tergum, i (poet. and in post-Aug. prose also tergus, ŏris), n. (masc.: familiarem tergum, Plaut. As. 2, 2, 53; cf. Non. 227, 23) [cf. Gr. τράχηλος, neck; perh. root τρέχω, to run], the back of men or beasts (syn. dor sum).
I Lit.
α Form tergum: dabitur pol supplicium mihi de tergo vestre, Plaut. As. 2, 4, 75: vae illis virgis miseris quae hodie in tergo morientur meo, id. Capt. 3, 4, 117: manibus ad tergum rejectis, Asin. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 32, 3: boum terga, id. N. D. 2, 63, 159; cf. tergo poenae pendere Ter. Heaut. 728: tergo ac capite puniri, Liv. 3, 55, 14.—Of cranes eaeque in tergo praevolantium Colla reponunt, Cic. N. D. 2 49, 125. — Of the dolphin, Ov. F. 2, 113.— Of the crocodile: ejus terga cataphracta, Amm. 22, 15, 16.—
β Form tergus: aurea quam molli tergore vexit ovis, Prop. 2, 26 (3, 21), 6: ut equa facilem sui tergoris ascensum praebeat, Col. 6, 37, 10.—
II Transf.
A The back or hinder part , the back , rear ,
1 Esp. in the phrases terga vertere or dare, to turn the back , pregn., for to take to flight , to flee : omnes hostes terga verterunt; neque prius fugere destiterunt, quam, etc., Caes. B. G. 1, 53; so, terga vertere, id. ib. 3, 19; 3, 21; id. B. C. 3, 63; and even of a single person: terga vertit, Sen. Ep. 22, 7: qui plures simul terga dederant, etc., Liv. 22, 29, 5: terga dare, id. 36, 38, 4: inter duas acies Etrusci, cum in vicem his atque illis terga darent, id. 2, 51, 9; Ov. M. 13, 224: terga fugae praebere, id. ib. 10, 706: terga praestare (fugae), Tac. Agr. 37; Juv. 15, 75. — Trop. jam felicior aetas Terga dedit, tremuloque gradu venit aegra senectus, Ov. M. 14, 143.—
2 In gen.: inflexo mox dare terga genu, i. e. yield to the burden , Prop. 3, 9 (4, 8), 6: praebere Phoebo terga, to sun itself , Ov. M. 4, 715: concurrit ex insidiis versisque in Lucretium Etruscis terga caedit, the rear , Liv. 2, 11, 9; Flor. 4, 12, 7: terga Parthorum dicam, the flight , Ov. A. A. 1, 209: terga collis, Liv. 25, 15, 12; cf.: terga vincentium, Tac. Agr. 37: summi plena jam margine libri Scriptus et in tergo necdum finitus Orestes, written on the back , Juv. 1, 6: retro atque a tergo, behind one , Cic. Div. 1, 24, 49; cf.: a tergo, a fronte, a lateribus tenebitur, id. Phil. 3, 13, 32: ut a tergo Milonem adorirentur, behind , id. Mil. 10, 29; 21, 56; id. Verr. 2, 5, 38, § 98: tumultum hostilem a tergo accepit, Sall. J. 58, 4; Caes. B. G. 7, 87; Curt. 3, 1, 19; 3, 8, 27; 8, 5, 1: post tergum hostium legionem ostenderunt, Caes. B. G. 7, 62: ne nostros post tergum adorirentur, id. B. C. 3, 44: Germani post tergum clamore audito, id. B. G. 4, 15: post tergum hostem relinquere, id. ib. 4, 22: qui jam post terga reliquit Sexaginta annos, has left behind him , has passed , Juv. 13, 16: omnia jam diutino bello exhausta post tergum sunt, Curt. 4, 14, 11: omnia, quae post tergum erant, strata, id. 3, 10, 7: tot amnibus montibusque post tergum objectis, id. 4, 13, 7.—
B The back of any thing spread out horizontally, as land or water, i. e. the surface (poet.): proscisso quae suscitat aequore terga, Verg. G. 1, 97: crassa, id. ib. 2, 236: amnis, Ov. P. 1, 2, 82; Claud. B. G. 338; Luc. 5, 564; 9, 341.—
C (Pars pro toto.) The body of an animal (poet.).
α Form tergum: (serpens) Squamea convolvens sublato pectore terga, Verg. G. 3, 426; so of a serpent, id. A. 2, 208; Petr. 89; of Cerberus, Verg. A. 6, 422: horrentia centum Terga suum, i. e. a hundred head of swine , id. ib. 1, 635: nigrantis terga juvencos, id. ib. 6, 243: perpetui tergo bovis, id. ib. 8, 183.—
β Form tergus: resecat de tergore (suis) partem, of a chine of bacon , Ov. M. 8, 649: diviso tergore (juvenci), Phaedr. 2, 1, 11: squalenti tergore serpens, Sil. 3, 209.—
D The covering of the back , the skin , hide , leather , etc. (in this signif. tergus freq. occurs; syn.: pellis, corium).
α Form tergum: taurino quantum possent circumdare tergo, ox-hide , Verg. A. 1, 368: ferre novae nares taurorum terga recusant, Ov. A. A. 2, 655.—
β Form tergus: tergora deripiunt costis et viscera nudant, Verg. A. 1, 211; so Cels. 7, 25, 1; 8, 1 med. : durissimum dorso tergus, Plin. 8, 10, 10, § 30; cf. id. 9, 35, 53, § 105; Col. 7, 4 fin. —
2 Transf., a thing made of hide or leather.
α Form tergum: venti bovis inclusi tergo, i. e. in a bag made of a bull’s hide , Ov. M. 14, 225; 15, 305: et feriunt molles taurea terga manus, i. e. tymbals , id. F. 4, 342; so id. ib. 4, 212: Idae terga, Stat. Th. 8, 221: pulsant terga, id. Achill. 2, 154: rupit Terga novena boum, i. e. the nine thicknesses of bull’s hide , Ov. M. 12, 97: tergum Sulmonis, Verg. A. 9, 412; 10, 482; 10, 718; hence even: per linea terga (scuti), id. ib. 10, 784 (v. the passage in connection): duroque intendere bracchia tergo, i. e. cestus, id. ib. 5, 403; so id. ib. 5, 419.—
β Form tergus: gestasset laevā taurorum tergora septem, a shield covered with seven layers of hide , Ov. M. 13, 347: Martis tergus Geticum, Mart. 7, 2, 2.