I.“pignosa pignora eodem modo quo valesii, auselii ... dicebantur,” Fest. p. 213 Müll.), n. root pac-, of pango; cf. paciscor, a pledge, gage, pawn, security, mortgage (of persons as well as things).
I. Lit.: “opponere se pigneri,” Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 85: “ager oppositus est pignori,” Ter. Phorm. 4, 3, 56: “servus, quem hic reliqueram Pignus pro me,” Plaut. Capt. 5, 1, 19: “quo facto pignore animos centurionum devinxit,” Caes. B. C. 1, 39: “rem alicujus pignori accipere,” Tac. H. 3, 65: “pignora apud se deposita persequi et vindicare,” Paul. Sent. 5, 26, 4: “sub pignoribus mutuas pecunias accipere,” Dig. 13, 7, 12: “habere aliquid pignori,” ib. 20, 4, 2: “liberare pignus a creditore,” ib. 20, 4, 4: “pignoribus cavere alicui,” ib. 43, 3, 2: aurum pignori apud aliquem ponere, ib. 13, 7, 27: “viginti milia faenus pignoribus positis,” income from mortgages, Juv. 9, 141.—Esp., of the security for the payment of his fine, which was taken by the consul of a senator who failed to attend in the Senate: “pignus auferre,” Cic. de Or. 3, 1, 4: pignoribus terreri, Crass. ib.; so, “senatores pignoribus cogere,” Cic. Phil. 1, 5, 12: “pignora capere,” Liv. 3, 38, 12; “of hostages,” id. 33, 22: “marium pignora,” male hostages, Suet. Aug. 21: pignus praetorium, the security which the prœtor took as a guarantee for the preservation of a thing when he put it in the possession of a creditor, or fidei commissarius, Dig. 13, 7, 26; 41, 5, 12.—
2. Esp., in phrases.
(α).
Pignus capere, to take a pledge or security for payment: “certis verbis pignus capiebatur,” Gai. Inst. 4, 29; 26 al.—
(β).
Pignora capere, to issue execution, make seizure of property: “Vettium, pignoribus captis, cojecit in carcerem,” Suet. Caes. 17: “eorum, qui debita confessi sunt, pignora capi et distrahi possunt,” Paul. Sent. 5, 5 A, 4: “per vim debitoris sui pignora, cum non haberet obligata, capere,” id. ib. 5, 26, 4.—
(γ).
Pignoris capio, a proceeding by which the summary collection of certain debts was secured, Gai. Inst. 4, 26 (v. Sandars ad Just. Inst. introd. § 96).—
B. Transf.
1. The object of a wager, a wager, stake: “da pignus, ni ea sit filia,” lay a wager, bet, Plaut. Ep. 5, 2, 34; so id. ib. 36: “cum illo dare,” id. Bacch. 4, 9, 133: “pignore certare cum aliquo,” Verg. E. 3, 31: “quovis pignore contendere,” to lay any wager, bet any thing, Cat. 44, 4: “et quaerit posito pignore vincat uter,” Ov. A. A. 1, 168: “in quodvis pignus vocare, ni, etc.,” Gell. 5, 4, 2: “ponere pignus cum aliquo de re aliquā,” Val. Max. 4, 3, 3.—
2. A contract in which security is given, Dig. 13, 7, 1; 20, 6, 3.—
II. Trop.
A. A pledge, token, assurance, proof: “magnum pignus ab eo rei publicae datum, se, etc.,” Cic. Phil. 1, 2, 4: “pignora voluntatis,” id. Cael. 32, 78: “injuriae,” id. Phil. 13, 3, 6: “societatis,” Tac. H. 4, 61: “sceleris,” id. ib. 4, 57: “imperii,” id. ib. 3, 72: “reconciliatae gratiae pignus,” Curt. 6, 7, 35: “pignora da, genitor, per quae tua vera propago Credar,” sure tokens, Ov. M. 2, 38; 5, 247; 7, 497: “in vultu pignora mentis habet,” id. A. A. 2, 378: “digito pignus fortasse dedisti,” i. e. a ring, Juv. 6, 27.—
B. Concr.
1. Children, parents, brothers and sisters, relatives, as pledges of love (only after the Aug. period): “nunc tibi commendo communia pignora, natos,” Prop. 4 (5), 11, 73. Ov. M. 11, 543: “prolemque gemellam Pignora bina dedi,” id. H. 6, 121: “tot natos natasque et pignora cara nepotes,” id. M. 3, 134: “ascita pignora,” Stat. S. 2, 1, 86: “pignora conjugum ac liberorum,” Liv. 2, 1, 5: “obsecratio illa judicum, per carissima pignora, utique, si et reo sint liberi, conjux, parentes, utilis erit,” Quint. 6, 1, 33: “habens filiam, uxorem, nepotem, sorores, interque tot pignora veros amicos,” Plin. Ep. 1, 12, 3; Tac. A. 12, 2: “proxima pignora,” id. ib. 15, 36: “ne in conjugem, in familiam, in cetera pignora ejus saeviret,” id. ib. 16, 26; id. G. 7: “frangi aspectu pignorum suorum,” id. Agr. 38.—Hence, in gen.,
2. Any thing especially valuable or dear: “si quis post pignera tanta Pompeio locus est,” Luc. 7, 376.—
3. Poet. transf., a graft, scion, Pall. Insit. 109.
