mĕtallum, i, n., = μέταλλον, a mine or quarry, of gold, silver, iron, or stone; voc. metalle, as if from metallus, Spart. Pesc. Nig. 126.
I Lit., the place where metals are dug, a mine : metalla vetera intermissa recoluit, et nova multis locis instituit, Liv. 39, 24: sandaracae, Vitr. 7, 7, 5: aurifera, gold-mines , Luc. 3, 209: silicum, stone-quarry , id. 4, 304: miniarium, Plin. 33, 7, 40, § 118: praeter annuum, quod ex metallis regiis capia, vectigal, Liv. 42, 12: herba tantae suavitatis, ut metallum esse coeperit, a mine , i. e. that a tax was raised from it as from a mine , Plin. 21, 7, 20, § 44: damnare in metallum, to condemn to labor in the mines or quarries : damnatus in metallum, Plin. Ep. 2, 11, 8: condemnare aliquem ad metalla, Suet. Calig. 27: mediocrium delictorum poenae sunt metallum, ludus, deportatio, Paul. Sent. 5, 17, 3; 5, 3, 5: dare aliquem in metallum, Dig. 48, 19, 8: metallo plecti, ib. 47, 11, 7: puniri, ib. 48, 13, 6.—
II Transf., the product of a mine or quarry .
1 A metal , as gold, silver, or iron: ubicumque una inventa vena argenti est, non procul invenitur alia. Hoc quidem et in omni fere materia: unde metalla Graeci videntur dixisse, Plin. 33, 6, 31, § 96: auri, Verg. A. 8, 445: potior metallis libertas, i. e. gold and silver , Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 39: aeris, Verg. G. 2, 165: pejoraque saecula ferri temporibus, quorum ... nomen a nullo posuit natura metallo, Juv. 13, 30.—
2 Other things dug from the earth.
α Marble , Stat. S. 4, 3, 98.—
β Precious stone : radiantium metalla gemmarum, Pacat. Pan. 4.—
γ Chalk : admiscetur creta ... Campani negant alicam confici sine eo metallo posse, Plin. 18, 11, 29, § 114.—
δ Sulphur : utque est ingenium vivacis metalli (sulphuris), Ap. Met. 9, 24, 16.—
ε Salt : metallum fragile, Prud. Hamart. 744.—
III Trop., metal, stuff, material : saecula meliore metallo, Claud. III. Cons. Hon. 184: mores meliore metallo, id. Cons. Mall. Theod. 137.