an unsupported rumor

fāma, ae, f. [for, fa-ri], = phêmê, the talk of the multitude, like rumor, either as relating or as judging (v. rumor; cf. also: nomen, gloria, laudatio; clamor, plausus; honos, dignitas, honestas, laus, etc.).

That which people say or tell, the common talk, a report, rumor, saying, tradition (freq. and class.; plur. very rare); absol., or with a statement of the subject-matter annexed with de, or as an object-clause; rarely with gen.

Absol.:

hascine propter res maledicas famas ferunt?

Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 149: a Brundisio nulla adhuc fama venerat, Cic. Att. 9, 3, 2:

cum tristis a Mutina fama manaret,

id. Phil. 14, 6, 15:

at fuit fama. Quotusquisque est, qui istam effugere potest in tam maledica civitate?

id. Cael. 16, 38: magna illico fama surrexit, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 8, 2:

aliquod fama ac nuntiis afferre,

Caes. B. G. 6, 30, 2:

hac fama ad Treviros perlata,

id. ib. 5, 53, 2:

reliquos (deos) ne famā quidem acceperunt,

id. ib. 6, 21, 2; cf.:

quam Eratostheni et quibusdam Graecis famā notam esse video,

id. ib. 6, 24, 2:

concedamus famae hominum,

Cic. Rep. 2, 2:

Daedalus, ut fama est, fugiens, etc.,

Verg. A. 6, 14; cf.:

pulsis (vetus est ut fama) Sabellis,

Hor. S. 2, 1, 36:

ita fama ferebat,

Ov. M. 12, 197:

duplex inde fama est,

a twofold tradition, Liv. 1, 1, 6.— In plur.:

inhonestas famas adjungere diis,

Arn. 7, 219:

per omnem provinciam magnae atrocesque famae ibant,

Sall. H. 1, 67 Dietsch, ex conj.—

Stating the subject-matter or contents.

With de:

si quis quid de republica a finitimis rumore aut fama acceperit,

Caes. B. G. 6, 20, 1:

si quid ipsi audistis communi fama atque sermone de vi, de manu, de armis, etc.,

Cic. Fl. 6, 13:

de interitu P. Clodii,

id. Mil. 35, 98:

de Afranio fama est,

id. Att. 7, 26, 1:

de Titurii morte,

Caes. B. G. 5, 39, 1; cf.:

de victoria Caesaris,

id. ib. 5, 53, 1;

5, 51, 1: de proelio Dyrrhachino,

id. B. C. 3, 80.— Plur.: ingentes esse famas de Regulo, Arrunt. ap. Sen. Ep. 114, 19 fin. —

With an appos. clause:

ne mihi hanc famam differant, Me... dedisse, etc.,

Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 63;

v. differo, B. 2.: accipere fama et auditione, esse quoddam numen et vim deorum,

Cic. N. D. 2, 37, 95:

quod tibi esse antiquissimum constante famā atque omnium sermone celebratum est,

id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 8, § 24; so,

constans fama,

Liv. 6, 25, 4:

cum esse praestantem Numam Pompilium fama ferret,

Cic. Rep. 2, 13:

cum fama per orbem terrarum percrebuisset, illum, etc.,

Caes. B. C. 3, 43 fin.:

fama nuntiabat, te esse in Syria,

Cic. Fam. 12, 4, 2:

fama incerta duos equites venisse,

a vague rumor, Liv. 27, 50, 6:

capsis quem (Cassium) fama est esse librisque Ambustum propriis,

Hor. S. 1, 10, 63 al. —

With gen.:

vix ad aures meas istius suspicionis fama pervenit,

Cic. Sull. 4, 12:

propter incertam famam aeris alieni,

an unsupported rumor, Liv. 6, 27, 3.—

Personified: Fama, a goddess, daughter of Terra, swiftfooted, all-seeing, growing as she runs:

Fama, malum qua non aliud velocius ullum,

Verg. A. 4, 173 sq.; Ov. M. 12, 43 sq.; Val. Fl. 2, 116 sq.; Stat. Th. 3, 426 sq.; Ov. M. 8, 267; 9, 137; 14, 726; 15, 4; 853 al.

The voice or judgment of the many, public opinion; more freq. objectively, the fame, character, reputation which a man has, either in general or in particular, as a good or bad reputation, etc. (very freq. and class.).

In gen.:

famam atque rumores pars altera consensum civitatis et velut publicum testimonium vocat: altera sermonem sine ullo certo auctore dispersum, cui malignitas initium dederit, incrementum credulitas,

Quint. 5, 3; cf.:

adversus famam rumoresque hominum si satis firmus steteris,

Liv. 22, 39, 18:

contra opinionem militum famamque omnium videri proelium defugisse, magnum detrimentum afferebat,

Caes. B. C. 1, 82, 2; cf. id. ib. 3, 56 fin.: fama popularis, popular fame or favor, Cic. Tusc. 3, 2, 4; 5, 16, 46:

forensis,

Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 5, 17: de bona fama (quam enim appellant eudoxian, aptius est hoc loco bonam famam appellare quam gloriam), Cic. Fin. 3, 17, 57:

bona de Domitio, praeclara de Afranio fama est,

id. Att. 7, 26, 1; cf.:

qui bonam famam bonorum, quae sola vere gloria nominari potest, expetunt,

id. Sest. 66, 139; Sall. C. 7, 6:

si bonam famam mihi servasso, sat ero dives,

Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 70 sq.:

bona,

Cat. 61, 62:

bene loquendi fama,

Cic. Brut. 74, 259:

eloquentiae,

Quint. 7, 1, 41:

sapientiae,

Cic. Lael. 4, 15:

pudica,

Prop. 2, 32 (3, 30), 21:

alium mala fama et timor impediebat,

Sall. J. 35, 4:

inconstantiae,

Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 11:

vappae ac nebulonis,

Hor. S. 1, 2, 12.—In plur.: inter arma civilia aequi boni famas petit, Sall. Fragm. ap. Sen. Ep. 114, 19 (Hist. inc. lib. 76 Dietsch).—

In partic.

In a good sense, fair fame, reputation, renown, = existumatio, fama bona:

ut vos mihi domi eritis, proinde ego ero famā foris,

Tert. Hec. 2, 1, 21: fundamentum [p. 723] est perpetuae commendationis et famae justitia, Cic. Off. 2, 20, 71:

fama et existimatio,

id. Quint. 15, 50; cf.:

ut ante collectam famam conservet (for which, shortly after: habet existimationem multo sudore collectam),

id. Div. in Caecil. 22, 71:

sic ejus (Archiae) adventus celebrabantur, ut famam ingenii exspectatio hominis superaret... hac tanta celebritate famae cum esset jam absentibus notus, etc. (shortly before: celeriter antecellere omnibus ingenii gloriā contigit),

id. Arch. 3, 5;

so corresp. to gloria,

id. Tusc. 1, 46, 110:

fama ingeni abicienda,

id. Fam. 9, 16, 3;

with the latter cf.: anxius de fama ingenii,

Quint. 11, 1, 50; 74:

de alicujus fama detrahere,

Cic. Fam. 3, 8, 5:

famam in tuto collocare,

Quint. 12, 11, 7:

ejus scripta tantum intra famam sunt,

id. 11, 3, 8:

ad famam populi Romani pertinere, eos consules esse, etc.,

Liv. 10, 24, 17:

(ut amicorum) aut caput agatur aut fama,

Cic. Lael. 17, 61:

loco, fortuna, fama superiores,

id. ib. 25, 94:

virtus, fama, decus divitiis parent,

Hor. S. 2, 3, 95:

cui gratia, fama, valetudo, contingat abunde,

id. Ep. 1, 4, 10:

famam dicendi fortius quaerunt,

Quint. 2, 12, 9: Evadne... Occidit Argivae fama pudicitiae, the glory or pride of Argive chastity, i. e. of the chaste women of Argos, Prop. 1, 15, 22.—Esp.: magna fama, great reputation, fame, glory:

magnam famam attulisse Fabio Tarentum rebatur,

Liv. 27, 25, 11:

magnam famam sui relinquere,

Nep. Lys. 1, 1:

habere,

Plin. 36, 21, 39, § 149.—

In a bad sense, illfame, infamy, scandal, = infamia, fama mala (rare): opplere (aliquem) famā ac flagitiis, Turp. ap. Non. 306, 2; Ter. Ad. 2, 3, 10:

neque specie famāve movetur, Nec jam furtivum Dido meditatur amorem,

Verg. A. 4, 172; Sall. C. 3, 5; Tac. A. 12, 49; Plin. Pan. 28, 1; cf.:

laeta apud plerosque, apud quosdam sinistra fama,

Tac. A. 11, 19.