Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Templum

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. 

TEM'PLUM (τέμενος), in its primary notion, signifies a portion which is cut off; and especially with reference to an imaginary space in the heavens, marked off by an augur with his wand (lituus), in order to circumscribe a certain boundary, within which he took his observations on the flight of birds. Varro, L. L. vii. 7.

2. A piece of land separated and marked off by the augurs, with a certain solemn formula, to serve for religious purposes, but more especially for taking auguries. Varro, L. L. vii. 8. Cic. Leg. ii. 7. Liv. i. 6.

3. A temple or religious edifice raised upon the land, consecrated as above by the augurs; including also the sacred precinct which surrounded it. Cic. Verr. ii. 4. 43.

4. Any place or building which had been consecrated by an augur; as the curia (Liv. 1. 30. Cic. Dom. 51.), the rostra (Id. Vat. 10.).

5. In architecture, templa are the purlines placed across the principal rafters (canterii) in the timber work of a roof, for the purpose of receiving the common rafters (asseres) on which the tiles (tegulae) are laid. (Vitruv. iv. 2. 1.) See the wood-cut s. MATERIATIO, on which they are marked g g g g.