principium

prīncipium ī, n

princeps, a beginning, commencement, origin : origo principi nulla est: motūs: principio orationis hoc pono, in beginning my speech : omnium rerum magnarum ab dis inmortalibus principia ducuntur: Scribendi recte sapere est principium, H.: Ab Iove principium, V.: imperi, L.: a sanguine Teucri Ducere principium, O.—Abl adverb., at the beginning, in the beginning, at first, in the first place : Principio vementer velim, etc., T.: principio ausus est dicere: Principio . . . tum, V.—In the phrase, a principio (rarely de principio), from the beginning, from the first : ut a principio dixi: de principio studuit occurrere, etc.—Plur, beginnings, foundations, principles, elements : diligenter explorata principia ponantur: naturalia: principia rerum, e quibus omnia constant, elements .—Prov.: obsta principiis, O.— That which begins, a leader, founder : Faucia curia fuit principium, i. e. was the first to vote , L.: Graecia principium moris fuit, O.—In the army, plur, the foremost ranks, front lines of soldiers, front, van : ero post principia, in the rear , T.: Marium post principia habere, S.: post principia tutus receptus fuit, to the rear , L.—In a camp, the headquarters, principal place, general's quarters (an open space, for councils and assemblies): iura reddere in principiis, L.: in principiis statuit tabernaculum, N.