Labyrinthus, A place made in such wise, that whosoeuer came into it, could not issue out without a very perfite guide, or without a threede leading him, whereof the bottome or clew should be left at the entrie. Of this name were three principall places, One in Aegipt (by the paterne wherof the other were made) described by Herodotus (who writeth that hee saw it) saying that it was aboue the great poole called Myrios, toward the citie of Crocodiles. Strabo in his xvii. booke, calleth the sayd poole or meere Muris. Herodotus in Euterpe sayth, that first there were xii. halles couered, sixe toward the north, and sixe toward the south, all inclosed with one wall. Within the wall were houses in two diuerse sortes: one sort vnder the ground, another aboue gronnde ouer them, euerye sorte being in number 3500. The ouer. most (as he sayth) he behelde, the neathermost he mought not be suffered to see: but as he hearde by reporte of them that saw it, he wrote. The ouermost, which he did beholde, exceeded all workes of mens handes: for he went from a hall into parlours, from parlours into chambers, from chambers into other sollars and from parlours into other halles. The beame which bare the floores was of stone, wrought with Imagerie, euery hall inuironed with pillers of white stone. In the ende of that Labyrinthus standeth a stone, large, beneath, and small on the toppe, called Pyramis, which is of length xl. paces in the which are wroughte greate Images, and thereat is the entrie vnder ground to the other Labyrinthus. An other Labyrinthus was in Creta, made by Dedalus, by the commaundement of Minos, for a prison: but it was much lesse thã the other. But by diuers dores entrings & issuings out, it deceyued them, which came into it.The thirde was in Italy, by a towne called Clusium, made by king Porsena: and (as Plinie and Varro write) was of suare stone, the sides 30 foote broade, in heighte siftie foote, Into the which whosoeuer went, without a clewe or beome of threede, could neuer returne. On this place stood sine Pytamides, or steeples, one at euery corner, and one in the middle, enery of them 150 foote high: on the toppes of them great bolles of brasse, and thereon horses with wings, from which did hang chaynes, hauing belles at them which mooued with the winde, rendred a sharpe sounde. Also vpon the foure bolles of brasse, stoode foure other Pyramides or sharpe pillers, of an hundred foote high, and on that whiche was in the middle, stoode one sharpe piller, whose heighte Varro urst not rehearse, because it seemed a thing incredible. All these thinges were made by great kinges, which haning aboundaunce of treasure, and lacking learning, didde set their delight in such ayne ossentation.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
lăbrinthus, i, m., = labu/rinqos, a labyrinth, a building with many winding passages; e. g. that built by Psammetichus on Lake Mœris, in Middle Egypt, and containing 3000 chambers, Mel. 1, 9, 5; Plin. 36, 13, 19, 84; but esp. that built by Dædalus, near Gnossus, in Crete, id. 36, 13, 19, 85; Sen. Ep. 44, 6; Ov. M. 8, 159; Juv. 1, 53; Verg. A. 5, 588.—B.Trop., a maze, tangle, bewildering intricacy: inextricabilis negotii, Sid. Ep. 2, 5.—II. Hence, A. lăbrinthēus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to a labyrinth, labyrinthine: flexus, Cat. 64, 114.—B. lăbrinthĭcus, a, um, adj., of a labyrinth, labyrinthine, intricate: viae, Sid. Ep. 9, 13: quaestionum insolubilitas, id. ib. 11, 4.