prima+elementa

ĕlĕmentum, i, n. [root al-, to nourish; Gr. an-al-tos, alsos; Lat. alo, alimentum, etc.; cf. Sanscr. al-akā, a girl ], a first principle, element (cf.: initium, principium, exordium, primordium); Gr. stoicheion.

Lit., in plur.:

nec de elementis video dubitari quatuor esse ea,

Plin. 2, 5, 4, § 10; Lucr. 1, 827; 913; 2, 393 et saep.; Cic. Ac. 1, 7, 26; Sen. Q. N. 3, 12 sq.; Quint. 2, 17, 38; 3, 8, 31; Ov. M. 15, 237; 1, 29; Vulg. 2 Pet. 3, 10.—In sing., Plin. 10, 69, 88, § 191; 11, 36, 42, § 119; 31, 1, 1, § 1; Juv. 15, 86; Amm. 17, 13:

quia ignis inviolabile sit elementum,

Lact. 1, 12 med.; 7, 9 al.—

Transf.

The alphabet, Suet. Caes. 56 (cf. Prisc. 538 P.).—More freq.,

Transf., the first principles, rudiments, in the arts and sciences (cf. doctrina, praecepta).

In gen.:

puerorum,

Cic. de Or. 1, 35, 163; cf. Quint. prooem. § 21; 1, 1, 35; Hor. S. 1, 1, 26; id. Ep. 1, 20, 17 et saep.:

loquendi,

Cic. Ac. 2, 28 fin.; cf. id. de Or. 2, 11, 45; Quint. 2, 3, 13; Ov. M. 9, 719 et saep.—

In partic.

The ten categories of Aristotle, Quint. 3, 6, 23 sq. Spald.—

Meton., elementary scholars, beginners: vix se prima elementa ad spem effingendae eloquentiae audebunt, Quint. 1, 2, 26.—

The beginnings of other things:

prima Romae,

Ov. F. 3, 179:

prima Caesaris,

id. ib. 709:

cupidinis pravi,

Hor. C. 3, 24, 52; cf.

irarum,

Sil. 3, 77:

vitiorum,

Juv. 14, 123 al.

tracto, āvi, ātum ( gen. plur. part. tractantum, Ov. P. 3, 3, 20), 1, v. freq. a. [traho].

To draw violently, to drag, tug, haul, etc. (so, very rare): qui te (Hectorem) sic tractavere? Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 2 (Trag. v. 96 Vahl.):

tractatus per aequora campi,

id. Ann. v. 140 Vahl.:

tractata comis antistita Phoebi,

Ov. M. 13, 410:

malis morsuque ferarum Tractari,

to be torn, rent, lacerated, Lucr. 3, 889.—

To touch, take in hand, handle, manage, wield; to exercise, practise, transact, perform, etc. (freq. and class.; cf.: tango, ago, perago).

Lit.:

ut ea, quae gustemus, olfaciamus, tractemus, audiamus, etc.,

Cic. Tusc. 5, 38, 111:

numquam temere tinnit tintinnabulum, nisi qui illud tractat,

Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 163:

aliquid manibus,

id. Poen. 1, 2, 103:

tractavisti hospitam ante aedes meas,

id. Mil. 2, 6, 30:

mateilionem Corinthium cupidissime tractans,

Cic. Par. 5, 2, 38:

volucra, quae non possum tractare sine magno gemitu,

id. Att. 12, 22, 1:

aret Pellis et ad tactum tractanti dura resistit,

Verg. G. 3, 502:

puer unctis Tractavit calicem manibus,

Hor. S. 2, 4, 79:

vitulos consuescere manu tractari,

Col. 6, 2, 1:

tractat inauratae consona fila lyrae,

i. e. strikes, plays upon, Ov. Am. 1, 8, 60: necdum res igni scibant tractare, to prepare, i. e. to cook, dress, Lucr. 5, 953:

solum terrae aere,

id. 5, 1289; cf.:

lutosum agrum,

i. e. to till, Col. 2, 4, 5:

tractari tuerique vites,

Cic. Fin. 5, 14, 39:

ceram pollice,

Ov. M. 10, 285; cf. id. ib. 8, 196:

lanam,

Just. 1, 3:

lanuginem,

Suet. Ner. 34:

gubernacula,

to manage, Cic. Sest. 9, 20:

tela,

to wield, Liv. 7, 32, 11; cf.:

speciosius arma,

Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 53:

servus, qui meam bibliothecen multorum nummorum tractavit,

has taken care of, had charge of, Cic. Fam. 13, 77, 3; cf.: eras tu quaestor;

pecuniam publicam tu tractabas,

id. Div. in Caecil. 10, 32:

rationem Prusensium,

Plin. Ep. 10, 28, 5.—

Trop., to handle, manage, practise, conduct, lead, etc.

In gen.: ut ne res temere tractent turbidas, Enn. ap. Cic. de Or. 1, 45, 199 (Trag. v. 189 Vahl.):

suam rem minus caute et cogitate,

Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 46:

causas amicorum tractare atque agere,

Cic. de Or. 1, 37, 170:

causam difficiliorem,

id. Fam. 3, 12, 3:

condiciones,

Caes. B. C. 3, 28:

bellum,

to conduct, carry on, Liv. 23, 28, 4; Tac. A. 1, 59; Just. 9, 8, 12; 22, 5, 4:

proelia,

Sil. 15, 466; cf.:

vitam vulgivago more ferarum,

to lead, pass, spend, Lucr. 5, 930; so,

vitam,

Auct. Her. 4, 24, 33 (al. transactam):

imperium,

Just. 1, 2, 1:

regna,

id. 2, 4, 20:

pauca admodum vi tractata, quo ceteris quies esset,

Tac. A. 1, 9 fin.:

artem,

to practise, Ter. Phorm. prol. 17; Cic. Ac. 2, 7, 22:

verba vetera,

to employ, Quint. 11, 1, 6:

personam in scenā,

to perform, act, represent, id. Rosc. Com. 7, 20; so,

partes secundas (mimus),

Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 14:

animos,

Cic. Or. 28, 97; cf. Quint. 11, 1, 85.—Reflex.:

quo in munere ita se tractavit, ut, etc.,

has so conducted himself, Cic. Fam. 13, 12, 1; so,

ita me in re publicā tractabo, ut meminerim, etc.,

id. Cat. 3, 12, 29.—

In partic.

To treat, use, or conduct one ' s self towards a person in any manner:

ego te, ut merita es de me, tractare exsequar,

Plaut. As. 1, 3, 8: haec arte tractabat virum, ut, etc., Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 125:

omnibus rebus eum ita tractes, ut, etc.,

Cic. Fam. 1, 3:

non tractabo ut consulem,

id. Phil. 2, 5, 10:

aliquem liberaliter,

id. Verr. 1, 8, 23:

nec liberalius nec honorificentius potuisse tractari,

id. Fam. 13, 27, 2:

pater parum pie tractatus a filio,

id. Cael. 2, 3:

mercatores ac navicularii injuriosius tractati,

id. Imp. Pomp. 5, 11:

pauloque benignius ipsum Te tractare voles,

Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 12. —

To handle, treat, investigate, discuss any thing, mentally, orally, or in writing (cf.: dissero, disputo, ago). ( a) With acc.:

quem ad modum quamque causam tractare conveniat,

Auct. Her. 2, 2, 2:

oratori omnia quaesita, audita, lecta, disputata, tractata, agitata esse debent,

Cic. de Or. 3, 14, 54:

habeat omnes philosophiae notos et tractatos locos,

id. Or. 33, 118:

causas amicorum,

id. de Or. 1, 37, 170:

tractata res,

id. Rep. 3, 3, 4:

definitiones fortitudinis,

id. Tusc. 4, 24, 53:

partem philosophiae,

id. Ac. 1, 8, 30:

constantiam,

id. Lael. 18, 65; cf. id. ib. 22, 82:

ibi consilia decem legatorum tractabantur,

Liv. 33, 31, 7:

fama fuit... tractatas inter Eumenen et Persea condiciones amicitiae,

id. 44, 13, 9:

scrupulosius tractabo ventos,

Plin. 2, 46, 45, § 118: prima elementa, Quint. prooem. 21;

1, 1, 23: locus, qui copississime a Cicerone tractatur,

id. 1, 4, 24; 7, 2, 43:

aliquid memori pectore,

to ponder, reflect upon, Juv. 11, 28; cf.:

tractare proeliorum vias,

Tac. A. 2, 5: ut quaestio diligentius tractaretur, Aug. Civ. Dei, 2, 21, 1.—

With de and abl. (mostly postAug.):

de officii parte,

Sen. Contr. 2, 1 (9), 20 (dub.;

Madv. and Kiessl. partem): quoniam de religionibus tractabatur,

Tac. A. 3, 71:

ubi de figuris orationis tractandum erit,

Quint. 1, 5, 5; 2, 13, 14; 2, 20, 10:

de negotiis,

to discuss, Suet. Aug. 35 fin. —

With interrog.-clause:

quo tractatur amicus an inimicus,

Quint. 5, 10, 29; 7, 2, 56:

utra sit antiquior (lex),

id. 7, 7, 8:

cum tractaret, quinam adipisci principem locum abnuerent, etc.,

Tac. A. 1, 13.—

To negotiate, treat:

dum de condicionibus tractat,

Nep. Eum. 5, 7; Suet. Claud. 26:

de Asiā,

Just. 37, 3, 4:

de redimendo filio,

id. 31, 7, 7.

disco, dĭdĭci, 3 ( part. fut.: sic disciturum, etc., App. ap. Prisc. p. 887 P.), v. a. [from the root da-, Gr. dedaôs, daênai; dak-, cf. doceo, doctus, Gr. didaskô], to learn, to learn to know, to become acquainted with, etc. (for syn. cf.: capio, percipio, concipio, comprehendo, intellego, cognosco, nosco, agnosco, animadverto, calleo, scio—very freq. in all periods and sorts of writing).

With acc.:

litteras Graecas senex didici,

Cic. de Sen. 8, 26; id. Tusc. 1, 13, 29: so,

litteras,

Plaut. Truc. 4, 2, 22:

jus civile,

id. Mur. 9, 19; 10, 23:

litteras apud aliquem,

Cic. Fam. 9, 10, 2:

dialectica ab aliquo,

id. Ac. 2, 30, 98:

artem ab aliquo,

Quint. 3, 1, 10 et saep.:

aliquid de aliquo,

Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 31:

virtutem ex me, fortunam ex aliis,

Verg. A. 12, 435; cf. Quint. 12, 8, 6 al.:

fabularum similia,

Cic. Rep. 1, 36:

artes,

id. ib. 2, 21:

palaestram,

Quint. 5, 10, 121:

affectum,

id. 1, 11, 2:

inde vocabula prima,

Lucr. 5, 1042:

elementa prima,

Hor. S. 1, 1, 26:

dulces querelas,

Lucr. 5, 1384; cf.

preces,

Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 133 et saep.:

me peritus Discet Iber,

Hor. C. 2, 20, 20; cf.:

quem (Augustum) didicere Vindelici,

id. ib. 4, 14, 8:

omnes crimine ab uno,

Verg. A. 2, 66 et saep.— Pass.:

dum est, unde jus civile discatur,

Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 45; cf.

jus,

Quint. 12, 3, 9:

Crassus, quod disci potuit de jure didicit,

Cic. de Or. 2, 33, 143:

tot artibus discendis,

Quint. 12, 11, 9 et saep.—

With inf. or acc. and inf.:

pueri qui nare discunt,

Plaut. Aul. 4, 1, 9:

rapere et clepere,

Cic. Rep. 4, 5 (ap. Non. 20, 15):

Latine loqui,

Sall. J. 101, 6:

nobis ignoscere,

Quint. 11, 2, 45:

assem in partes diducere,

Hor. A. P. 326:

bene ferre magnam fortunam,

id. C. 3, 27, 75 et saep.:

bene ubi quod consilium discimus accidisse, etc.,

Plaut. Ps. 2, 3, 15:

discit, Litavicum ad sollicitandos Haeduos profectum,

Caes. B. G. 7, 54:

animadverti et didici ex tuis litteris te omnibus in rebus habuisse rationem, ut, etc.,

Cic. Fam. 3, 5; id. Ac. 2, 30 fin.:

deos didici securum agere aevum,

Hor. S. 1, 5, 101 et saep.—

With relat. clause:

plures discent, quemadmodum haec fiant, quam quemadmodum his resistatur,

Cic. Lael. 12, 41:

quantum in Etruria belli esset,

Liv. 10, 25:

patriae quid debeat, etc.,

Hor. A. P. 312 et saep.—

Absol.:

disces tu quidem a principe hujus aetatis philosophorum, et disces quamdiu voles,

Cic. Off. 1, 1, 2:

didicit,

i. e. oratory, id. Brut. 71, 249; Caes. B. G. 6, 14, 4; Quint. 1, 12, 14 al.:

discendi aut visendi causa maria transmittere,

Cic. Rep. 1, 3; so,

discendi causa,

id. ib. 1, 10; id. Off. 2, 1, 4; Caes. B. G. 6, 13 fin. al.:

se ita a patribus majoribusque suis didicisse, ut, etc.,

Caes. B. G. 1, 13, 6. —Ellipt.:

discebant fidibus antiqui, sc. canere,

Cic. de Sen. 8 fin. (cf.:

docere fidibus,

Cic. Fam. 9, 22, 3:

scire fidibus,

Ter. Eun. 1, 5, 53).—

Transf., of inanimate subjects:

manus,

Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 159:

nec varios discet mentiri lana colores,

Verg. E. 4, 42:

arbores,

Plin. H. N. 16 prooem.—

To teach = docere (late Lat., cf. manthanein, and Eng. learn):

falsa discentes,

Amm. 14, 1.

flŭo, xi, xum, 3 (archaic form of the sup.: FLUCTUM, acc. to Prisc. p. 817 P.; cf.: fluo, fluctum, Not. Tir. From this form are derived fluctio and fluctus. In Lucr. 6, 800, the correct read. is laveris, not flueris, v. Lachm. ad h. l.), v. n. [Gr. phlu-, phlusai, anaphluô, etc.; Lat. fleo, fletus; flumen, fluctus, etc.; orig. one root with fla-, to blow, q. v. and cf. Curt. Gr. Etym. p. 302], to flow (cf.: mano, labor, etc.).

Lit.: per amoenam urbem leni fluit agmine flumen, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 4 (Ann. v. 177 ed. Vahl.); cf.:

ut flumina in contrarias partes fluxerint,

Cic. Div. 1, 35, 78:

flumen quod inter eum et Domitii castra fluebat,

Caes. B. C. 3, 37, 1; cf.

also: aurea tum dicat per terras flumina vulgo Fluxisse,

Lucr. 5, 911:

fluvius Eurotas, qui propter Lacedaemonem fluit,

Cic. Inv. 2, 31, 96:

Helvetiorum inter fines et Allobrogum Rhodanus fluit,

Caes. B. G. 1, 6, 2:

Arar in utram partem fluat,

id. ib. 1, 12, 1:

ea, quae natura fluerent atque manarent, ut aqua,

Cic. N. D. 1, 15, 39: fluens unda, water from a stream (opp.: putealis unda, spring-water), Col. 1, 5, 1:

in foveam,

Lucr. 2, 475; cf. id. 5, 271:

fluxit in terram Remi cruor,

Hor. Epod. 7, 19; cf. Luc. 6, 61:

imber,

Ov. P. 4, 4, 2:

sanguis,

id. M. 12, 312:

fluit de corpore sudor,

id. ib. 9, 173; cf.:

sudor fluit undique rivis,

Verg. A. 5, 200:

aes rivis,

id. ib. 8, 445:

nudo sub pede musta fluunt,

Ov. R. Am. 190:

madidis fluit unda capillis,

drips, id. M. 11, 656:

cerebrum molle fluit,

id. ib. 12, 435:

fluunt lacrimae more perennis aquae,

id. F. 2, 820:

fluens nausea,

Hor. Epod. 9, 35; cf.:

alvus fluens,

Cels. 2, 6:

fluit ignibus aurum,

becomes fluid, melts, Ov. M. 2, 251.—

Transf.

Of bodies, to flow, overflow, run down, drip with any fluid.— With abl.:

cum fluvius Atratus sanguine fluxit,

Cic. Div. 1, 43, 98; Ov. M. 8, 400:

cruore fluens,

id. ib. 7, 343:

sudore fluentia brachia,

id. ib. 9, 57; cf.:

fluunt sudore et lassitudine membra,

Liv. 38, 17, 7; 7, 33, 14; cf. id. 10, 28, 4:

pingui fluit unguine tellus,

Val. Fl. 6, 360:

vilisque rubenti Fluxit mulctra mero,

overflows, Sil. 7, 190. —Without abl.:

madidāque fluens in veste Menoetes,

Verg. A. 5, 179:

fluentes cerussataeque buccae,

dripping with paint, Cic. Pis. 11, 25 (cf. Cic. de Or. 2, 66, 266, 2. b. infra):

Graeculae vites acinorum exiguitate minus fluunt,

i. e. yield but little wine, Col. 3, 2, 24; 3, 2, 5; 12, 52, 1.—With acc. of kin. signif.:

Oenotria vina fluens,

Claud. Laud. Stil. 2, 264.—

To move in the manner of fluids, to flow, stream, pour:

inde alium (aëra) supra fluere,

to flow, Lucr. 5, 514 and 522:

unde fluens volvat varius se fluctus odorum,

id. 4, 675 sq.; cf.:

principio omnibus a rebus, quascumque videmus, Perpetuo fluere ac mitti spargique necesse est Corpora, quae feriant oculos visumque lacessant: Perpetuoque fluunt certis ab rebus odores, Frigus ut a fluviis, calor a sole, aestus ab undis Aequoris,

id. 6, 922 sq.:

aestus e lapide,

id. 6, 1002:

venti,

id. 1, 280:

fluit undique victor Mulciber,

Sil. 17, 102:

comae per levia colla fluentes,

flowing, spreading, Prop. 2, 3, 13; cf.:

blanditiaeque fluant per mea colla rosae,

id. 4 (5), 6, 72:

vestis fluens,

flowing, loose, id. 3, 17 (4, 16), 32:

tunicisque fluentibus,

Ov. A. A. 3, 301:

nodoque sinus collecta fluentes,

Verg. A. 1, 320; cf.

also: balteus nec strangulet nec fluat,

Quint. 11, 3, 140:

nec mersa est pelago, nec fluit ulla ratis,

floats, is tossed about, Mart. 4, 66, 14:

ramos compesce fluentes,

floating around, spreading out, Verg. G. 2, 370:

ad terram fluit devexo pondere cervix,

droops, id. ib. 3, 524:

omnisque relictis Turba fluit castris,

pour forth, id. A. 12, 444:

olli fluunt ad regia tecta,

id. ib. 11, 236;

so of a multitude or crowd of men: densatis ordinibus effuse fluentem in se aciem excepere,

Curt. 6, 1, 6.—

Pregn., of bodies, to pass away, fall away, to fall off or out, to vanish:

excident gladii, fluent arma de manibus,

Cic. Phil. 12, 3, 8:

capilli fluunt,

Cels. 6, 1; Plin. 27, 4, 5, § 17:

sponte fluent (poma) matura suā,

Ov. Am. 2, 14, 25:

quasi longinquo fluere omnia cernimus aevo,

Lucr. 2, 69; cf.:

cuncta fluunt omnisque vagans formatur imago,

Ov. M. 15, 178: dissolvuntur enim tum demum membra fluuntque, Lucr. 4, 919:

surae fluxere,

Luc. 9, 770:

buccae fluentes,

fallen in, lank, Cic. de Or. 2, 66, 266.

Trop.

In gen., to flow, spring, arise, come forth; to go, proceed:

ex ejus (Nestoris) lingua melle dulcior fluebat oratio,

Cic. de Sen. 10, 31:

carmen vena pauperiore fluit,

Ov. Pont. 4, 2, 20:

Calidii oratio ita libere fluebat, ut nusquam adhaeresceret,

Cic. Brut. 79, 274:

in Herodoto omnia leniter fluunt,

Quint. 9, 4, 18; cf.

also: grammatice pleno jam satis alveo fluit,

id. 2, 1, 4:

quae totis viribus fluit oratio,

id. 9, 4, 7:

oratio ferri debet ac fluere,

id. 9, 4, 112.— Transf., of the writer himself:

alter (Herodotus) sine ullis salebris quasi sedatus amnis fluit,

Cic. Or. 12, 39; cf.:

(Lucilius) cum flueret lutulentus,

Hor. S. 1, 4, 11; 1, 10, 50; 1, 7, 28:

facetiis,

Plaut. Mil. 4, 8, 12:

multa ab ea (luna) manant et fluunt, quibus animantes alantur augescantque,

Cic. N. D. 2, 19, 50:

haec omnia ex eodem fonte fluxerunt,

id. ib. 3, 19, 48:

dicendi facultatem ex intimis sapientiae fontibus fluere,

Quint. 12, 2, 6; 5, 10, 19; 5, 9, 14:

omnia ex natura rerum hominumque fluere,

id. 6, 2, 13:

nomen ex Graeco fluxisse,

id. 3, 4, 12:

ab isto capite fluere necesse est omnem rationem bonorum et malorum,

Cic. Fin. 2, 11, 34; Quint. 1, 1, 12:

unde id quoque vitium fluit,

id. 11, 3, 109; 7, 3, 33:

Pythagorae doctrina cum longe lateque flueret,

spread itself, Cic. Tusc. 4, 1, 2:

multum fluxisse video de libris nostris variumque sermonem,

id. N. D. 1, 3, 6:

sic mihi tarda fluunt ingrataque tempora,

flow, pass, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 23:

in rebus prosperis et ad voluntatem nostram fluentibus,

going, Cic. Off. 1, 26, 90: rebus supra votum fluentibus, Sall. H. Fragm. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 2, 169 (Hist. 1, 101 Dietsch); Tac. H. 3, 48; Just. 23, 3; cf.:

rebus prospere fluentibus,

succeeding, prospering, Tac. Or. 5; id. A. 15, 5: illius rationes quorsum fluant, proceed, Attic. ap. Cic. Att. 9, 10, 4; cf.:

res fluit ad interregnum,

Cic. Att. 4, 16, 11;

cuncta in Mithridatem fluxere,

Tac. A. 11, 9.—

In partic.

Of speech, etc., to flow uniformly, be monotonous:

efficiendum est ne fluat oratio, ne vagetur, etc.,

Cic. de Or. 3, 49, 190:

quod species ipsa carminum docet, non impetu et instinctu nec ore uno fluens,

Tac. A. 14, 16; cf. Cic. Brut. 79.—Pregn., to dissolve, vanish, perish:

qua (voluptate) cum liquescimus fluimusque mollitia,

Cic. Tusc. 2, 22, 52:

fluens mollitiis,

Vell. 1, 6, 2; 2, 88, 2:

cetera nasci, occidere, fluere, labi, nec diutius esse uno et eodem statu,

Cic. Or. 3, 10:

fluit voluptas corporis et prima quaeque avolat,

id. Fin. 2, 32, 106:

fluentem procumbentemque rem publicam populi Romani restituere,

Vell. 2, 16 fin. —Hence,

fluens, entis, P. a.

Lax, relaxed, debauched, enervated, effeminate:

inde soluti ac fluentes non accipiunt e scholis mala ista, sed in scholas afferunt,

Quint. 1, 2, 8:

Campani fluentes luxu,

Liv. 7, 29, 5:

incessu ipso ultra muliebrem mollitiem fluentes,

Sen. Tranq. 15:

fluentibus membris, incessu femineo,

Aug. Civ. D. 7, 26.—

Of speech,

Flowing, fluent:

sed in his tracta quaedam et fluens expetitur, non haec contorta et acris oratio,

Cic. Or. 20, 66:

lenis et fluens contextus,

Quint. 9, 4, 127.—

Lax, unrestrained:

ne immoderata aut angusta aut dissoluta aut fluens sit oratio,

Cic. Or. 58, 198:

dissipata et inculta et fluens oratio,

id. ib. 65, 220;

and transf. of the speaker: in locis ac descriptionibus fusi ac fluentes sumus,

Quint. 9, 4, 138.— Adv.: flŭenter, in a flowing, waving manner (very rare):

res quaeque fluenter fertur,

Lucr. 6, 935 (but not ib. 520, where the correct read. is cientur;

v. Lachm.): capillo fluenter undante,

App. M. 2, p. 122, 7. —

fluxus, a, um, P. a. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose).

Lit., flowing, fluid:

elementa arida atque fluxa, App. de Mundo: sucus,

Plin. 9, 38, 62, § 133:

vas fluxum pertusumque,

i. e. leaking, Lucr. 6, 20.—

Transf., flowing, loose, slack:

ipsa crine fluxo thyrsum quatiens,

Tac. A. 11, 31:

habena,

Liv. 38, 29, 6:

amictus,

Luc. 2, 362; cf.:

ut cingeretur fluxiore cinctura,

Suet. Caes. 45 fin.:

fluxa arma,

hanging slack, loose, Tac. H. 2, 99.—

Pregn., frail, perishable, weak:

corpora,

Tac. H. 2, 32; cf.:

spadone eviratior fluxo,

Mart. 5, 41, 1:

(murorum) aevo fluxa,

Tac. H. 2, 22. —

Trop.

Lax, loose, dissolute, careless:

animi molles et aetate fluxi dolis haud difficulter capiebantur,

Sall. C. 14, 5: cf.:

animi fluxioris esse,

Suet. Tib. 52:

duces noctu dieque fluxi,

Tac. H. 3, 76:

spectaculum non enerve nec fluxum,

Plin. Pan. 33, 1:

fluxa atque aperta securitas,

Gell. 4, 20, 8.—

Pregn., frail, weak, fleeting, transient, perishable:

res nostrae ut in secundis fluxae, ut in adversis bonae,

decayed, impaired, disordered, Cic. Att. 4, 2, 1: hujus belli fortuna, ut in secundis, fluxa;

ut in adversis, bona,

id. ad Brut. 1, 10, 2:

res humanae fluxae et mobiles,

Sall. J. 104, 2:

divitiarum et formae gloria fluxa atque fragilis est,

id. C. 1, 4; cf.:

instabile et fluxum,

Tac. A. 13, 19:

fluxa auctoritas,

id. H. 1, 21:

cave fidem fluxam geras,

Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 79:

fides,

Sall. J. 111, 2; Liv. 40, 50, 5; cf.:

fluxa et vana fides,

unreliable, unstable, id. 28, 6, 11; Tac. H. 2, 75; 4, 23:

studia inania et fluxa,

id. A. 3, 50 fin.:

fluxa senio mens,

id. ib. 6, 38.— Adv.: fluxē, remissly, negligently (post-class. and rare):

more vitae remissioris fluxius agens,

Amm. 18, 7.

ĭnĭtĭum, ĭi, n. [ineo], a going in, en trance.

A beginning, commencement (syn.: principium, exordium).

Lit.:

bonis initiis orsus tribunatus, tristes exitus habuit consulatus,

id. Brut. 34, 128:

initio accusationis,

id. de Or. 1, 26, 121:

initium capere,

Caes. B. G. 1, 1:

dicendi initium sumere,

Cic. Leg. 2, 1, 1:

facere initium confligendi,

id. Phil. 14, 14, 36:

caedis initium ab aliquo facere,

id. ib. 5, 7, 20:

male ponere initia,

id. Att. 10, 18, 2:

ducere ab aliqua re,

id. ib. 9, 9, 2:

ab initio res quem ad modum facta sint, exponemus,

Cic. Rosc. Am. 5, 14: ab ultimo initio [p. 956] repetere, Auct. Her. 1, 9, 14:

seditionem ab altiore initio repetam,

Tac. H. 2, 27:

quia initio caedis orto difficilis modus,

id. ib. 1, 39.— Pleon.: querellae ab initio tantae ordiendae rei absint, Liv. praef. § 12; cf.:

prima initia incohare,

id. 3, 54, 9:

primum initium certaminis,

id. 6, 12, 10. — The abl. sing. is used adverbially, in the beginning, at first:

quemadmodum senatus initio censuit,

Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 4:

redeo ad illud quod initio scripsi,

id. ib. 1, 7, 5; Nep. Thras. 1, 5; id. Tim. 3, 1; id. Alc. 5, 3; Curt. 3, 8, 17 al.; cf. Zumpt, Gram. § 475. —

Transf.

Constituent parts, elements:

inde est indagatio nata initiorum, et tamquam seminum, unde essent omnia orta, generata, concreta,

Cic. Tusc. 5, 24, 69: illa initia, et, ut e Graeco vertam, elementa dicuntur ( = stoicheia), id. Ac. 1, 7, 26;

so of death: Augustus in sua resolutus initia,

Vell. 2, 123, 3. —

First principles, elements cf a science:

illa initia mathematicorum, quibus non concessis digitum progredi non possunt,

Cic. Ac. 2, 36, 116.—

Beginning, origin:

quomodo initium nobis rerum omnium ortus noster adferat, sic exitum mors, etc.,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 38, 91:

natus obscurissimis initiis,

Vell. 2, 761; cf.: pauca ab initio causisque talium facinorum non absurda, which relate to the origin, etc., Tac. H. 4, 48.—

Auspices, because with them everything was begun; hence, the beginning of a reign:

novis initiis et ominibus opus est,

i. e. of a new king, Curt. 5, 9, 4.—

Secret sacred rites, sacred mysteries, to which only the initiated were admitted:

initia vocantur potissimum ea, quae Cereri fiunt sacra,

Varr. R. R. 3, 1, 5:

initia Cereris,

Liv. 31, 47, 2; cf.

39, 8, 5: nihil melius illis mysteriis, quibus ex agresti immanique vita exculti ad humanitatem et mitigati sumus, initiaque ut appellantur, ita re vera principia vitae cognovimus,

Cic. Leg. 2, 14, 36; Just. 2, 6:

initia Samothracum,

Curt. 8, 1, 12:

initiis pacis, foedus cum feritur,

Varr. R. R. 2, 4, 9.—

Things ( musical instruments) used in celebrating these mysteries:

Typanum, tubam, Cybele, tua, mater, initia,

Cat. 63, 9.

littĕrātūra ( lītĕr-), ae, f. [litterae].

A writing formed of letters:

litteratura constat ex notis litterarum et ex eo, in quo imprimuntur illae notae,

Cic. Part. 7, 26.—

Transf.:

Graeca,

the Greek alphabet, Tac. A. 11, 13.—

The science of language, grammar, philology:

grammatice, quam in Latinum transferentes litteraturam vocaverunt,

Quint. 2, 1, 4; cf. id. 2, 14, 3:

prima illa litteratura, per quam pueris elementa traduntur,

Sen. Ep. 88, 20.—

Learning, erudition:

saecularis,

Tert. Spect. 18.

littĕrātūra ( lītĕr-), ae, f. [litterae].

A writing formed of letters:

litteratura constat ex notis litterarum et ex eo, in quo imprimuntur illae notae,

Cic. Part. 7, 26.—

Transf.:

Graeca,

the Greek alphabet, Tac. A. 11, 13.—

The science of language, grammar, philology:

grammatice, quam in Latinum transferentes litteraturam vocaverunt,

Quint. 2, 1, 4; cf. id. 2, 14, 3:

prima illa litteratura, per quam pueris elementa traduntur,

Sen. Ep. 88, 20.—

Learning, erudition:

saecularis,

Tert. Spect. 18.