altārĭa, ium, n. (ante-class and class. only in plur.; later in sing., in three forms: altāre, is, n., Fest. s. v. adulescit, p. 5; Isid. Orig. 15, 4: altar, āris, n., Prud. στεφ.; Vincent. 2, 515, and 9, 212; and altārĭum, ii, n., Inscr. Orell. 2519; Hier. Ep. 69.—Abl. altari, Petr. 135, Vulg. Gen. 33, 20, ib. Matt. 23, 20 al.) [cf. adoleo, adolesco, as sacrificial terms, Paul. ex Fest. p. 5 Müll., or altus from its height, id. ib. p. 29; Serv. ad Verg. E. 5, 66].
I That which was placed upon the altar proper (ara) for the burning of the victim (altaria sunt, in quibus igne adoletur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 5 Müll.; cf. id. ib. p. 29): celeres urunt altaria flammae, Tib. 4, 6, 17: structae diris altaribus arae, Luc. 3, 404: aris altaria imponere, Quint. Decl. 12, 26; Sol. 9.—Hence,
II Poet. (pars pro toto), a high altar (built and ornamented with more splendor than the ara; cf. Voss ad Verg. E. 5, 66; Hab. Syn. 129): Conspergunt aras adolentque altaria donis, Lucr. 4, 1237: en quattuor aras; Ecce duas tibi, Daphni, duas altaria Phoebo, two high altars to Phoebus , Verg. E. 5, 66 (ubi v. Wagn. and Voss): inter aras et altaria, i. e. in Capitolio, Plin. Pan. 1, 5: altaria thymiamatis, Vulg. Exod. 30, 27; ib. Rom. 11, 3 al.— Sing. (eccl. Lat.): aedificabit ibi altare Domino, Vulg. Gen. 12, 7; ib. Psa. 25, 6; ib. Matt. 5, 23: altare de terrā facere, ib. Exod. 20, 24: altare lapideum, ib. ib. 20, 25: altare aureum, ib. Num. 4, 11; ib. Apoc. 8, 3 al. persaepe.—Also plur. of a single altar : a cujus altaribus, Cic. Cat. 1, 9 fin. : ab altaribus fugatus, id. Har. Resp. 5: amoveri ab altaribus juvenem jussisset, Liv. 2, 12: Hannibalem altaribus admotum, id. 21, 1: altaria et aram complexa, Tac. A. 16, 31: sumptis in manus altaribus, Just. 24, 2; Suet. Aug. 94.