fornix

fornix, ĭcis, m., an arch or vault (cf.: camera, testudo, tholus, lacunar).

• I Lit.: Democritus invenisse dicitur fornicem, ut lapidum curvatura paulatim inclinatorum medio saxo alligaretur, Sen. Ep. 90 med.: si quis in pariete communi demoliendo damni infecti promiserit, non debebit praestare, quod fornix vitii fecerit, Cic. Top. 4, 22; Auct. Her. 3, 16, 29: aqua fornicibus structis perducta (Romam), Plin. 31, 3, 24, § 41: conspicio adverso fornice portas, the entrance under the archway over against us, Verg. A. 6, 631: fornices in muro erant apti ad excurrendum, vaulted openings from which to make sallies, Liv. 36, 23, 3; a covered way, id. 44, 11, 5.—Poet., of the arches of heaven: caeli ingentes fornices, Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 5, § 19 Müll. (Trag. v. 423 ed. Vahl.), a figure found fault with by Cicero, Cic. de Or. 3, 40, 162.—
• • B In partic.: Fornix Făbĭus, a triumphal arch built by Q. Fabius Allobrogicus in the Sacra Via, near the Regia. Cic. Planc. 7, 17; Quint. 6, 3, 67; also called Fornix Fabianus, Cic. Verr. 1, 7, 19 (for which: Arcus Fabianus, Sen. Const. Sap. 1); and: Fornix Fabii, Cic. de Or. 2, 66, 267; cf. Becker's Antiq. 1, p. 239 sq.—
• II Transf., a brothel, bagnio, stew, situated in underground vaults, Hor. S. 1, 2, 30 sq.; id. Ep. 1, 14, 21; Juv. 3, 156; 11, 171.—Hence, transf., of one who gave himself up to prostitution: (Caesarem) Curio stabulum Nicomedis et Bithynicum fornicem dicit, Suet. Caes. 49.

fornix, icis, m., die Wölbung, der Bogen, Schwibbogen, I) im allg.: parietis, Cic.: fornices aedificiorum, Plin.: pilis (pontis) fornices imponere, Liv.: camera lapideis fornicibus vincta, Sall.: poet., alti f. saxi, Höhle, Verg.: caeli ingentes fornices, Gewölbe, Enn. fr. – mit solchen fornices waren die Zugänge zu den fora überwölbt, duos fornices in foro boario etc. fecit, Liv. – II) insbes., A) Fornix Fabii, s. Fabius. – B) als milit. t. t.: a) eine überwölbte Ausfallspforte, Liv. 36, 23, 3. – b) ein bedeckter Weg, Liv. 44, 11. § 5 u. 8. – C) ein unterirdisches Gewölbe, als Aufenthaltsort der öffentl. Buhldirnen, ein Bordell, Hor. sat. 1, 2, 30; ep. 1, 14, 21. Sen. de vit. beat. 7, 3. Petron. 7, 4. Mart. 12, 61, 8. Iuven. 10, 239. – übtr., v. einem pathicus, Suet. Caes. 49, 1. – ➳ arch. furnix, Gloss. bei Löwe Prodr. p. 361.

1 fornix v. fornax(3)

2 fornix [CL] 1 arch, vault. b triumphal arch, monument. Aldh. VirgP 9 (v. 2 decursus 1a); pendula discissis fluitant laquearia tignis, / fornice marcebant kataractae dilapidatio Frith. 444; principalis arae domus altissimis erecta ~icibus V. Ed. Conf. f. 49; R. Cold. Cuthb. 82 (v. desuper 3a); juxta hos sub duabus ~icibus recubant due seniorum imagines ex marmore Greg. Mir. Rom. 13; est murus ‥ qui immensis ~icibus aqueductum sustentat Ib. 18 (= Higd. I 220).  b ~icem, signum victoriae Gl. Leid. 8. 6; populo persuasit ut in compitis et triviis finium suorum ~ices triumphales erigerent Alex. Cant. Mir. 35 (II) p. 229; Walt. Wimb. Sim. 127 (v. epinicion); putredine perierunt ~ices triumphales R. Bury Phil. 1. 20. 2 crypt, vault. b foundation, basis (fig.). c cellar or sim. used as brothel. inprimis ~ices sive volte fuerunt fundati per Danos ante adventum S. Patricii ad Hiberniam, et tunc temporis ecclesia non fuerat fundata ‥, quapropter S. Patricius celebravit missam in uno fornace sive volta qui in hodiernum diem appellatus ~ix sive volta S. Patricii MonA VI 1148a.  b ut illuc ‥ cantaria ‥ translata, sub debita ‥ observancia, omni excluso peccati ~ice, ‥ fiat salubrius Meaux II 296.  c ~ix, arcuata domus meretricum Osb. Glouc. Deriv. 243; hec ~ix, -icis, a bordylhows, ‥ a horehowse WW. 3 (by conf. w. fornax) furnace, oven. mersi fornicis [interp. as fornacis], gefegede climprum GlP 762; 1303 caldronum furnicis debet ij d. EEC 166; 1380 (v. fornax 1b).

fornix, (12) ĭcis, m. , ¶ 1 cintre, arc, arche : Cic. Top. 22 ; Sen. Ep. 90, 32 || aqueduc : Plin. 31, 41 ; Liv. 40, 51, 7 || porte cintrée, voûtée : Liv. 36, 23, 3 || passage couvert, Liv. 44, 11, 5 || arc de triomphe : Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 19 ; de Or. 2, 267 ¶ 2 lieu de prostitution, lupanar : Hor. S. 1, 2, 30 || prostitué : Suet. Cæs. 49.

fornix , icis. m.
發棬。打弓墙。娼窩。

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fornix icis, m

• an arch, vault, cellar: huius (Verris) in foro Syracusis: camera lapideis fornicibus vincta, S.: adverso fornice, V.: fornices in muro ad excurrendum, vaulted openings for sallies, L.: Caeli ingentes, Enn. ap. C.: Fabius or Fabianus (C.) or Fabii (O.), a triumphal arch in the Sacra Via.—A covered way, L.—A brothel, H., Iu.

FORNIX

FORNIXin its primary sense, is synonymous with ARCUS(Senec. Ep. 90), but more commonly implies an arched vault, constituting both roof and ceiling to the apartment which it encloses (Cic. Top. 4, § 22).

From the roof alone, the same word came to signify the chamber itself, in which sense it designates a long narrow vault, covered by an arch of brick or masonry (tectum fornicatum), similar to those which occupy the ground-floors of some modern Roman palaces. Three such cells are represented in the annexed woodcut, from the remains of a villa at Mola di Gaeta, which passes for the Formian Villa of Cicero. They are covered internally with a coating of stucco, tastily ornamented, and painted in streaks of azure, pink, and yellow.

Being small and dark, and situated upon the level of the street, these vaults were occupied by prostitutes (Hor. Sat. 1.2, 30; Juv. Sat. 3.156, 10.239, 11.171; compare Suet. Jul. 49), whence comes the meaning of the word fornicatio in the ecclesiastical writers, and its English derivative.

A detached triumphal arch, like those of Titus, Sept. Severus, and Constantine, is never called fornix, always arcus triumphalis; but the former name is applied to ornamental or honorary arches spanning a street, and connected with the adjacent buildings. The two oldest were erected, one in the Forum Boarium and the other in the Circus Maximus, and adorned with trophies by L. Stertinius, who did not even ask for a triumph, B.C. 196 (Liv. 33.27); the next on the slope of the Capitol by Scipio Africanus, B.C. 190 (Liv. 37.3). The most frequently mentioned is the fornix Fabianus or Fabii, on the Sacra Via just where it begins to ascend towards the Arch of Titus (Cic. de Or. 2.6. 6, § 267; Act. i. in Verr. 7.19; pro Planc. 7.17); on some slight remains of it discovered in modern times, cf. Middleton, Anc. Rome in 1885, p. 207. The fine arch pierced in the wall of the Forum of Augustus (Middleton, p. 258), and now called Arco de' Pantani, is of this description, as is also the archway which forms one of the entrances to the Forum at Pompeii. A street in Rome which led to the Campus Martius was called Via Fornicata (Liv. 22.36), probably on account of the ornamental arches built across it.

Fornix is also a sallyport in the walls (Liv. 36.23; cf. 44.11); one of the towers of Pompeii, figured by Rich, s. v. Fornix, has such an arch at the foot of it.

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Fornix

A vaulted arch or vaulted chamber, such as were common at Rome below the level of the sidewalks, and were so frequently used by prostitutes that the name fornicaria=meretrix (Tertull. De Anima, 35). See meretrix.