Gubernáculum, pen. cor. Cic.The sterne or rother of a shippe: by translation, gouernaunce and rule of a common weale.Assidere gubernaculis.Plin. iun.To sitte at the sterne.Accedere ad. gubernacula Reipub. Cic.To take on him the rule of the common weale.Clauus & gubernaculum Reip. per translationem. Cic.Deijcete Senatum gubernaculis. Cice. To put the Senate from the gouernement.A gubernaculis recedere.Cic.Oratorem gubernaculis ciuitatum repellere. Cice. Sedere omni tempore ad gubernacula Reipublicæ.Cic.To be alwaies occupied in the rule of.Gubernacula Reipub. tenere. Cic.To gouerne the common weale: to be ruler.Tradere oratori ciuitatum regendarum gubernacula. Cice. Gubernacula vitæ temperat Pli.It rempreth the rule of naturall life. He speaketh of the pulses.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
gŭbernācŭlum (poet. contr. gŭ-bernāclum, Lucr. 4, 904; Verg. A. 5, 176; 859; 6, 349 al.), i, n. [guberno], a helm, rudder (cf. clavus). I.Lit.: hominis, non sapientis inventa sunt navigia, additis a tergo gubernaculis, quae huc atque illuc cursum navigii torqueant: exemplum a piscibus tractum, qui cauda reguntur, etc., Sen. Ep. 90; cf.: piscium meatus gubernaculi modo regunt (caudae), Plin. 11, 50, 111, 264: ut cruribus velut gubernaculis demissis cursum dirigeret, Front. 3, 13, 6: hic ille naufragus ad gubernaculum accessit, et navi, quoad potuit, est opitulatus, Cic. Inv. 2, 51, 154: ipse gubernaclo rector subit, ipse magister, Verg. A. 5, 176.—II.Transf., guidance, direction; esp. of the state, government (usually in plur.): clavum tanti imperii tenere et gubernacula rei publicae tractare, Cic. Sest. 9, 20; cf.: qui ad gubernacula rei publicae sedere debebant, id. Rosc. Am. 18, 51: repelli a gubernaculis civitatum, id. de Or. 1, 11, 46: recedere a gubernaculis, id. Fam. 16, 27, 1: ad gubernacula rei publicae accedere, Liv. 4, 3, 17: quis ad gubernacula sedeat summa cura providendum, id. 24, 8, 13: abicere gubernacula imperii, Val. Max. 7, 6, 1: transferre ad aliquem fortunarum suarum gubernacula, Nazar. Pan. Const. 27, 2: temperare gubernacula vitae, Plin. 11, 37, 88, 219.—In sing.: (rare) exercitus non habilis gubernaculo, Vell. 2, 113, 2: gubernaculum rei publicae tenere, Lact. 1, 1, 14.