custōdĭa, ae, f. [custos],
I a watching, watch, guard, care, protection (freq. and class.).
I In gen.
A Lit.: in tuam custodiam meque et meas spes trado, Plaut. Most. 2, 1, 59: agitare custodiam, to keep guard , id. Rud. 3, 6, 20: iis impedimentis custodiae ac praesidio VI. milia hominum unā reliquerunt, Caes. B. G. 2, 29: sub hospitum privatorum custodiā esse, Liv. 42, 19, 5: tam fida canum, Cic. N. D. 2, 63, 158: pastoris, Col. 8, 4, 3: paedagogorum, Quint. 1, 2, 25: dura matrum, care, oversight , Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 22 et saep.: navium longarum, Caes. B. C. 3, 39: ignis (Vestae), Cic. Leg. 2, 12, 29: urbis, Caes. B. C. 1, 17; 2, 36; Liv. 5, 10, 4; cf.: urbis, sui, Suet. Aug. 49: corporis, id. Galb. 12: illa (sc. pontis), Nep. Milt. 3, 2: portus, Auct. B. Alex. 17: cum in ejusdem anni custodiā te atque L. Murenam fortuna posuisset, Cic. Mur. 31, 64: aliquid privatā custodiā continere, id. Sull. 15, 42: circum familias conventus Campaniae custodiae causā distribuit, Caes. B. C. 1, 14 fin. : in muro custodiae causā conlocati, id. ib. 1, 28; Auct. B. Afr. 46: navis quae erat ad custodiam ab Acilio posita, Caes. B. C. 3, 40: tribunus adpositus custodiae (alicujus), Tac. A. 1, 6: ignaviam suam tenebrarum ac parietum custodiis tegere, Cic. Rab. Perd. 7, 21: a cujus audaciā fratris liberos ne materni quidem corporis custodiae tegere potuissent, id. Clu. 11, 31: fida justitiae, id. Fin. 2, 34, 113: una fidelis memoriae rerum gestarum (litterae), Liv. 6, 1, 2: libertatis, id. 4, 24, 4: suae religionis, Quint. 6, 1, 20: decoris, id. 11, 1, 57 et saep.—
B Meton.
1 Usu. in plur. and in milit. lang., persons who serve as guards, a guard, watch, sentinel : colonia meis praesidiis, custodiis, vigiliis munita, Cic. Cat. 1, 3, 8; 2, 12, 26; id. Verr. 2, 3, 24, § 60: neque clam transire propter custodias Menapiorum possent, Caes. B. G. 4, 4; 7, 19; 7, 27 et saep.—In sing. (collect.), Cat. 62, 33: abest custodia regi, Ov. M. 14, 371: unicus anser erat, minimae custodia villae, id. ib. 8, 684: corporis, a body-guard , Curt. 5, 1, 42.—
2 A place where guard is kept, a watch- or guard - house, watch - station : haec (urbs) mea sedes est, haec vigilia, haec custodia, Cic. Phil. 12, 10, 24: privata, id. Sull. 15, 42: in hac custodiā et tamquam speculā, id. Phil. 7, 7, 19: ceteri in custodiam conditi, Tac. H. 4, 2.—In plur., Cic. Imp. Pomp. 6, 16; id. Rab. Perd. 7, 21—
II With the access. idea of hindering free motion, a watching, guarding, custody, restraint, confinement .
A Lit.: nec cuiquam uni custodiam ejus (sc. Philopoemenis capti) satis credebant, Liv. 39, 50, 2: quive (servi) inve ludum custodiamve conjecti fuerint, Gai Inst. 1, 13: animal quod custodiam nostram evadit, id. ib. 2, 67: famulos vinclis atque custodiā ... tueri, Cic. Tusc. 2, 21, 48. — Plur. : in praedonum hostiumque custodias tantum numerum civium Romanorum includere, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 55, § 144: libera, private custody, confinement in one's house , Liv. 24, 45, 8; Vell. 1, 11 (cf.: libero conclavi, Liv. 39, 14, 9); and in plur.: in liberis custodiis, Sall. C. 47, 3; cf. trop.: domi teneamus eam (eloquentiam), saeptam liberali custodiā, Cic. Brut. 96, 330.—Perh. in a play upon the words libera custodia: ut sis apud me ligneā in custodiā, Plaut. Poen. 5, 6, 28. —
B Meton.
1 A place of confinement, a prison, hold : Lentulus comprehenditur et in custodiā necatur, Caes. B. C. 3, 104 fin. ; Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 27, §§ 68 and 69; id. Cat. 1, 8, 19; id. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 4, § 14; id. Div. 1, 25, 52; id. Tusc. 1, 29, 71 et saep. —Trop.: corporis custodiis se liberare, Cic. Rep. 6, 15, 15.—
2 Persons in confinement, captives, prisoners (post-Aug.): in recognoscendis custodiis, Suet. Tib. 61; id. Dom. 14: unus ex custodiarum agmine, Sen. Ep. 77, 18.—Of a single person: eādem catenā et custodiam et militem copulat, Sen. Ep. 5, 7.