, gives full details as to the art of mining, including that of countermines; and most of the later writers have copied or abridged his account. Among the curious particulars given by him are the introduction of wasps, bees, and smoke into the mine, and the sounding for mines by laying the ear to the ground with a bronze shield between (Poliorc. 37). Another remarkable stratagem in counter-mining is described by Livy (Liv. 38.7) at the siege of Ambracia by the Romans; the Ambraciots introduced into the besiegers' mine a stink-pot of burning feathers. For other examples of mines and countermines, cf. Thucyd. 2.76; Caes. B. G. 3.21, 7.22, 8.43.

The cunicular drainage of Latium and Southern Etruria belongs rather to the prehistoric antiquities of Italy than to classical times: it dates, probably, from the period of Etruscan supremacy in these regions, and the Romans had utterly lost sight of it. The subject is interesting from the economical point of view, and has recently been investigated by Italians desirous of restoring to the Campagna its ancient fertility. (See Daremberg and Saglio, s. v.)

[R.W] [W.W]

Cunicŭlus

(ὑπόνομος, ὑπόρυγμα). A mine or subterranean passage, so called from its resemblance to the burrowing of a rabbit.

The word is applied to natural passages underground; to sulphur mines; to the flues of furnaces; to sewers; and to the underground channels of aqueducts. But it is most commonly used as a military technical term, denoting either the “mines” of besiegers or the “countermines” of defenders. The earliest military writer, Aeneas Tacticus, gives full details as to the art of mining, including that of countermines; and most of the later writers have copied or abridged his account. Among the curious particulars given by him are the introduction of wasps, bees, and smoke into the mine, and the sounding for mines by laying the ear to the ground with a bronze shield between (Poliorc. 37). Another remarkable stratagem in countermining is described by Livy (xxxviii. 7) at the siege of Ambracia by the Romans, when the Ambraciots introduced into the besiegers' mine a “stink-pot” of burning feathers.