What is "genius loci"

Genius \Gen"ius\, n.; pl. E. Geniuses; in sense 1, L. Genii. [L. genius, prop., the superior or divine nature which is innate in everything, the spirit, the tutelar deity or genius of a person or place, taste, talent, genius, from genere, gignere, to beget, bring forth. See Gender, and cf. Engine.]

1. A good or evil spirit, or demon, supposed by the ancients to preside over a man's destiny in life; a tutelary deity; a supernatural being; a spirit, good or bad. Cf. Jinnee.

   The unseen genius of the wood.
   --Milton.

   We talk of genius still, but with thought how changed! The genius of Augustus was a tutelary demon, to be sworn by and to receive offerings on an altar as a deity.
   --Tylor.

2. The peculiar structure of mind with which each individual is endowed by nature; that disposition or aptitude of mind which is peculiar to each man, and which qualifies him for certain kinds of action or special success in any pursuit; special taste, inclination, or disposition; as, a genius for history, for poetry, or painting.

3. Peculiar character; animating spirit, as of a nation, a religion, a language.

4. Distinguished mental superiority; uncommon intellectual power; especially, superior power of invention or origination of any kind, or of forming new combinations; as, a man of genius.

   Genius of the highest kind implies an unusual intensity of the modifying power.
   --Coleridge.

5. A man endowed with uncommon vigor of mind; a man of superior intellectual faculties and creativity; as, Shakespeare was a rare genius.

   Syn: Genius, Talent.

   Usage: Genius implies high and peculiar gifts of nature, impelling the mind to certain favorite kinds of mental effort, and producing new combinations of ideas, imagery, etc. Talent supposes general strength of intellect, with a peculiar aptitude for being molded and directed to specific employments and valuable ends and purposes. Genius is connected more or less with the exercise of imagination, and reaches its ends by a kind of intuitive power. Talent depends more on high mental training, and a perfect command of all the faculties, memory, judgment, sagacity, etc. Hence we speak of a genius for poetry, painting. etc., and a talent for business or diplomacy. Among English orators, Lord Chatham was distinguished for his genius; William Pitt for his pre["e]minent talents, and especially his unrivaled talent for debate.

   Genius loci[L.], the genius or presiding divinity of a place; hence, the pervading spirit of a place or institution, as of a college, etc.

n. 1 The spirit or one of the spirits preside over or guarding a particular place, such as a glade or pool. 2 The ''geist'', distinctive atmosphere, or characteristic spirit of a place, especially when regarded as an artistic muse.

1. n. the special atmosphere of a place

2. the guardian spirit of a place

In classical Roman religion, a genius loci ( plural genii loci) was the protective spirit of a place. It was often depicted in religious iconography as a figure holding attributes such as a cornucopia, patera ( libation bowl) or snake. Many Roman altars found throughout the Western Roman Empire were dedicated to a particular genius loci. The Roman imperial cults of the Emperor and the imperial house developed in part in connections with the sacrifices made by neighborhood associations ( vici) to the local genius. These 265 local districts had their cult organised around the Lares Compitales (guardian spirits or lares of the crossroads), which the emperor Augustus transformed into Lares Augusti along with the Genius Augusti. The Emperor's genius is then regarded as the genius loci of the Roman Empire as a whole.

Roman examples of these Genii can be found, for example, at the church of St. Giles, Tockenham, Wiltshire where the genius loci is depicted as a relief in the wall of a Norman church built of Roman material. This shows "a youthful and curly-haired Roman Genius worked in high relief, holding a cornucopia in his left hand and a patera in his right', which previously has been "erroneously identified as Asclepius".

Genius Loci is a novel by Ben Aaronovitch, focusing on the early career of Bernice "Benny" Summerfield, a character from the spin-off media based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. This was the first of Big Finish's Bernice Summerfield novels to be released under the New Worlds format.

The book is set before Benny met the Doctor and was not officially licensed by the BBC (as owners of Doctor Who), but does contain some allusions to Doctor Who, specifically the Silurians as depicted in the television series and in the Virgin New Adventures spin-off novels. The book also references Benny's back-story as explored in the New Adventures.