Pĕnātes

I. Acc. plur. PENATEIS, perh. Tab. Bant. lin. 22), m. from the root pa, whence pascor, pabulum, pānis; also penus, and, through the notion of a storehouse or inner chamber, also penes, penetro; v. Georg Curtius Gr. Etym. p. 270 sq.; cf. Corss. Ausspr. 1, p. 425 sq..

I. Lit., the Penates, old Latin guardian deities of the household, and of the state formed of a union of households, whose seat was originally in Lavinium; usually connected with di: IN VELIA APVD AEDEM DEVM PENATIVM, Inscr. Varr. L. L. 5, § 54 Müll.; cf.: aedes deorum Penatium in Veliā, Liv. 45, 16: AEDEM DEVM PENATIVM IN VELIA, Monum. Ancyr.: di Penates, Plaut. Merc. 5, 1, 5 sq.: in mensā Penatium deorum, Naev. ap. Prob. Verg. E. 6, 31: sanctis Penatium deorum Larumque familiarium sedibus, Cic. Rep. 5, 5, 7; id. Deiot. 5, 15: MENS. IANVAR. SACRIFICANT. DIS. PENATIBVS, Calend. Farnes. ap. Inscr. Orell. 2, p. 380: v. s. Inscr. Orell. 1677; cf. ib. 1675 and 1678: DIIS. DEABVS PENATIBVS FAMILIARIBVS ET IOVI CETERISQVE DIIBVS, ib. 2118.—Without di: vos Penates patriique dii, Cic. Sest. 20, 45: Ilium in Italiam portans victosque Penatis, Verg. A. 1, 68; 5, 62: impudens liqui patrios Penatis, Hor. C. 3, 27, 49: hostia Mollivit aversos Penates, id. ib. 3, 23, 19: iniqui, id. ib. 2, 4, 15: profugos posuistis Penates, Ov. M. 3, 539; 9, 445; id. Tr. 1, 3, 45: IVNIANI, Inscr. Orell. 1587; cf., respecting the Penates, Cic. N. D. 2, 27, 68; Varr. and Nigid. ap. Arn. 3, 123; Macr. 3, 4; Serv. Verg. A. 2, 296 and 325.—

II. Transf., a dwelling, home, hearth (cf. Lares, II.): Quintius a suis dis penatibus praeceps ejectus, Cic. Quint. 26, 83; id. Rosc. Am. 8, 23: nostris succede penatibus hospes, Verg. A. 8, 123: ferro Libycos populare penates, id. ib. 1, 527: conducti penates, Mart. 8, 75, 1: sub uno tecto esse atque ad eosdem penates, Liv. 28, 18.—Hence, poet., of the hearth: flammis adolere penatis, Verg. A. 1, 704.— Also, of the cells of bees, Verg. G. 4, 155; of the temple of a god, Stat. Th. 1, 643.