subsellĭum, ii, n. [sub-sella], a low bench (quod non plane erat sella, subsellium, Varr. L. L. 5, § 128 Müll.); hence, transf., a bench for sitting upon, a seat of any kind (in a house, the theatre, the curia, a court, etc.; syn.: scamnum, sedile).
I In gen., Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 21; 1, 2, 36; id. Capt. 3, 1, 11; Suet. Ter. 2; cf. Cels. 7, 26, 1.—Of places in the theatre: ut conquisitores singuli in subsellia Eant per totam caveam, etc., Plaut. Am. prol. 65; id. Poen. prol. 5; Cic. Corn. Fragm. med. (ap. Orell. V. 2, p. 68); Suet. Aug. 43; 44; id. Ner. 26; id. Claud. 41 al.—Of the seats of senators in the curia: volo, hoc oratori contingat, ... ut locus in subselliis occupetur, etc., Cic. Brut. 84, 290: subsellia senatūs, id. Phil. 5, 7, 18; cf. id. ib. 2, 8, 19; id. Cat. 1, 7, 16; Suet. Claud. 23 al.—In the courts, Cic. Vatin. 14, 34: sedere in accusatorum subselliis, id. Rosc. Am. 6, 17: advocato adversis subselliis sedenti, Quint. 11, 3, 132; cf. id. 6, 1, 39; 12, 3, 2.—Prov.: vir imi subselli, a man of no account , Plaut. Stich. 3, 2, 33.—
II In partic.
A Lit., a judge's seat , the bench : accusabat tribunus plebis idem in contionibus, idem ad subsellia, Cic. Clu. 34, 93: rem ab subselliis in rostra detulit, id. ib. 40, 111.—
B Transf.
1 The bench , i. e. the occupants of a bench : bibis quantum subsellia quinque solus, Mart. 1, 27, 1. —
2 A court , tribunal : age vero ne semper forum, subsellia, rostra, curiamque meditere, Cic. de Or. 1, 8, 32: subsellia grandiorem et pleniorem vocem desiderant, id. Brut. 84, 289: longi subsellii judicatio et mora, id. Fam. 3, 9, 2: qui habitaret in subselliis, id. de Or. 1, 62, 264; cf. id. Div. in Caecil. 15, 48: versatus in utrisque subselliis, i. e. as judge and advocate , id. Fam. 13, 10, 2.