signum, i, n. [perh. Sanscr. sag-, to cling to, adhere; cf. sigilla].
I In gen., a mark , token , sign , indication (very frequent in all styles and periods; cf. insigne): meo patri torulus inerit aureus Sub petaso: id signum Amphitruoni non erit, Plaut. Am. prol. 145 sq.: ut eam (nutricem) adducam et signa ostendam haec, i. e. crepundia, Ter. Eun. 808; 914: ut fures earum rerum, quas ceperunt, signa commutant, etc., Cic. Fin. 5, 25, 74; so (with notae) id. de Or. 2, 41, 174; id. Lael. 17, 62; cf.: omne probabile aut signum est aut credibile ... Signum est, quod sub sensum aliquem cadit et quiddam significat, quod ex ipso profectum videtur, etc., id. Inv. 1, 30, 47 sq.: aut pecori signum aut numeros inpressit acervis, Verg. G. 1, 263; cf.: servitii signum cervice gerens, Ov. M. 3, 16: jaculo mihi vulnera fecit.—Signa vides: apparet adhuc vetus ecce cicatrix, Ov. M. 12, 444: metam Constituit signum nautis pater, unde reverti Scirent, etc., Verg. A. 5, 130: scutum signi gratia positum, Quint. 6, 3, 38: signa pedum, tracks , prints , Ov. M. 4, 543; and simply signa, Verg. A. 8, 212 al.: oculis mihi signum dedit, Ne se appellarem, Plaut. Mil. 2, 1, 45: dare, Ter. Eun. 781: dicere deos gallis signum dedisse cantandi, Cic. Div. 2, 26, 57 al.: signa esse ad salutem, Ter. And. 482: animi pudentis signum, id. Heaut. 120: color pudoris signum, id. And. 878: signa doloris ostendere, Cic. de Or. 2, 45, 190: mortis dare, Lucr. 6, 1182: timoris mittere, to exhibit , display , Caes. B. C. 1, 71 et saep.—With obj.-clause : magnum hoc quoque signum est, dominam esse extra noxiam, Ter. Heaut. 298; Nep. Att. 17, 2.—In predic. gen. with neutr. pron. : hoc est signi; ubi primum poterit, se illinc subducet, Ter. Eun. 628: id erit signi me invitum facere, quod, etc., Cic. Rosc. Am. 30, 83; Auct. Her. 4, 5, 8; Cato R. R. 38, 4; 88, 2: nil tamen est signi, Lucr. 5, 918; cf.: quid signi? Cic. Cael. 16, 38, 2.— Hence, a surname , epithet (rare): huic signum exercitus apposuit, Vop. Am. 6; cf. Capitol. Gord. 4.—
II In partic.
A In milit. lang.
1 The distinctive sign of a division of an army.
a A military standard , ensign , banner (including the aquila): signifero interfecto, signo amisso, Caes. B. G. 2, 25: ut neque signiferi viam, nec signa milites cernerent, Liv. 33, 7: Hasdrubal ut procul signa legionum fulgentia vidit, id. 28, 14; 22, 21; Col. 9, 9, 4: inter signa militaria, Hor. Epod. 9, 15: cum unius signi militibus pergit ire, Liv. 33, 1: signa militaria ex proelio relata, Caes. B. C. 3, 99; so, militaria, id. B. G. 7, 2; Plin. 33, 33, 19, § 58.— Hence the expressions: signa sequi, to follow the standards , to march in military order , Sall. J. 80, 2; Liv. 24, 48, 11: signa subsequi, to keep in order of battle , Caes. B. G. 4, 26: signa observare, Sall. J. 51, 1: signa servare, Liv. 8, 34, 10; Veg. Mil. 1, 9: ab signis discedere, to desert the standards , leave the ranks , Caes. B. G. 5, 16; 5, 33 fin. ; id. B. C. 1, 44; Liv. 25, 20 al.; cf.: ab ordinibus signisque discedere, Front. Strat. 1, 5, 3: signa relinquere, to desert , Sall. C. 9, 4; Liv. 5, 6 al.: signa deserere, Liv. 8, 34, 9: signa ferre, i. e. to break up the camp, Caes. B. G. 1, 39 fin. ; 1, 40; Liv. 2, 49, 3; 10, 5 al.; for which: movere signa, id. 1, 14, 9; 27, 2, 12; Verg. G. 3, 236; and: tollere, Vell. 2, 61, 2; Auct. B. Alex. 57, 1; but: ferte signa in hostem, attack , Liv. 9, 23, 13: signa constituere, to halt , Caes. B. G. 7, 47; cf.: infestis contra hostes signis constiterunt, id. ib. 7, 51: signa proferre, to advance , Liv. 4, 32, 10: signa convertere, to wheel , turn , or face about , Caes. B. G. 1, 25 fin. ; 2, 26: Liv. 8, 11; 2, 14; 4, 29; for which, vertere signa, id. 9, 35: signa inferre (in aliquem), to advance to the attack , make an assault , Caes. B. G. 1, 25 fin. ; 2, 26; 7, 67; id. B. C. 2, 42; Cic. Phil. 5, 8, 23; Sall. J. 56, 5; Liv. 2, 53; 9, 27; 44, 12 al; cf.: signa conferre cum aliquo, to engage with , engage in close fight , Cic. Att. 7, 5, 5; id. Pis. 21, 49; and cf.: collatis signis pugnare, superare aliquem, etc., Plaut. Cas. 2, 5, 44; Liv. 1, 33; 2, 50; Cic. Imp. Pomp. 23, 66; but conferre signa also means simply to bring the standards together (to one place), Caes. B. G. 7, 2; 2, 25; Liv. 37, 21: signa in laevum cornu confert, concentrates his troops , id. 7, 15, 4: signa transferre, to desert , Caes. B. C. 1, 24: signa convellere, to take up the standards , which had been fixed in the ground, Liv. 3, 7, 3; 3, 54, 10; 5, 37, 4; so, vellere signa, id. 3, 50, 11; Verg. G. 4, 108: revellere signa, Luc. 7, 77; cf.: signa figere, to encamp , Amm. 27, 10, 9: defigere signa, Sil. 8, 625: sub signis ducere legiones, ire, esse, etc., together , in order , in rank and file , Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 71 (with ordine); Cic. Att. 16, 8, 2; Liv. 3, 51; Tac. H. 2, 14: signa hostium turbare, to throw into disorder , Liv. 9, 73: ante signa, before the army , id. 5, 18; 6, 7; 7, 16: post signa, id. 2, 49.—
β Transf., in gen.: infestis prope signis inferuntur Galli in Fonteium, Cic. Font. 20, 44 (16, 34).—
b Esp., the standard or ensign of single cohorts and maniples (opp. aquila, the standard of the entire legion): cum fasces, cum tubas, cum signa militaria, cum aquilam illam argenteam ... scirem esse praemissam, Cic. Cat. 2, 6, 13; Galb. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 30, 5; Suet. Calig. 14 fin. Oud.; Tac. A. 1, 18; id. H. 2, 29 fin. ; Plin. 13, 3, 4, § 23; Luc. 1, 6; 1, 224 al. (cf. aquila, 2.): manipulos exercitus minimas manus quae unum sequuntur signum, Varr. L. L. 5, § 88 Müll.—
β Meton., a cohort , a maniple : octo cohortes in fronte constituit, reliquarum signa in subsidio artius collocat, Sall. C. 59, 2; Liv. 8, 9; 25, 23 fin. ; 33, 1; 27, 14; 28, 14; Auct. B. Hisp. 18, 3.—
2 A sign , signal; a watchword , password , given by a wind-instrument, by the tessera, or otherwise: signum tubā dare, Caes. B. G. 2, 20; 7, 81: proelii committendi dare, id. ib. 2, 21: recipiendi dare, id. ib. 7, 52: receptui dare, Liv. 4, 31; 26, 45; 3, 22; cf. Cic. Rep. 1, 2, 3: signum dare ut, etc., Liv. 2, 20; 4, 39: proelii exposcere, Caes. B. G. 7, 19: concinere, id. B. C. 3, 92 fin. ; Liv. 30, 5; cf. Tac. A. 1, 68: canere, Sall. C. 59, 1; id. J. 99, 1; Liv. 1, 1; 4, 31; 27, 47; Cic. Rep. 1, 3, 3 al. (v. cano).—For the chariot race: signum mittendis quadrigis dare, Liv. 8, 40, 3: signum mittere, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107: signo Felicitatis dato, the word , watchword , Felicitas, Auct. B. Afr. 83: signum petere, Suet. Calig. 56; id. Claud. 42; id. Ner. 9; cf.: it bello tessera signum, Verg. A. 7, 637.—Transf.: tu illam (virtutem) jubes signum petere, i. e. to be in subjection , Sen. Ben. 4, 2, 2.—
B A sign or token of any thing to come; a prognostic , symptom (cf.: portentum, indicium): ipse et equus ejus repente concidit: nec eam rem habuit religioni, objecto signo, ut peritis videbatur, ne committeret proelium, Cic. Div. 1, 35, 77: medici signa quaedam habent ex venis et ex spiritu aegroti, id. ib. 2, 70, 145; cf. Verg. G. 3, 440; 3, 503; 4, 253; Cels. 2, 3: prospera signa dare, Ov. H. 18 (19), 152.—
C An image , as a work of art; a figure , statue , picture , etc. (syn.: effigies, imago, simulacrum); inerant (classi) signa expressa, Titani quomodo, etc., Naev. 2, 13: statuas deorum, exempla earum facierum, s gna domi pro supellectile statuere, Cato ap. Prisc. p. 782 P.: signum pictum in pariete, Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 44: signum in fano, id. Rud. 2, 7, 2: aëna signa, Lucr. 1, 318: ante signum Jovis Statoris concidit, Cic. Div. 1, 35, 77: signum aeneum, marmoreum, eburneum, id. Verr. 2, 4, 1, § 1; cf. id. Off. 1, 41, 147; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 248: cratera impressum signis, Verg. A. 5, 536; 5, 267; 9, 263: (vestis) auro signisque ingentibus apta, Lucr. 5, 1428: ex ornatis aedibus per aulaea et signa, Sall. H. 2, 23, 2 Dietsch: pallam signis auroque rigentem, Verg. A. 1, 648: e Pario formatum marmore signum, Ov. M. 3, 419; cf. id. ib. 5, 183; 12, 398: statuas, signa, picturas commendet, Plin. Ep. 1, 20, 5.—
D An image or device on a seal-ring; a seal , signet : ostendi tabellas Lentulo, et quaesivi, cognosceretne signum. Annuit. Est vero, inquam, notum signum, imago avi tui, etc., Cic. Cat. 3, 5, 10: (patera) in cistulā obsignata signo est, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 265; cf. Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 45, § 117: tabulae maximae signis hominum nobilium consignantur, id. Quint. 6, 25: imprimat his signa tabellis, Hor. S. 2, 6, 38: litterae integris signis praetoribus traduntur, Cic. Cat. 3, 3, 6; Sall. C. 47, 3: signo laeso non insanire lagenae, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 134: volumen sub signo habere, to have under seal , Cic. Att. 9, 10, 4; cf.: sub signo claustrisque rei publicae positum vectigal, id. Agr. 1, 7, 21: nec pacta conventaque inpressis signis custodirentur, Sen. Ben. 3, 15, 1: cum sol duodena peregit signa, Ov. M. 13, 618.—
E A sign in the heavens , a constellation (cf. sidus): caeli subter labentia signa, Lucr. 1, 2: loca caelio Omnia, dispositis signis ornata, id. 5, 695: signorum ortus et obitus, Cic. Inv. 1, 34, 59: signis omnibus ad idem principium stellisque revocatis, id. Rep. 6, 22, 24: in signo leonis, id. Div. 1, 53, 121: signorum obitus speculari et ortus, Verg. G. 1, 257; id. A. 7, 138: signum pluviale Capellae, Ov. F. 5, 113: ponemusque suos ad vaga signa dies, id. ib. 1, 310: nox caelo diffundere signa parabat, Hor. S. 1, 5, 10; cf. id. C. 2, 8, 11.—
F Miraculous works (eccl. Lat.), Vulg. Dan. 3, 99; id. Matt. 24, 24; id. Joan. 2, 11 et saep.