I.the place where the bodies of the dead were burned and buried; later also, in gen., for a tomb: bustum proprie dicitur locus, in quo mortuus est combustus et sepultus... ubi vero combustus quis tantummodo, alibi vero est sepultus, is locus ab urendo ustrina vocatur; sed modo busta sepulchra appellamus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 32 Müll.; cf. Serv. ad Verg. A. 3, 22; 11, 201; Inscr. Murat. 1514, 3.
I. The place of burning and burying; the funeral-pyre after the burning of the body: “semiustaque servant Busta neque avelli possunt,” Verg. A. 11, 201 Don. ad loc.; Lucr. 3, 906; Stat. S. 5, 1, 226; cf. Cic. Leg. 2, 26, 64.—
II. Transf.
A. In gen., a mound, tomb (most freq. in the poets): “in busto Achilli,” Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 14: si quis bustum (nam id puto appellari τύμβον) violarit, Solon ap. Cic. Leg. 2, 26, 64; Cic. Phil. 14, 13, 34; id. Tusc. 5, 35, 101; id. Att. 7, 9, 1; Cat. 64, 363; Verg. A. 11, 850; 12, 863; * Hor. C. 3, 3, 40; Prop. 3 (4), 6, 29; 1, 19, 21; 2 (3), 13, 33; Ov. M. 4, 88; 13, 452 al.; Suet. Caes. 84; id. Ner. 33, 38; Luc. 8, 748 —
2. Trop., of things that, like a tomb, give up a body to destruction; so of the maw of an animal that eats men: “viva videns vivo sepeliri viscera busto,” seeing the living body enclosed in the living grave, Lucr. 5, 991.—So of Tereus, who devoured his son: “flet modo, seque vocat bustum miserabile nati,” Ov. M. 6, 665.—Sarcastically, of one who annulled the laws: “bustum legum omnium ac religionum,” Cic. Pis. 5, 11; and: “bustum rei publicae,” id. ib. 4, 9.—Of a battle-field: “civilia busta Philippi,” Prop. 2, 1, 27 Kuin.—
B. Ad Busta Gallica, a place in Rome, so called from the Gauls who were burned and buried there, Varr. L. L. 5, § 157 Müll.; Liv. 5, 48, 3; 22, 14, 11.—
C. Of a destroyed city, the site, ruins, Plin. 5, 17, 15, § 73.—
D. The burned body itself, the ashes, Stat. Th. 12, 247.
