Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Septum

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

SEP'TUM, in a general sense, is applied to any enclosure surrounded by barriers, walls, palings, hedges, &c.; such as a sheep-fold, homestead for cattle, den for wild beasts, and the like (Cic. Virg. Varro); but in the plural the name SEPTA was specially used to designate a number of enclosures in the Campus Martius within which the tribes or centuries, were collected at the Roman Comitia, before they proceeded to vote. (Ov. Fast. i. 53. Lucan. vii. 306. Cic. Att. iv. 16.) Each of these was termed a pen (OVILE, and wood-cut s. v.), and was originally partitioned off by wooden railings; but subsequently the whole site was furnished with marble fittings, and surrounded by colonnades as well as other architectural decorations. B. Crus. ad Suet. Aug. 43.