the harvest of the time of Sylla

messis, is ( acc. sing. messim, Cato, R. R. 134; Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 5; id. Ep. 5, 2, 53; Varr. R. R. 3, 2, 6; v. Neue, Formenl. 1, p. 200), f. ( masc.: non magno messe, Lucil. ap. Non. 213 fin.) [id.], a reaping and ingathering of the fruits of the earth, a harvest (class.).

Lit.:

messis proprio nomine dicitur in iis, quae metuntur, maxime in frumento,

Varr. R. R. 1, 50, 1; Quint. 5, 9, 5; 8, 3, 8; Cic. de Or. 1, 58, 249; Verg. G. 1, 219 al.:

seges matura messi,

Liv. 2, 5:

messem hordaceam facere, aream in messem creta praeparare,

to get in the harvest, Plin. 18, 30, 71, § 295:

messe amissā,

Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 54, § 125:

messis feria, Cod. 3, 10, 2.—Of the gathering of honey,

Verg. G. 4, 231.—

Transf., concr., harvest.

The harvested crops, the harvest:

illius immensae ruperunt horrea messes,

Verg. G. 1, 49; id. ib. 1, 314; id. E. 8, 99; Just. 24, 7, 6: Cilicum et Arabum, the harvest of the Arabians, i. e. saffron and frankincense, Stat. S. 3, 3, 34:

bellatura,

the men that sprang from the dragon's teeth sown by Cadmus, Claud. Laud. Stil. 1, 321. —

The crops that are to be harvested, the standing crops, the harvest:

messium incensores, vel vinearum olivarumve,

Paul. Sent. 5, 20, 5: messes suas urere, prov., like vineta sua caedere, i. e. to destroy one's own work (e. g. one's own pupils), Tib. 1, 2, 98: adhuc tua messis in herba est, your wheat is still in the blade, i. e. you are premature in your expectations, Ov. H. 17, 263.—

The time of harvest, harvest-time:

si frigus erit, si messis,

Verg. E. 5, 70.— Poet. transf. for a year:

sexagesima messis,

Mart. 4, 79, 1. —

Trop.:

pro benefactis mali messem metere,

to receive evil for good, to reap ingratitude, Plaut. Ep. 5, 2, 53:

uberem messem mali,

id. Rud. 3, 2, 23:

(morum malorum) metere messem maxumam,

id. Trin. 1, 1, 11:

si attigeris ostium, jam tibi hercle in ore fiet messis mergis pugneis,

id. Rud. 3, 4, 58: Sullani temporis messem, the harvest of the time of Sylla, when so many were killed, Cic. Par. 6, 2, 46; (in eccl. Lat.) the time for winning souls to the truth:

transiit messis, finita est aestas, et nos salvati non sumus,

Vulg. Jer. 8, 20.—Of the persons to be gathered into the church:

messis quidem multa,

Vulg. Luc. 10, 2; cf. id. Johan. 4, 35. —Of the end of the world:

sinite utraque crescere usque ad messem,

Vulg. Matt. 13, 30; cf. v. 39.