ĭnĭtĭum, ĭi, n. [ineo], a going in, en trance.
I A beginning , commencement (syn.: principium, exordium).
A Lit.: bonis initiis orsus tribunatus, tristes exitus habuit consulatus, Cic. Brut. 34, 128: initio accusationis, id. de Or. 1, 26, 121: initium capere, Caes. B. G. 1, 1: dicendi initium sumere, Cic. Leg. 2, 1, 1: facere initium confligendi, id. Phil. 14, 14, 36: caedis initium ab aliquo facere, id. ib. 5, 7, 20: male ponere initia, id. Att. 10, 18, 2: ducere ab aliqua re, id. ib. 9, 9, 2: ab initio res quem ad modum facta sint, exponemus, Cic. Rosc. Am. 5, 14: ab ultimo initio repetere, Auct. Her. 1, 9, 14: seditionem ab altiore initio repetam, Tac. H. 2, 27: quia initio caedis orto difficilis modus, id. ib. 1, 39.— Pleon.: querellae ab initio tantae ordiendae rei absint, Liv. praef. § 12; cf.: prima initia incohare, Liv. id. 3, 54, 9: primum initium certaminis, Liv. id. 6, 12, 10. — The abl. sing. is used adverbially, in the beginning , at first : quemadmodum senatus initio censuit, Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 4: redeo ad illud quod initio scripsi, id. ib. 1, 7, 5; Nep. Thras. 1, 5; id. Tim. 3, 1; id. Alc. 5, 3; Curt. 3, 8, 17 al.; cf. Zumpt, Gram. § 475. —
B Transf.
1 Constituent parts , elements : inde est indagatio nata initiorum, et tamquam seminum, unde essent omnia orta, generata, concreta, Cic. Tusc. 5, 24, 69: illa initia, et, ut e Graeco vertam, elementa dicuntur ( = στοιχεῖα), id. Ac. 1, 7, 26; so of death: Augustus in sua resolutus initia, Vell. 2, 123, 3. —
2 First principles , elements cf a science: illa initia mathematicorum, quibus non concessis digitum progredi non possunt, Cic. Ac. 2, 36, 116.—
3 Beginning , origin : quomodo initium nobis rerum omnium ortus noster adferat, sic exitum mors, etc., Cic. Tusc. 1, 38, 91: natus obscurissimis initiis, Vell. 2, 761; cf.: pauca ab initio causisque talium facinorum non absurda, which relate to the origin , etc., Tac. H. 4, 48.—
4 Auspices , because with them everything was begun; hence, the beginning of a reign : novis initiis et ominibus opus est, i. e. of a new king , Curt. 5, 9, 4.—
II Secret sacred rites , sacred mysteries , to which only the initiated were admitted: initia vocantur potissimum ea, quae Cereri fiunt sacra, Varr. R. R. 3, 1, 5: initia Cereris, Liv. 31, 47, 2; cf. 39, 8, 5: nihil melius illis mysteriis, quibus ex agresti immanique vita exculti ad humanitatem et mitigati sumus, initiaque ut appellantur, ita re vera principia vitae cognovimus, Cic. Leg. 2, 14, 36; Just. 2, 6: initia Samothracum, Curt. 8, 1, 12: initiis pacis, foedus cum feritur, Varr. R. R. 2, 4, 9.—
B Things ( musical instruments ) used in celebrating these mysteries : Typanum, tubam, Cybele, tua, mater, initia, Cat. 63, 9.