pugio
pugio, a short dagger, dirk, poniard
- A short weapon for stabbing, a dagger, dirk, poniard: pugio dictus est, quod eo punctim pugnatur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 235 Müll.: Caesare interfecto statim cruentum alte extollens M. Brutus pugionem, etc., Cic. Phil. 2, 12, 28: cruentum pugionem tenens, id. ib. 2, 12, 30: pugione percussus, Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 12, 2: fodere aliquem pugione, Tac. H. 4, 29 fin.: pugione ferire, Auct. B. Alex. 52: strictis pugionibus peti, Suet. Caes. 82.—Worn by the emperors, to denote their power of life and death, Suet. Galb. 11; id. Vit. 15 fin.; Tac. H. 3, 68; likewise by the praefectus praetorio, Aur. Vict. Caes. 13; Lampr. Comm. 6 fin.—Worn by the chief officers in the army as a military badge of distinction, Tac. H. 1, 43; Val. Max. 3, 5, 3.—
- B Transf., the title of a book or roll of the names of persons proscribed by Caligula, Suet. Calig. 49.—*
- II Trop.: o plumbeum pugionem! O leaden dagger! i. e. O weak argument! Cic. Fin. 4, 18, 48.
instrumenta ‥ ferrea, que triplici ~one calcancium pedibus minabantur dispendia, istac sepultis tabulis infixa, illac in tellure fuerant non rara vicinitate plantata
frangendo pugonibus [l. pugionibus ] vel aliis instrumentis ‥ barellos, saccos, cistas, sarcinulas seu alias paccaturas quascunque
a punche , punctorium, ~o
perdiderat cultellum ingentem (sive potius mucronem, a pungendo quem possumus dicere ~onem) cujus vagina aureo erat metallo predita
deprehenso ‥ oppidano cum ~one toxicato quem sub femore occuluerat
gladium tam forti descensu Galonis inserit umboni quod ‥ summitate ~onis faciei sue grave vulnus impressivit
gerens in manu gladium per ~onem evaginatum
rex / ‥ malefactores ‥ / ‥ non occidit unquam proprio pugione
vexillorum vero et aliorum signorum bellicorum numerus que, hastarum ~onibus firmata, aera venti flatibus impulsura
hic †pugis [l. pugio ], A.myserecord ; ‥hec ~o, -onis,a dagar
ut Phinees scortum ferit ex pugione(
voluit Dominus delere omnem populum nisi placatus esset per Fineem qui ~one suo perfodit dormientem cum muliere
partes animalium brutorum ‥ hic ~o, -nis,a tange
judex sceptro aequitatis armandus est, accusator ~one malitiae
prior de Baru’ indebite et injuste oneratur de xvij s. in redditu supradicto per annum pro quodam ~one cujusdam molendini ipsius prioris per antecessores dicti prioris facto
pro quadam pugnone cujusdam molendini ‥ quod dicta pugno non stat super solum ‥ ville ‥ quo ad septendecim solidos ‥ redditus molendini dicti prioris dicit quod predicta pugno est constituta et fundata super solum dicti prioris
Gwydo, levata sica, ‥ gigantem [l. gigantis ] amputavit capud. Danis ‥ confusio ‥ concipitur dum ferox †pugio [? l. pugil ] trucidatur
Instrumenta vero ferrea quæ triplici Pugione calcancium pedibus minabantur dispendia, istac sepultis tabulis infixa, illac in tellure fuerant non rara vicinitate plantata.
- PAC-, a short dagger, dirk, poniard: cruentum extollens pugionem: pugione succinctus.—Fig.: o plumbeum pugionem! O leaden dagger!i. e. O weak argument!
PU´GIO(μάχαιρα, dim. μαχαίριον; ἐγχειρίδιον), a dagger; a two-edged knife, commonly of bronze, with the handle in many cases variously ornamented or enriched, sometimes made of the hard black wood of the Syrian terebinth (Theophr. H. P. 5.3.2). The accompanying woodcuts show three ancient daggers. The first was found in Italy, and belongs to a primitive period. The blade is attached to the handle by eight studs (cf. the Homeric epithet of a sword, ἀργυρόηλος). The second and third are copied from Beger (Thes. Brand. iii. pp. 398, 419). The handle of the second is fitted to receive a plate of wood on each side, attached by three rivets.
In the Heroic ages the Greeks sometimes wore a dagger suspended by the sword on the left side of the body [GLADIUS], and used it on all occasions instead of a knife (Hom. Il. 3.271, 19.252-Z2; Athen. 6. p. 232 c). The custom is continued to the present day among the Albanians, who are descended from the ancient Illyrians. The Romans (see woodcuts, Vol. I. pp. 3, 884) sometimes wore the dagger as the Persians did [ACINACES], on the right side, and consequently drew it with the thumb at the upper part of the hilt, the position most effective for stabbing. The terms pugio and ἐγχειρίδιον denote both its smallness and the manner of grasping it in the hand (πύξ, pugnus).
On some of the Roman monuments, although the arrangement appears to be inconvenient, the long sword was worn by the right side, while the shorter dagger was by the left hand. (Cf. the sepulchral reliefs of Roman Legionaries, Baumeister, Denkmäler, figs. 2266, 2267, 2269.) In the same way we must understand the two swords (duos gladios, Gell. 9.13) worn by the Gallic chieftain, slain by Manlius Torquatus; and the monuments of the Middle Ages prove that the custom long continued in our own and in adjoining countries. (See Stothard, Mon. Effigies of Gt. Britain.) Among some of the northern nations of Europe, a dirk was constantly worn on the side, and was in readiness to be drawn on every occasion (Ovid, Ov. Tr. 5.7, 19, 20). The Chalybes employed the same weapon, stabbing their enemies in the neck (Xen. Anab. 4.7, § 16). For the Greek horsemen the dagger was considered preferable to the long sword as a weapon of offence (Xen. de Re Equest. 12.1. 1).
[J.Y] [A.H.S](μάχαιρα), dim. Pugiuncŭlus (ἐγχειρίδιον). A dagger with two edges (Suet. Vitell. 15).