vĭa (vĕa, Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 14), ae (gen. sing. vias, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 679 P., or Ann. v. 421 Vahl.; viāï, Enn. ap. Cic. Sen. 6, 16, or Ann. v. 209 ib.; Lucr. 1, 406; 1, 659; 2, 249 et saep.; dat. plur. VIEIS, Inscr. Lat. 206, 50), f. [Sanscr. vah-āmi, bring, lead; Gr. ὄχος, ὄχημα, vehicle; Germ. Wagen; Engl. wagon; from this root are also veho, vexo, etc.], a way, in the most general sense (for men, beasts, or carriages, within or without a city), a highway, road, path, street.
I Lit.
1 In gen.: viae latitudo ex lege duodecim tabularum in porrectum octo pedes habet, in anfractum, id est ubi flexum est, sedecim, Dig. 8, 3, 8: Romam in montibus positam et convallibus, non optimis viis, angustissimis semitis, Cic. Agr. 2, 35, 96: et modo quae fuerat semita, facta via est, Mart. 7, 61, 4: aut viam aut semitam monstret, Plaut. Rud. 1, 3, 30: mi opsistere in viā, id. Curc. 2, 3, 5: ire in viā, Ter. Eun. 495: omnibus viis notis semitisque essedarios ex silvis emittebat, Caes. B. G. 5, 19 (opp. semita), id. ib. 7, 8; Liv. 44, 43, 1; cf.: decedam ego illi de viā, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 80; cf. id. Curc. 2, 3, 8: paulum ad dexteram de viā declinavi, Cic. Fin. 5, 2, 5: decedere viā, Suet. Tib. 31: aestuosa et pulverulenta via, Cic. Att. 5, 14, 1: quā (viā) Sequanis invitis propter angustias ire non poterant, Caes. B. G. 1, 9: cursare huc illuc viā deterrimā, Cic. Att. 9, 9, 2: in viam se dare, to set out on a journey , id. Fam. 14, 12: te neque navigationi neque viae committere, id. ib. 16, 4, 1: tu abi tuam viam, Plaut. Rud. 4, 3, 88: milites monuit, viā omnes irent, nec deverti quemquam paterentur, along the highway , Liv. 25, 9, 4.—In a double sense: ire publicā viā, Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 35.—Prov.: qui sibi semitam non sapiunt, alteri monstrant viam, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 58, 132 (Trag. v. 358 Vahl.): de viā in semitam degredi, Plaut. Cas. 3, 5, 40: totā errare viā, Ter. Eun. 245.—
2 In partic., as the name of a particular street or road : tres ergo viae, a supero mari Flaminia, ab infero Aurelia, media Cassia, Cic. Phil. 12, 9, 22: Via Appia, id. Mil. 6, 15; id. Imp. Pomp. 18, 55; cf. Liv. 9, 29, 6; v. Appius: Via Campana, Suet. Aug. 94; v. Campania: Sacra Via, in Rome, in the fourth region, Varr. L. L. 5, § 47 Müll.; Fest. p. 290 ib.; Cic. Planc. 7, 17; Hor. Epod. 4, 7; 7, 8: Via Sacra, id. S. 1, 9, 1; also written as one word, SACRAVIA, Inscr. Grut. 638, 7; 1033, 1; cf. Charis. p. 6 P.; Diom. p. 401 ib. (v. sacer, I. A.); cf. Becker, Antiq. 1, p. 219 sq.— Hence, Sacrăvĭenses , ĭum, m., those dwelling on the Sacra Via , Fest. s. v. October equus, p. 178 Müll.—
B Transf.
1 Abstr., like our way , for march , journey (syn. iter): cum de viā languerem, Cic. Phil. 1, 5, 12: nisi de viā fessus esset, id. Ac. 1, 1, 1: tridui via, a three days’ march or journey , Caes. B. G. 1, 38: bidui, id. ib. 6, 7; Cic. Div. 1, 15, 27: longitudo viae, Liv. 37, 33, 3: flecte viam velis, Verg. A. 5, 28: tum via tuta maris, Ov. M. 11, 747: feci Longa Pherecleā per freta puppe vias, id. H. 16, 22: ne inter vias praeterbitamus, metuo, by the way , on the road , Plaut. Poen. 5, 3, 43; Ter. Eun. 629; Turp. ap. Non. p. 538, 8 et saep.—
2 In gen., a way , passage , channel , pipe , etc.; thus, a lane in a camp, Caes. B. G. 5, 49; a passage between the seats of a theatre, Mart. 5, 14, 8; Tert. Spect. 3; of the veins : omnes ejus (sanguinis) viae, Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 137; of the chyle ducts : quaedam a medio intestino usque ad portas jecoris ductae et directae viae, id. ib.; the windpipe , Ov. M. 15, 344; 14, 498; a cleft through which any thing penetrates, Verg. G. 2, 79; cf. Ov. M. 11, 515; the path or track of an arrow, Verg. A. 5, 526; a stripe in a party-colored fabric, Tib. 2, 3, 54 et saep.—
II Trop.
A In gen., a way , method , mode , manner , fashion , etc., of doing any thing, course (cf. modus): vitae, Cic. Fl. 42, 105; id. Agr. 1, 9, 27; id. Sest. 67, 140; Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 26; Sen. Brev. Vit. 9, 5; Lact. Epit. 67, 12: via vivendi, Cic. Off. 1, 32, 118: rectam vitae viam sequi, id. ib.: Socrates hanc viam ad gloriam proximam dicebat esse, id. ib. 2, 12, 43: haec ad aeternam gloriam via est, Plin. 2, 7, 5, § 18: haec una via omnibus ad salutem visa est, Liv. 36, 27, 8: invenire viam ad mortem, Plin. Ep. 3, 16, 12: totidem ad mortem viae sunt, Sen. Contr. 1, 8, 6: cum eum hortarer ut eam laudis viam rectissimam esse duceret, Cic. Brut. 81, 281: haec est una via laudis, id. Sest. 65, 137: totam ignoras viam gloriae, id. Phil. 1, 14, 33: quae tum promptissima mortis via, exsolvit venas, Tac. A. 16, 17: habeo certam viam atque rationem, quā omnes illorum conatus investigare et consequi possim, Cic. Verr. 1, 16, 48: defensionis ratio viaque, id. ib. 2, 5, 1, § 4: non tam justitiae quam litigandi tradunt vias, id. Leg. 1, 6, 18: docendi via, id. Or. 32, 114: optimarum artium vias tradere, id. Div. 2, 1, 1: (di) non ... nullas dant vias nobis ad significationum scientiam, id. ib. 2, 49, 102: rectam instas viam, i. e. you speak correctly , truly , Plaut. As. 1, 1, 41.—Adverb.: rectā viā, directly : ut rectā viā rem narret ordine omnem, Ter. Heaut. 706.—
B Pregn. (cf. ratio), the right way , the true method , mode , or manner : ingressu'st viam, i. e. rectam, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 273: in omnibus quae ratione docentur et viā, primum constituendum est, quid quidque sit, etc., rationally and methodically , Cic. Or. 33, 116: ut ratione et viā procedat oratio, id. Fin. 1, 9, 29.—Adverb.: viā, rightly , properly (opp. to wandering out of the way): ipsus eam rem secum reputavit viā, Ter. And. 442: viā et arte dicere, Cic. Brut. 12, 46. —
C Viam perficere, i. e. to attain an end , Just. Inst. proöem. 1.