fatisco, ere, v. n. (ante-class. in the dep. form fatiscor, ci; v. the foll.) [cf. Gr. χάτις, χατιζω; Lat. fatigo, fessus, adfatim; for the f = χ, cf. Gr. χυ, χέω, χεύσω; Lat. fundo, fons], to open in chinks or clefts, to gape or crack open, to fall apart, tumble to pieces (poet. and in post-Aug. prose). Lit.: (naves) laxis laterum compagibus omnes Accipiunt inimicum imbrem rimisque fatiscunt, Verg. A. 1, 123: saxis solida aera fatiscunt, id. ib. 9, 809: area neu pulvere victa fatiscat, id. G. 1, 180: (pinguis tellus) haud umquam manibus jactata fatiscit, id. ib. 2, 249: viscera flammis (with torreri), Ov. M. 7, 554: heu canimus frustra, nec verbis victa fatiscit Janua, Tib. 1, 5, 67 (Mull. patescit): camelo ungues in longiore itinere sine calceatu fatiscunt, Plin. 11, 45, 105, § 254.

— In the dep. form: non delubra deum simulacraque fessa fatisci? Lucr. 5, 308.

— Trop., to grow weak, become exhausted, to droop, faint, decrease (ante-class. in the dep. form): solum segetibus fatiscit, Col. 2, 13, 3: scrofa celerrime fatiscit, quae plures educat, id. 7, 9 fin.: ipse exercitusque per inopiam et labores fatiscebant, Tac. A. 14, 24: scriptores dum copia fatiscunt, id. ib. 6, 7: viri in segnitiem, Val. Fl. 3, 395: manibusque nesciis fatiscere, Tac. A. 16, 5: donec fatisceret seditio, id. H. 3, 10.

— Poet., with inf.: exsatiata fatiscet Mater Achilleis hiemes affringere bustis, Stat. S. 5, 1, 35.

— In the dep. form: aevo, Lucr. 3, 458: altera irā, altera vulneribus fatiscuntur, Varr. ap. Non. 479, 13; Pac. ib. 307, 12; Att. ib. 10 and 479, 10 and 14; Fronto, Princ. Hist. p. 318 ed. Mai.