The officials

offĭcĭum, ii, n. [for opificium, opus and facio], qs. that which one does for another, a service, whether of free will or of (external or moral) necessity (class.; cf.: studium, beneficium, meritum, munus).

A voluntary service, a kindness, favor, courtesy, rendered to one whose claim to it is recognized;

while beneficium is a service rendered where there is no claim: officium esse filii, uxoris, earum personarum, quas necessitudo suscitat et ferre opem jubet,

Sen. Ben. 3, 18, 1.

In gen.:

altera sententia est, quae definit amicitiam paribus officiis ac voluntatibus,

Cic. Lael. 16, 58:

odiosum sane genus hominum officia exprobrantium,

id. ib. 20, 71:

nihil est vicissitudine studiorum officiorumque jucundius,

id. ib. 14, 49: filicem cum officio vicini decidere, so as to do him a service, Col. 2, 14, 6:

summo officio praeditus homo,

exceedingly obliging, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 51, § 135. —

In partic.

A ceremonial observance, ceremony, attendance (on a festive or solemn occasion;

mostly post-Aug.): officio togae virilis interfui,

Plin. Ep. 1, 9, 2:

sine solenni officio,

Suet. Claud. 2:

per sollenne nuptiarum celeberrimo officio deductum ad se,

id. Ner. 28; cf. id. Claud. 26:

ad officium venire,

id. Calig. 25:

relicto statim novorum consulum officio,

id. Caes. 50:

in officio salutationis,

id. Aug. 27:

vitans praeter navigantium officia,

id. Tib. 12:

officia prosequentium,

id. Caes. 71:

quod supremis in matrem officiis defuisset,

at the payment of the last offices, at the funeral, Tac. A. 5, 2:

officium cras Primo sole mihi peragendum in valle Quirini,

a ceremonial visit, Juv. 2, 133 sq.; 3, 239.—

In mal. part., compliance, favor, Prop. 3, 15, 24; Ov. Am. 1, 10, 46; 3, 7, 24; cf.

virile,

Theod. Prisc. 2, 11:

puerile,

Plaut. Cist. 4, 1, 5; Petr. 140.—

In gen., an obligatory service, an obligation, duty, function, part, office (so most freq. in prose and poetry of all periods):

nulla vitae pars neque publicis neque privatis neque forensibus neque domesticis in rebus, neque si tecum agas quid, neque, si cum altero contrahas, vacare oflicio potest: in eoque et colendo sita vitae est honestas omnis et in neglegendo turpitudo, etc.,

Cic. Off. 1, 2, 4 sq.: perfectum officium rectum opinor vocemus, quod Graeci katorthôma: hoc autem commune kathêkon vocant, id. ib. 1, 3, 8;

an id doles, quia illi suum officium non colunt, quom tu tuum facis?

Plaut. Stich. 1, 1, 34; id. ib. 1, 1, 39; id. Pers. 4, 4, 66:

meminisse officium suum,

to remember one's duty, id. Trin. 3, 2, 71.—Also, subject., a sense of duty:

si quis aegre ferat nihil in se esse virtutis, nihil officii, etc.,

Cic. Tusc. 4, 28, 61:

quicquid in eum judicii officiique contuleris,

id. Fam. 10, 1 fin.:

intellegere, utrum apud eos pudor atque officium an timor valeret,

Caes. B. G. 1, 40, 14:

suum facere,

to do one's duty, Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 44:

omnibus officiis amicitiae servatis,

observe all the obligations of friendship, Cic. Fam. 5, 17, 3:

exsequi,

id. Att. 3, 15, 4:

fungi officio,

id. Fam. 3, 8, 3:

satisfacere officio,

to perform, id. Div. in Caecil. 14, 47:

officium suum deserere,

to disregard one's duty, not perform it, id. Off. 1, 9, 28:

discedere ab officio,

id. ib. 1, 10, 32:

deesse officio suo,

id. Fam. 7, 3, 1:

officii duxit,

considered it his duty, Suet. Tib. 11.—Of animals:

canes funguntur officiis luporum,

act the part of, Auct. Her. 4, 34, 46.—Of things:

neque pes neque mens satis suum officium facit,

Ter. Eun. 4, 5, 3: officium corporis, the function or property of a body, Lucr. 1, 336 and 362.—

In partic.

Lit., an official duty, a service, employment, business (class.):

toti officio maritimo M. Bibulus praepositus cuncta administrabat,

naval service, Caes. B. C. 3, 5 fin.; 3, 8:

celeriter equitatus ad cotidianum itineris officium revertitur,

id. ib. 1, 80:

confecto legationis officio,

id. ib. 3, 103:

destringor officio,

Plin. Ep. 7, 15, 1:

officium (scribae),

Nep. Eum. 1, 5.—

Transf., an office, appointment (post-Aug.).

Laboriosissimum et maximum, office, Plin. Pan. 91:

nova officia excogitavit,

Suet. Aug. 37; cf.:

novum officium instituit a voluptatibus,

id. Tib. 42:

obligationes, quae non propriis viribus consistunt, neque officio judicis, neque praetoris imperio neque legis potestate confirmantur,

Dig. 44, 7, 27:

qui ex officio pro aliis interveniunt,

by virtue of their office, ib. 21, 1, 31, § 14:

ministerii,

Vulg. Exod. 28, 35:

sacerdotum,

id. Num. 7, 8.—

Transf., in concr.

The officials or attendants on a magistrate = officialium corpus (post-class.):

sub praetextu adventus officiorum vel militum,

Dig. 1, 18, 6; 21, 2, 74:

deponere aliquid apud officium,

ib. 2, 4. 17: officia palatina, officers at the imperial court, Treb. Poll. Gall. 17, 8.—

An office or court of a magistrate:

ipse me Regulus convenit in praetoris officio,

Plin. Ep. 1, 5, 11.

mĭnister, tra, trum, adj. ( gen. plur. ministrūm, Stat. S. 3, 1, 86) [a double comp. in form, from minus and comp. ending -ter, Gr. ter-os; cf.: magister, sinister], that is at hand, that serves, ministers (as an adj. only poet. and later): lumina (i. e. oculi) propositi facta ministra tui, that further, promote; promotive, or in a subst. sense, Ov. H. 21, 114:

minister Grex,

Sil. 11, 274:

ardor,

Lucr. 5, 297:

ministro baculo,

with the aid of a staff, Ov. Ib. 261.—

Subst.

mĭnister, tri, m., an attendant, waiter, servant; also a priest's attendant or assistant; likewise an inferior officer, underofficial; hence, transf., an aider in a good or bad sense, a furtherer, promoter, helper, an abettor, accomplice:

centum aliae (famulae), totidemque pares aetate ministri,

Verg. A. 1, 705:

Phrygius,

the cup-bearer Ganymede, Val. Fl. 5, 691; Mart. 12, 15, 7:

Falerni,

a cup -bearer, Cat. 27, 1:

ministri publici Martis,

Cic. Clu. 15, 43:

hostia Inter cunctantes cecidit moribunda ministros,

Verg. G. 3, 488:

ministri imperii tui,

inferior officers, under-officials, Cic. Q. Fr 1, 1, 3:

regni,

an assistant in the regal government, a minister, Just. 16, 1, 3:

infimi homines ministros se praebent in judiciis oratoribus,

i. e. inform the orators what the law is, Cic. de Or 1, 45, 146:

legum,

a minister, administrator, id. Clu. 53, 198:

sermonum,

a mediator, negotiator, Tac. H. 2, 99:

consiliorum suorum,

Vell. 2, 129, 3:

Tiberius Alexander... minister bello datus,

Tac. A. 15, 28:

ministri ac servi seditionum,

Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 13:

ministri ac satellites cupiditatum,

id. Verr 2, 3, 8, § 21; so,

furoris alieni,

agents, instruments, Lact. 5, 11:

libidinis, Cic Lael. 10, 35: socii scelerum atque ministri,

Lucr. 3, 61:

Calchante ministro,

with the help of Calchas, Verg. A. 2, 100:

ministrum esse in maleficio,

Cic. Clu. 22, 60:

minister fulminis ales,

i. e. the eagle, Hor. C. 4, 4, 1:

calidae gelidaeque (aquae) minister,

one who serves, Juv. 5, 63:

me nemo ministro fur erit,

by my aid, id. 3, 46.—Esp. (eccl. Lat.), a minister of religion, a preacher of Christ:

ut sim minister Christi,

Vulg. Rom. 15, 16; id. Eph. 3, 7:

fidelis,

id. ib. 6, 21:

Dei,

id. 2 Cor. 6, 4:

optimus,

Aug. Conf. 10, 26.—Of inanimate things:

sit anulus tuus non minister alienae voluntatis,

Cic. Q. Fr 1, 1, 4:

taedae, ardore ministro, suppeditant novum lumen,

Lucr. 5, 297.—

mĭnistra, ae, f., a female attendant, maid-servant; a female assistant or minister, at religious worship (class. only in the trop. signif.).

Lit.:

una ministrarum,

Ov. M. 9, 90; 306; 14, 705:

accipiat missas apta ministra notas,

Ov. A. A. 3, 470:

ara deae certe tremuit, pariente ministrā,

i. e. the Vestal Sylvia, id. F. 3, 47.—Also among Christians:

ancillae, quae ministrae dicebantur,

i. e. deaconesses, Plin. Ep. 10, 97, 8.—

Trop., a servant, handmaid; in a bad sense, an aider, accessory, abettor:

ministra et famula corporis res familiaris,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 31, 75:

voluptatum satellites et ministrae,

id. Fin. 2, 12, 37:

Camilla delegit pacisque bonas bellique ministras,

Verg. A. 11, 658.