physĭcus

physĭcus (scanned physĭcus, Sid. Carm. 15, 101), a, um, adj., = phusikos, of or belonging to natural philosophy or physics, natural, physical:

quiddam physicum,

something relating to physics, Cic. Div. 2, 59, 122:

ratio,

id. N. D. 2, 21, 54:

homines,

naturalists, Marc. Emp. Carm. Med. 19.—

Subst.

physĭcus, i, m., a natural philosopher, naturalist:

ut ait physicus Anaxagoras,

Varr. R. R. 1, 40:

Democritus,

id. ib. 1, 1, 8:

non pudet igitur physicum, id est speculatorem venatoremque naturae, petere, etc.,

Cic. N. D. 1, 30, 83; id. Rep. 5, 3, 5.— Plur., Cic. de Or. 1, 10, 42; id. Ac. 2, 5, 14.—

physĭca, ōrum, n., physics:

physicorum ignarus,

Cic. Or. 34, 119:

in physicis alienus,

not versed in, id. Fin. 1, 6, 17.—Hence, adv.: physĭcē, in the manner of naturalists, physically:

dicere,

Cic. N. D. 3, 7, 18.

* * *

* * *

nūgor, ātus, 1, v. dep. n. [id.].

To jest, trifle, play the fool, talk nonsense ( = phluarein;

syn. ludo): Democritus non inscite nugatur, ut physicus,

Cic. Div. 2, 13, 30:

cum aliquo,

Hor. S. 2, 1, 73; cf. id. Ep. 2, 1, 93.—

To trick, cajole, cheat:

nugatur sciens,

Plaut. Cas. 5, 4, 11:

non mihi nugari potes,

id. Ep. 3, 4, 42; id. Trin. 4, 2, 55.

obscūrus, a, um, adj. [Sanscr. sku, to cover, akin to Gr. skeuê, skutos, kutos; cf.: scutum, cutis], dark, darksome, dusky, shady, obscure (class.).

Lit.: unde (Acherunte) animae excitantur obscurā umbrā, in dark, shadowy forms, Poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 16, 37; so,

umbra,

Verg. A. 6, 453:

donec in obscurum coni conduxit acumen,

the obscure point of the cone, Lucr. 4, 431:

lucus,

Verg. A. 9, 87:

antrum,

Ov. M. 4, 100:

convalles,

Verg. A. 6, 139:

tabernae,

Hor. A. P. 229; cf. Liv. 10, 1, 5: aliae res obnoxiosae nocte in obscurā latent, Enn. ap. Gell. 7, 16 (17), 10 (Trag. v. 341 Vahl.):

nox,

Verg. A. 2, 420; cf.:

per occasum solis, jam obscurā luce,

Liv. 24, 21:

caelum,

Hor. C. 1, 7, 15:

nimbus,

Verg. A. 12, 416:

nubes,

id. G. 4, 60:

ferrugo,

i. e. black, id. ib. 1, 467:

dentes,

Juv. 6, 145.— Poet.: funda, dark, i. e. invisible, Val. Fl. 6, 193; cf.

mamma,

i. e. hidden, covered, id. 3, 52, 6:

aquae,

i. e. turbid, Ov. F. 4, 758.— Subst.: obscūrum, i, n., dim light, twilight:

in obscuro, advesperascente die,

Vulg. Prov. 7, 9; but commonly the dark, darkness, obscurity:

sub obscurum noctis,

Verg. G. 1, 478:

lumen,

i. e. darkness visible, Sall. J. 21, 2.— obscū-rum, adverb.:

obscurum nimbosus dissidet aër,

Luc. 5, 631.—

Transf., to the person who is in the dark, darkling, unseen:

ibant obscuri solā sub nocte per umbram,

Verg. A. 6, 268:

obscurus in ulvā Delitui,

id. ib. 2, 135.—

Trop.

In gen., dark, obscure, indistinct, unintelligible:

Heraclitus... Clarus ob obscuram linguam,

Lucr. 1, 639: valde Heraclitus obscurus (cf. the Gr. appellation of Heraclitus, ho skoteinos), Cic. Div. 2, 64, 133:

quid? poëta nemo, nemo physicus obscurus?

id. ib.:

obscurā de re tam lucida pango carmina,

Lucr. 1, 933; 4, 8:

brevis esse laboro, Obscurus fio,

Hor. A. P. 25:

reperta Graiorum,

Lucr. 1, 136:

obscurum et ignotum jus,

Cic. de Or. 1, 39, 177:

cur hoc tam est obscurum atque caecum?

id. Agr. 2, 14, 35:

nolo plebem Romanam obscurā spe et caecā expectatione haerere,

uncertain, id. ib. 2, 25, 66.— Comp., Quint. 11, 3, 60.— Sup.:

videre res obscurissimas,

Cic. de Or. 2, 36, 153.— Subst.:

causae in obscuro positae,

Cels. 1 praef. —

In partic., rhet. t. t.: obscurum genus causae, obscure, i. e. intricate, involved, Gr. dusparakolouthêton, Cic. Inv. 1, 15, 20:

(causae privatae) sunt multo saepe obscuriores,

id. de Or. 2, 24, 100.—

Not known, unknown, not recognized:

forma,

Ov. M. 3, 475:

P Ilas,

i. e. disguised, under another form, id. ib. 6, 36.—Esp. of rank and station, obscure, ignoble, mean, low:

non est obscura tua in me benevolentia,

Cic. Fam. 13, 70: Caesaris in barbaris erat nomen obscurius, * Caes. B. C. 1, 61:

Pompeius humili atque obscuro loco natus,

of an obscure, ignoble family, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 70, § 181:

obscuris orti majoribus,

from obscure ancestors, id. Off. 1, 32, 116:

clarus an obscurus,

Quint. 5, 10, 26; cf.:

si nobilis obscurum se vocet,

id. 11, 1, 21; 2, 3, 9:

non obscurus professor et auctor,

id. 2, 15, 36:

natus haud obscuro loco,

Sall. C. 23, 1.— Neutr. absol.:

in obscuro vitam habere,

Sall. C. 51, 12:

vitam per obscurum transmittere,

in obscurity, Sen. Ep. 19, 3:

saepe mandatum initio litis in obscuro est,

kept back, Gai. Inst. 4, 84.—

Of character, close, secret, reserved:

obscurus et astutus homo,

Cic. Off. 3, 13, 5 (for which:

sin me astutum et occultum lubet fingere,

id. Fam. 3, 10, 8):

plerumque modestus Occupat obscuri speciem,

Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 94:

Tiberium obscurum adversus alios, sibi uni incautum intectumque efficeret,

Tac. A. 4, 1:

obscurum odium,

Cic. Fam. 3, 10, 6.— Comp.:

natura obscurior,

Tac. Agr. 42.— Adv.: ob-scūrē, darkly, obscurely (class.).

Lit.: aut nihil superum aut obscure admodum cernimus, very darkly, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 474, 28.—

Trop.

Of speech, darkly, obscurely, indistinctly:

dicta,

Quint. 3, 4, 3; 4, 1, 79.— Comp.:

quae causa dicta obscurius est,

Quint. 8, 2, 24.— Sup.:

obscurissime particulā uti, Cell. 17, 13, 5: non obscurissime dicere (opp. planissime),

id. 11, 16, 9.—

Of birth, obscurely, ignobly, meanly (perh. only post-class.):

obscure natus,

Macr. S. 7, 3:

obscurissime natus,

Amm. 29, 1, 5.—

Covertly, closely, secretly:

malum obscure serpens,

Cic. Cat. 4, 3, 6:

tacite obscureque perire,

id. Quint. 15, 50:

non obscure ferre aliquid,

id. Clu. 19, 54; cf. id. Par. 6, 1, 45; Hirt. B. G. 8, 54.— Comp.:

ceteri sunt obscurius iniqui,

more secretly, Cic. Fam. 1, 5, b, 2.— Sup.:

avertere aliquid de publico quam obscurissime,

Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 24, § 53.

obscūrus, a, um, adj. [Sanscr. sku, to cover, akin to Gr. skeuê, skutos, kutos; cf.: scutum, cutis], dark, darksome, dusky, shady, obscure (class.).

Lit.: unde (Acherunte) animae excitantur obscurā umbrā, in dark, shadowy forms, Poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 16, 37; so,

umbra,

Verg. A. 6, 453:

donec in obscurum coni conduxit acumen,

the obscure point of the cone, Lucr. 4, 431:

lucus,

Verg. A. 9, 87:

antrum,

Ov. M. 4, 100:

convalles,

Verg. A. 6, 139:

tabernae,

Hor. A. P. 229; cf. Liv. 10, 1, 5: aliae res obnoxiosae nocte in obscurā latent, Enn. ap. Gell. 7, 16 (17), 10 (Trag. v. 341 Vahl.):

nox,

Verg. A. 2, 420; cf.:

per occasum solis, jam obscurā luce,

Liv. 24, 21:

caelum,

Hor. C. 1, 7, 15:

nimbus,

Verg. A. 12, 416:

nubes,

id. G. 4, 60:

ferrugo,

i. e. black, id. ib. 1, 467:

dentes,

Juv. 6, 145.— Poet.: funda, dark, i. e. invisible, Val. Fl. 6, 193; cf.

mamma,

i. e. hidden, covered, id. 3, 52, 6:

aquae,

i. e. turbid, Ov. F. 4, 758.— Subst.: obscūrum, i, n., dim light, twilight:

in obscuro, advesperascente die,

Vulg. Prov. 7, 9; but commonly the dark, darkness, obscurity:

sub obscurum noctis,

Verg. G. 1, 478:

lumen,

i. e. darkness visible, Sall. J. 21, 2.— obscū-rum, adverb.:

obscurum nimbosus dissidet aër,

Luc. 5, 631.—

Transf., to the person who is in the dark, darkling, unseen:

ibant obscuri solā sub nocte per umbram,

Verg. A. 6, 268:

obscurus in ulvā Delitui,

id. ib. 2, 135.—

Trop.

In gen., dark, obscure, indistinct, unintelligible:

Heraclitus... Clarus ob obscuram linguam,

Lucr. 1, 639: valde Heraclitus obscurus (cf. the Gr. appellation of Heraclitus, ho skoteinos), Cic. Div. 2, 64, 133:

quid? poëta nemo, nemo physicus obscurus?

id. ib.:

obscurā de re tam lucida pango carmina,

Lucr. 1, 933; 4, 8:

brevis esse laboro, Obscurus fio,

Hor. A. P. 25:

reperta Graiorum,

Lucr. 1, 136:

obscurum et ignotum jus,

Cic. de Or. 1, 39, 177:

cur hoc tam est obscurum atque caecum?

id. Agr. 2, 14, 35:

nolo plebem Romanam obscurā spe et caecā expectatione haerere,

uncertain, id. ib. 2, 25, 66.— Comp., Quint. 11, 3, 60.— Sup.:

videre res obscurissimas,

Cic. de Or. 2, 36, 153.— Subst.:

causae in obscuro positae,

Cels. 1 praef. —

In partic., rhet. t. t.: obscurum genus causae, obscure, i. e. intricate, involved, Gr. dusparakolouthêton, Cic. Inv. 1, 15, 20:

(causae privatae) sunt multo saepe obscuriores,

id. de Or. 2, 24, 100.—

Not known, unknown, not recognized:

forma,

Ov. M. 3, 475:

P Ilas,

i. e. disguised, under another form, id. ib. 6, 36.—Esp. of rank and station, obscure, ignoble, mean, low:

non est obscura tua in me benevolentia,

Cic. Fam. 13, 70: Caesaris in barbaris erat nomen obscurius, * Caes. B. C. 1, 61:

Pompeius humili atque obscuro loco natus,

of an obscure, ignoble family, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 70, § 181:

obscuris orti majoribus,

from obscure ancestors, id. Off. 1, 32, 116:

clarus an obscurus,

Quint. 5, 10, 26; cf.:

si nobilis obscurum se vocet,

id. 11, 1, 21; 2, 3, 9:

non obscurus professor et auctor,

id. 2, 15, 36:

natus haud obscuro loco,

Sall. C. 23, 1.— Neutr. absol.:

in obscuro vitam habere,

Sall. C. 51, 12:

vitam per obscurum transmittere,

in obscurity, Sen. Ep. 19, 3:

saepe mandatum initio litis in obscuro est,

kept back, Gai. Inst. 4, 84.—

Of character, close, secret, reserved:

obscurus et astutus homo,

Cic. Off. 3, 13, 5 (for which:

sin me astutum et occultum lubet fingere,

id. Fam. 3, 10, 8):

plerumque modestus Occupat obscuri speciem,

Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 94:

Tiberium obscurum adversus alios, sibi uni incautum intectumque efficeret,

Tac. A. 4, 1:

obscurum odium,

Cic. Fam. 3, 10, 6.— Comp.:

natura obscurior,

Tac. Agr. 42.— Adv.: ob-scūrē, darkly, obscurely (class.).

Lit.: aut nihil superum aut obscure admodum cernimus, very darkly, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 474, 28.—

Trop.

Of speech, darkly, obscurely, indistinctly:

dicta,

Quint. 3, 4, 3; 4, 1, 79.— Comp.:

quae causa dicta obscurius est,

Quint. 8, 2, 24.— Sup.:

obscurissime particulā uti, Cell. 17, 13, 5: non obscurissime dicere (opp. planissime),

id. 11, 16, 9.—

Of birth, obscurely, ignobly, meanly (perh. only post-class.):

obscure natus,

Macr. S. 7, 3:

obscurissime natus,

Amm. 29, 1, 5.—

Covertly, closely, secretly:

malum obscure serpens,

Cic. Cat. 4, 3, 6:

tacite obscureque perire,

id. Quint. 15, 50:

non obscure ferre aliquid,

id. Clu. 19, 54; cf. id. Par. 6, 1, 45; Hirt. B. G. 8, 54.— Comp.:

ceteri sunt obscurius iniqui,

more secretly, Cic. Fam. 1, 5, b, 2.— Sup.:

avertere aliquid de publico quam obscurissime,

Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 24, § 53.

Pācŭvĭus ( Pācŭus), i, m., the name of a Roman gens. So esp. Pacuvius, a celebrated Roman poet, a native of Brundisium, nephew of Ennius, and contemporary of P. Scipio Africanus, Cic. Opt. Gen. Or. 1, 1; id. Brut. 64, 229; id. Fin. 1, 2, 4; id. Or. 11, 36; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 56; Quint. 10, 1, 97. He is also said to have distinguished himself as a painter, Plin. 35, 4, 7, § 19.—Sync. form: Pacui discipulus dicor, porro is fuit Enni, Enniu' musarum, Varr. ap. Non. 88, 4; Plin. 35, 4, 7, § 19 Jan.—Hence,

Pā-cŭvĭānus, a, um, adj., Pacuvian:

physicus,

Cic. Div. 1, 57, 131:

testudo,

described by Pacuvius, Tert. Pall. 3:

ex quibus est Pacuvianum illud: nam si qui, etc.,

that Pacuvian verse, Gell. 14, 1, 34.

Pācŭvĭus ( Pācŭus), i, m., the name of a Roman gens. So esp. Pacuvius, a celebrated Roman poet, a native of Brundisium, nephew of Ennius, and contemporary of P. Scipio Africanus, Cic. Opt. Gen. Or. 1, 1; id. Brut. 64, 229; id. Fin. 1, 2, 4; id. Or. 11, 36; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 56; Quint. 10, 1, 97. He is also said to have distinguished himself as a painter, Plin. 35, 4, 7, § 19.—Sync. form: Pacui discipulus dicor, porro is fuit Enni, Enniu' musarum, Varr. ap. Non. 88, 4; Plin. 35, 4, 7, § 19 Jan.—Hence,

Pā-cŭvĭānus, a, um, adj., Pacuvian:

physicus,

Cic. Div. 1, 57, 131:

testudo,

described by Pacuvius, Tert. Pall. 3:

ex quibus est Pacuvianum illud: nam si qui, etc.,

that Pacuvian verse, Gell. 14, 1, 34.

Pācŭvĭus ( Pācŭus), i, m., the name of a Roman gens. So esp. Pacuvius, a celebrated Roman poet, a native of Brundisium, nephew of Ennius, and contemporary of P. Scipio Africanus, Cic. Opt. Gen. Or. 1, 1; id. Brut. 64, 229; id. Fin. 1, 2, 4; id. Or. 11, 36; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 56; Quint. 10, 1, 97. He is also said to have distinguished himself as a painter, Plin. 35, 4, 7, § 19.—Sync. form: Pacui discipulus dicor, porro is fuit Enni, Enniu' musarum, Varr. ap. Non. 88, 4; Plin. 35, 4, 7, § 19 Jan.—Hence,

Pā-cŭvĭānus, a, um, adj., Pacuvian:

physicus,

Cic. Div. 1, 57, 131:

testudo,

described by Pacuvius, Tert. Pall. 3:

ex quibus est Pacuvianum illud: nam si qui, etc.,

that Pacuvian verse, Gell. 14, 1, 34.

physĭca, ae, and physĭcē, ēs, f., = phusikê, natural science, nutural philosophy, physics, Cic. Ac. 1, 7, 25; id. Fin. 3, 21, 72; 3, 22, 73.

physĭca, ōrum, v. physicus, II. B.

spĕcŭlātor (also written spĭcŭl-), ōris, m. [id.], in milit. lang., a looker-out, spy, scout, explorer, éclaireur (syn. explorator).

Lit.:

speculator, quem mittimus ante, ut respiciat quae volumus,

Varr. L. L. 6, § 82 Müll.:

repentinus,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 63, § 164; Caes. B. G. 2, 11; 5, 49 fin.; Cic. N. D. 2, 56, 140; Sall. J. 101, 1; 106, 2; Liv. 3, 40, 13; 22, 33, 1; 28, 2, 2 al.—These scouts formed a special division in each legion, Auct. B. Hisp. 13; Tac. H. 1, 25; Inscr. Orell. 1222; 3518 al.—Under the emperors they were employed as special adjutants, messengers, and body-guards of a general, Suet. Calig. 44; Tac. H. 2, 73; Suet. Aug. 74; id. Claud. 35; id. Galb. 18; id. Oth. 5; Tac. H. 1, 24 Lips.; 2, 11; 2, 33; Sen. Ira, 1, 16, 15; id. Ben. 3, 25; Vulg. Marc. 6, 27 (where the Greek has also spekoulatôr) al. —

Transf., in gen., a searcher, explorer, investigator, examiner:

physicus, id est speculator venatorque naturae,

Cic. N. D. 1, 30, 83; id. Div. in Caecil. 16, 51:

ad has excipiendas voces speculator ex convivis Persei missus,

Liv. 40, 7: Cleonis fuisse publice praepositos chalazophulakas, speculatores futurae grandinis, Sen. Q. N. 4, 6, 1: quo tu matutinus speculator amicae? Prop. 2, 29 (3, 27), 31:

apes consumptis in proximo floribus speculatores ad pabula ulteriora mittunt,

Plin. 11, 8, 8, § 19:

Fabius cautā speculator mente futuri,

Sil. 1, 679.

vēnātor, ōris, m. [venor], a hunter.

Lit.

In gen.: quasi venator tu quidem [p. 1967] es, dies atque noctes cum cane aetatem exigis, Plaut. Cas. 2, 5, 11; Cic. Tusc. 2, 17, 40; Caes. B. G. 6, 27; Hor. C. 1, 1, 26; 1, 37, 19; id. S. 1, 2, 105:

COLLEGIVM VENATORVM,

Inscr. Murat. 531, 2.—In apposit.:

venator canis,

a hunting-dog, hound, Verg. A. 12, 751:

equus,

a hunting-horse, hunter, Stat. Th. 9, 685; cf. venatrix.—

In partic. (cf. venatio, I. B.), one who fights with wild beasts in the arena, Dig. 48, 19, 8, § 11; Tert. ad Mart. 5.—

Trop.:

venator adest nostris consiliis cum auritis plagis,

Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 14:

physicus, id est speculator venatorque naturae,

Cic. N. D. 1, 30, 83.