Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Claustrum

Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon (Rich, 1849)

CLAUS'TRUM. One of the words employed by the Romans with reference to the closing of doors; and used at times in a sense as general and indefinite as our term "fastening," which may be equally applied to a lock, a bolt, a bar, or other contrivance, when there are no governing words to indicate the nature of the fastening intended. (Cic. Agr. i. 7. Claud. in Eutrop. 1. 195.) But many other passages as distinctly imply that the word had also a special meaning, expressive of some particular object which went under that name, and which would naturally possess some analogy with the other objects designated by the same term. Of these the one which best agrees with all these requirements is a staple, hasp, or box fixed on to a door-post, into which the bolt of a lock, whether turned by a key or shot by the hand, was inserted in order to fasten the door, as may be seen on the Egyptian door represented in the illustration s. CARDO. This interpretation will coincide with most, if not all, of the expressions made use of in describing a forcible entry; which are such as these — to break through, pull out, or force back, the claustrum; and as the ancient doors were commonly made in two flaps, or had fastening at top and bottom, the plural claustra is mostly used (ad claustra pessuli recurrunt, for shutting (Apul. Met. i. p. 10. Varior.); claustra perfringere, to break open (Id. p. 8.); evellere (Id. p. 70.); revelli (Liv. v. 21. Cic. Verr. ii. 4. 23.); claustris, quae accuratissime affixa fuerunt, violenter evulsis (Apul. Met. iii. p. 46.). Compare CLAUSULA.

2. Poetically, for the door itself (Mart. x. 28.); or the gates of a city. Ovid. Met. iv. 86.

3. A cage or den in which wild beasts are enclosed. Hor. Od. iii. 11. 44. Stat. Sylv. ii. 5. 4.

4. In plural, the stalls for the horses in the Circus. (Hor. Epist. i. 14. 9. Stat. Theb. vi. 399.) Same as CARCERES.