princĭpĭum, ii, n. [princeps], a beginning, commencement, origin (class.; syn.: primordia, initium).
I In gen.: origo principii nulla est: nam ex principio oriuntur omnia, Cic. Tusc. 1, 23, 54: quid est cujus principium aliquod sit, nihil sit extremum? id. N. D. 1, 8, 20: nec principium, nec finem habere, id. Sen. 21, 78: cujus criminis neque principium invenire, neque evolvere exitum possum, id. Cael. 23, 56: hic fons, hoc principium est movendi, id. Rep. 6, 25, 27: bellorum atque imperiorum, id. Balb. 3, 9: principium pontis, Tac. A. 1, 69: principio lucis, at daybreak , Amm. 25, 5, 1: in principiis dicendi, at the commencement of a speech , Cic. de Or. 1, 26, 121; so of a declaration in a lawsuit, Juv. 6, 245: suave quoddam principium dicendi, Amm. 30, 4, 19: principia ducere ab aliquo, to derive , deduce : omnium rerum magnarum principia a dis immortalibus ducuntur, id. Vatin. 6, 14: principium urbis, id. Off. 1, 17, 54: scribendi recte sapere est et principium et fons, Hor. A. P. 309: omne principium huc refer, id. C. 3, 6, 6: a Jove principium, Verg. E. 3, 60: anni, Liv. 1, 4: a sanguine Teucri Ducere principium, Ov. M. 13, 705: capessere, to begin , Tac. A. 15, 49.—Adverb.: principio, a principio, in principio, at or in the beginning , at first : principio ... postea, etc., Cic. Div. 2, 35, 75: principio generi animantium omni est a naturā tributum, ut se tueatur, id. Off. 1, 4, 11; id. Tusc. 2, 22, 53; id. Fin. 1, 6, 17; Ter. Eun. 1069; id. And. 570; Verg. A. 6, 214; Cic. Off. 3, 5, 21; so, a principio: ac vellem a principio te audissem, etc., id. Att. 7, 1, 2: dixeram a principio, de re publicā ut sileremus, id. Brut. 42, 157: in principio, id. de Or. 1, 48, 210: principio ut, as soon as , Plaut. Merc. prol. 40; v. Ritschl ad h. l.— Rarely of the boundaries of a country or people: adusque principia Carmanorum, Amm. 23, 6, 74.—
II In partic.
A Plur. , beginnings , foundations , principles , elements (class.): bene provisa et diligenter explorata principia ponantur, Cic. Leg. 1, 13, 37: juris, id. ib. 1, 6, 18: naturae, id. Off. 3, 12, 52; for which: principia naturalia, id. Fin. 3, 5, 17; cf. id. ib. 2, 11, 35: principia rerum, ex quibus omnia constant, first principles , elements , id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 36, 117.— Prov.: obsta principiis (cf. the French: ce n'est que le premier pas qui coute), Ov. R. Am. 91.—
B That makes a beginning , that votes first : tribus principium fuit, pro tribu Q. Fabius primus scivit, Lex Thoria, Rudorff. p. 142; Lex Appar. ap. Haubold, Moment. Leg. p. 85; Plebissc. ap. Front. Aquaed. 129: Faucia curia fuit principium, was the first to vote , Liv. 9, 38 fin. —
2 In gen., a beginner , originator , founder , ancestor (poet.): Graecia principium moris fuit, Ov. F. 2, 37: mihi Belus avorum Principium, ancestor , progenitor , Sil. 15, 748.—Here, too, prob. belongs PRINCIPIA SACRA, Aeneas and his successors in Lavinium , ancestors whom the Latins and Romans honored as deities , Inscr. Orell. 2276.—
C In milit. lang.: princĭpĭa , ōrum, n.
1 The foremost ranks , the front line of soldiers, the front or van of an army: post principia, behind the front , Liv. 2, 65; cf.: hic ero post principia, inde omnibus signum dabo, Ter. Eun. 781: post principia paulatim recedunt, Sisenn. ap. Non. 135, 31: deinde ipse paulatim procedere; Marium post principia habere, Sall. J. 50, 2: traversis principiis, in planum deducit, id. ib. 49, 6: equites post principia collocat, Liv. 3, 22; Tac. H. 2, 43. —
2 The staff-officers , members of the council of war (post-class.): mittere principia, Front. Strat. 2, 5, 30: a principiis salutari, Treb. Pol. Trig. Tyr. 10: advocatis legionum principiis et turmarum, Amm. 25, 5, 1; Cod. 12, 47, 1.—
3 A large open space in a camp , in which were the tents of the general , lieutenants , and tribunes , together with the standards , and where speeches were made and councils held; the general's quarters : jura reddere in principiis, Liv. 28, 24: in principiis ac praetorio in unum sermones confundi, id. 7, 12: castrorum, Just. 11, 6, 6: in castris, Varr. R. R. 3, 4, 1: in principiis statuit tabernaculum, eoque omnes cotidie convenire (jussit), ut ibi de summis rebus consilia caperentur, Nep. Eum. 7, 2; Suet. Oth. 1; 6; Flor. 3, 10, 12: primores centurionum et paucos militum in principia vocat, Tac. H. 3, 13; 1, 48; Dig. 49, 16, 12; cf. Front. Strat. 4, 1, 16.—
D Precedence , preference , the first place : principium ergo, columenque omnium rerum preti margaritae tenent, Plin. 9, 35, 54, § 106. —
E Plur. , selections , selected passages : principiorum libri circumferuntur, quia existimatur pars aliqua etiam sine ceteris esse perfecta, Plin. Ep. 2, 5, 12.—
2 In partic., mastery , dominion (post-class.): ἀρχή, magisterium, magistratus, praesidatus, principium, Gloss. Philox.: in Graeco principii vocabulum, quod est ἀρχή, non tantum ordinativum, sed et potestativum capit principatum, Tert. adv. Hermog. 19.