I.a star, a constellation (poet. or in more elevated prose).
I. Lit., Verg. E. 9, 47; id. A. 4, 352; 5, 838; 8, 590; Ov. M. 1, 73; 11, 309; Hor. C. 3, 21, 24; 3, 27, 31; id. Epod. 16, 61; id. Ep. 2, 2, 187; Prop. 2, 32, 50; 3, 16, 15; Mart. 8, 21 al.; Cic. Rep. 6, 22, 24; id. N. D. 2, 46, 118; id. Tusc. 1, 25, 62; id. Tim. 12.—In Vulg. only plur.: astra caeli, Deut. 4, 10; 10, 22; 28, 62: donec egrediantur astra, 2 Esdr. 4, 21: astra matutina, Job, 38, 7.—
II. Trop.
A. For height: “turris educta sub astra,” Verg. A. 2, 460: “Ter spumam elisam et rorantia vidimus astra,” id. ib. 3, 567: “Mons ibi verticibus petit arduus astra duobus,” Ov. M. 1, 316: “super astra Dei exaltabo solium meum,” Vulg. Isa. 14, 13 al.—
B. Heaven, and the immortality of the glory connected with it: “sic itur ad astra,” Verg. A. 9, 641: “aliquem inferre astris,” Ov. M. 9, 272; 15, 846: Daphnimque tuum tollemus ad astra; “Daphnim ad astra feremus,” Verg. E. 5, 52: “educere in astra,” Hor. C. 4, 2, 23: “absentem rusticus urbem Tollit ad astra,” praises to the skies, id. S. 2, 7, 29 al.: “Hortalus nostras laudes in astra sustulit,” extolled to the skies, Cic. Att. 2, 25, 1 (cf. the opp.: “decidere ex astris, i. e. summam gloriam perdere,” id. ib. 2, 21, 4).