factĭo, ōnis, f. [facio].
I A making , doing , preparing (very rare): tabulae, quas is instituisset, cui testamenti factio nulla est, the right of making a will , Cic. Top. 11, 50; cf.: factionem testamenti habere, id. Fam. 7, 21: quae haec factio est? conduct , dealing , proceeding , Plaut. Rud. 5, 3, 15; id. Bacch. 4, 8, 2.—
II (Acc. to facio, II. B.; lit., a taking part or siding with any one; hence concr.) A company of persons associated or acting together , a class , order , sect , faction , party (syn.: pars, partes, causa, rebellio, perduellio, seditio).
A In gen. (rare): cum vostris nostra non est aequa factio; Affinitatem vobis aliam quaerite, i. e. family , rank , Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 51; cf.: neque nos factione tanta, quanta tu, sumus, id. Cist. 2, 1, 17; id. Trin. 2, 4, 66; 90; 96; id. Aul. 2, 1, 45: utrimque factiones tibi pares, Cato ap. Charis. p. 198 P.: alia (medicorum) factio coepit in Sicilia, i. e. class or school , Plin. 29, 1, 4, § 5: est et alia magices factio, a Mose pendens, id. 30, 1, 2, § 11: lascivientium, Vulg. Amos, 6, 7.—
B In partic., a company of political adherents or partisans , a party , side , faction (class.; among the republican Romans usually with the odious accessory notion of oligarchical): in Gallia non solum in omnibus civitatibus atque in omnibus pagis partibusque, sed paene etiam in singulis domibus factiones sunt, earumque factionum principes sunt, qui, etc., divisions , factions , Caes. B. G. 6, 11, 2 sq.: paucorum factione oppressus, id. B. C. 1, 22, 5; cf.: in qua (Scaevolae oratione) invidia incitatur in judicum et in accusatorum factionem, Cic. Brut. 44, 164: haec inter bonos amicitia, inter malos factio est, Sall. J. 31, 15: conspiratis factionum partibus, Phaedr. 1, 2, 4: per vim et factionem, Cic. Att. 7, 9, 4: triginta illorum consensus et factio, i. e. oligarchy , Cic. Rep. 1, 28; cf.: cum certi propter divitias aut genus aut aliquas opes rem publicam tenent, est factio: sed vocantur illi optimates, id. ib. 3, 14; 1, 44; cf. also: ut exsistat ex rege dominus, ex optimatibus factio, ex populo turba et confusio, id. ib. 1, 45: in factionis potestate, id. ib. 3, 32: principem factionis ad Philippum trahentium res, Liv. 32, 19, 2; Tac. H. 1, 13; Suet. Claud. 13.—
2 Scenic t. t., a division , company , or party of charioteers at the Roman races (of which there were four, named after their colors: albata, prasina, russata, veneta), Suet. Calig. 55; id. Vit. 7; 14; id. Dom. 7; Inscr. Orell. 2593; cf. Fest. p. 86 Müll.; and Anthon's Dict. of Antiq. p. 256.—Also of pantomimes , Suet. Ner. 16; and: domini factionum = factionarii, id. ib. 5; 22; Lampr. Com. 16.