strāges, is, f. [sterno, II. B.], a throwing down, throwing to the ground, overthrowing; an overthrow; confusion, confused heap or mass (cf.: acervus, strues; not freq. till after the Aug. per., esp. in Liv.; not in Caes.).
I Lit.
A In gen.
α With gen.: strage armorum saepta via est, Liv. 35, 30: nemorum, Sil. 3, 205: ruinae, Liv. 42, 63: minarum, id. 37, 32: aedificiorum et hominum, Tac. A. 1, 76: obstantis molis, id. H. 1, 86: rerum in trepidatione nocturna passim relictarum, Liv. 10, 34: boum hominumque, id. 41, 21: canum volucrumque aviumque boumque, Ov. M. 7, 536: exercituum, Val. Max. 6, 6, ext. 1.—
β Absol. : dabit ille (nimbus) ruinas Arboribus stragemque satis, Verg. A. 12, 454: atrox tempestas multis locis stragem fecit, Liv. 40, 2: strage ac ruinā fudere Gallos, id. 5, 43; cf. id. 4, 33.—
B Pregn., a mortal overthrow; a defeat , slaughter , massacre , butchery , carnage (syn.: caedes, clades): stragem horribilem caedemque vereri, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 12, 20 so (with caedes) Tac. A. 14, 36; Just. 10, 3, 1; Val. Max. 5, 6, 5; cf.: quantas acies stragemque ciebunt! Verg. A. 6, 829: confusae stragis acervus, id. ib. 6, 504: complere strage campos, Liv. 7, 24.—In plur.: strages facere, Cic. Phil. 3, 12, 31: strages edere, id. Leg. 3, 9, 22; id. Att. 1, 16, 1; Verg. A. 9, 526; 9, 784; Just. 33, 2, 2; cf. also II.: cruentae, Claud. Laud. Stil. 1, 132.—*
II Trop., overthrow , ruin , destruction : quas ego pugnas et quantas strages edidi! Cic. Att. 1, 16, 1.