prīnceps cipis, adj. primus+CAP-, first in order, foremost: se principes ex omnibus bellum facturos pollicentur, Cs.: in fugā postremus, in periculo princeps: princeps Horatius ibat, in front, L.: principes pecuniae pollicendae fuerunt, took the lead in: princeps in haec verba iurat, Cs.: ut principes talem nuntium attulisse viderentur, might be the first, Cs.: matri Qui dederit princeps oscula, O.: Princeps ante omnīs agebat Agmen, first of all, V.: qualitatum aliae sunt principes, original: addere principi Limo particulam, H.
—The first, chief, most eminent, most noble: longe omnium gravitate princeps Plato: terrarum populus, L.
— Prov.: Principibus placuisse viris non ultima laus est, H.
—As subst m., the first man, first person: senatūs, first on the roll, S.: principes sententiarum consulares, who were first asked for their opinion, L.
—The first, chief, leader, foremost man: in re p. principes esse: iuventutis, one of the noblest of the Roman knights: trecenti principes iuventutis Romanae, i. e. patrician youths, L.: (pueri) aequalium principes, first among their fellows.
—A chief, head, author, founder, originator, leader, contriver: Zeno eorum (Stoicorum): Argonautarum, i. e. Jason: principes inferendi belli, Cs.: sententiae in senatu: eius consili principes, Cs.: equitum, at the head of, Iu.: familiae suae, founder, L.
—A prince, ruler, sovereign, emperor: hic ames dici pater atque princeps, H.: principis uxor, Iu.
—In the army, plur., orig., the foremost line
— hence, the heavy-armed, second line of soldiers
— cf. totidem princeps habebat Corpora (poet. for principes), O.
—A company of the principes: primi principis signum, of the first company of the heavyarmed, L.: octavum principem duxit, was centurion of the eighth maniple.
—A centurion of the principes: princeps prior, first captain of the principes, Cs.: tertiae legionis, L.
—The office of centurion of the principes, captaincy of the principes: mihi primus princeps prioris centuriae est adsignatus, i. e. centurion of the first century of the first maniple, L.
