vĭgĭlĭa, ae, f. (neutr. collat. form vĭgĭlĭum, Varr. ap. Non. p. 232, 4) [vigil].
I Lit.
A In gen., wakefulness , sleeplessness , a lying awake : ut neque vigilia praecesserit neque ventris resolutio, Cels. 2, 6: corporum robora nocturnā vigiliā minuere, id. 1 init. : cui non sunt auditae Demosthenis vigiliae? Cic. Tusc. 4, 19, 44; id. Par. prooem. § 5.—
B In partic.
1 Lit., a keeping awake for the security of a place, esp. of a city or camp, a watching , watch , guard (cf.: excubiae, statio): noctu vigilias agere ad aedes sacras, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 43, § 93: vestra tecta custodiis vigiliisque defendite, id. Cat. 2, 12, 26: exercitus stationibus vigiliisque fessus, Liv. 5, 48, 6: vigiles scutum in vigiliam ferre vetuit, to take on guard , id. 44, 33, 8: vigiliarum nocturnarum curam per urbem magistratibus mandavimus, id. 39, 16, 12.—
b Transf.
α A watch , i. e. the time of keeping watch by night , among the Romans a fourth part of the night: nox in quattuor vigilias dividitur, quae singulae trium horarum spatio supputantur, Hier. Ep. 140, 8: primā vigiliā capite arma frequentes, Liv. 5, 44, 7; 10, 34, 13; 21, 27, 2: cum puer tuus ad me secundā fere vigiliā venisset, Cic. Fam. 3, 7, 4: de tertiā vigiliā, Caes. B. G. 1, 12: tertiā vigiliā, id. ib. 2, 33; Liv. 9, 44, 10: de quartā vigiliā, Caes. B. G. 1, 40.—
β The watch , i. e. those standing on guard, watchmen , sentinels : milites disponit, non certis spatiis intermissis sed perpetuis vigiliis stationibusque, Caes. B. C. 1, 21; 2, 19; Cic. Mil. 25, 67; Sall. C. 32, 1; id. J. 45, 2; 100, 4; Liv. 39, 14, 10.—
2 A watching at religious festivals, nightly vigils : Cereris vigiliae, Plaut. Aul. prol. 36; 4, 10, 65.—
II Trop., watchfulness , vigilance (the figure taken from military sentinels; perh. only in the foll. passages; whereas vigilantia is far more freq.): ut vacuum metu populum Romanum nostrā vigiliā et prospicientiā redderemus, Cic. Phil. 7, 7, 19; cf.: quasi in vigiliā quādam consulari ac senatoriā, id. ib. 1, 1, 1: cupio jam vigiliam meam, Brute, tibi tradere: sed ita, ut ne desim constantiae meae, my post , i. e. my office , duty , id. Fam. 11, 24, 1.— Plur. : cum summis vigiliis aliquid perficere, Just. Inst. prooem. § 1.