To be involved in darkness

cālīgo ( call-), ĭnis, f. [root cal-, cover; cf.: oc-culo, clam, cella], a thick atmosphere, a mist, vapor, fog (mostly poet. or in post-Aug. prose):

suffundere caelum caligine,

Lucr. 6, 479; 6, 461; 6, 92:

(ignis) piceă crassus caligine,

Verg. G. 2, 309; cf. id. A. 9, 36; Liv. 29, 27, 7:

densa caligo occaecaverat diem,

id. 33, 7, 2; cf. Suet. Ner. 19:

fumidam a terră exhalari caliginem,

Plin. 2, 42, 42, § 111:

caligo aestuosa,

Col. 11, 2, 53 (for which, id. 11, 2, 57:

nebulosus aestus): pruinae et caligo,

id. 3, 2, 4; cf. Pall. Febr. 9, 2.—Also in plur.:

inter caligines,

Col. 3, 1, 7.—Hence,

Transf.

(Causa pro effectu.) Darkness, obscurity, gloom (produced by mist, fog, etc.; freq. with tenebrae;

class. in prose and poetry): mi ob oculos caligo obstitit, Plaut Mil. 2, 4, 51: cum altitudo caliginem oculis obfudisset,

i. e. had caused dizziness, Liv. 26, 45, 3:

erat in tantā calligine major usus aurium quam oculorum,

id. 22, 5, 3 Weissenb.: noctem insequentem eadem calligc obtinuit;

sole orto est discussa,

id. 29, 27, 7:

nox terram caligine texit,

Lucr. 6, 853; 5, 649:

caeca noctis,

id. 4, 457:

caecae umbra,

id. 3, 305; cf. Verg. A. 3, 203:

quam simul agnorunt inter caliginis umbras,

Ov. M. 4, 455:

ara obscurā caligine tecta,

Cic. Arat. 194.—With tenebrae, Cic. Agr. 2, 17, 44; Curt. 9, 4, 18; Lampr. Comm. 16.—In later writers also with a gen.:

caligo tenebrarum,

Quint. Decl. 18, 7; cf. Sen. Agam. 472 Heins.;

and inversely: tenebris illunae caliginis impeditus,

App. M. 9, p. 214.—

Trop.

In gen., mental blindness, dulness of perception:

quod videbam equidem, sed quasi per caliginem: praestrinxerat aciem animi D. Bruti salus,

Cic. Phil. 12, 2, 3; so id. Fin. 5, 15, 43: adhuc tamen [p. 270] per caliginem video, Plin. Ep. 5, 8, 8: caecā mentem caligine consitus, * Cat. 64, 207:

Augustus... omnibus omnium gentium viris magnitudine suā inducturus caliginem,

to throw into the shade, Vell. 2, 37, 1. —

Of dark, difficult circumstances, calamity, affliction, gloom:

vide nunc caliginem temporum illorum,

Cic. Planc. 40, 96:

superioris anni,

id. post Red. in Sen. 3, 5:

an qui etesiis, qui per cursum rectum regnum tenere non potuerunt, nunc caecis tenebris et caligine se Alexandriam perventuros arbitrati sunt?

id. Agr. 2, 17, 44:

illa omnis pecunia latuit in illā caligine ac tenebris, quae totam rem publicam tum occuparant,

id. Verr. 2, 3, 76, § 177:

ecce illa tempestas, caligo bonorum, tenebrae rei publicae,

id. Prov. Cons. 18, 43:

tantum caliginis, tantum perturbationis offusum,

Plin. Ep. 3, 9, 16:

quaedam scelerum offusa caligo,

Quint. 9, 3, 47.—

In medic. lang., as a disease of the eyes, dim-sightedness, weakness of the eyes, Cels. 6, 6, n. 32; Plin. 20, 7, 26, § 61; 20, 23, 95, § 254; 25, 13, 92, § 144; 32, 9, 31, § 97; 34, 11, 27, § 114; Scrib. Comp. 179.

cālīgo, āre, v. n. [1. caligo].

To emit vapor or steam, to steam, reek:

amnes aestate vaporatis, hieme frigidis nebulis caligent,

Col. 1, 5, 4:

aram tenui caligans vestiet umbrā,

Cic. Arat. 205 (449); cf.:

omnem quae nunc Mortalis hebetat visus tibi et umida circum Caligat, nubem eripiam,

Verg. A. 2, 606.—

Transf.

To be involved in darkness, to be dark, gloomy:

caligare oculos,

darkness covers the eyes, Lucr. 3, 157; Verg. G. 4, 468; Stat. Th. 1, 95. —

Poet.:

altae caligantesque fenestrae,

dizzy, Juv. 6, 31.—

Trop., of the understanding, to be blind, to be surrounded by darkness, to grope about:

orbatae caligant vela carinae,

Stat. S. 5, 3, 238:

caligare ad pervidendum,

Sen. Vit. Beat. 1, 1:

virtus inhorrescit ad subita, et caligabit, si, etc.,

id. Ep. 57, 4; Plin. 30, 1, 1, § 2; Quint. Decl. 18 fin.:

rex caligare alto in solio, nec pondera regni posse pati,

Sil. 14, 88.—Prov.:

caligare in sole,

to grope in broad daylight, Quint. 1, 2, 19.—

In medic. lang., of the eyes, to suffer from weakness, be weak, Cels. 6, 6, 32; Plin. 20, 22, 87, § 239; cf. id. 11, 37, 54, § 147.— Transf., of the person, to be dim-sighted:

caligans Thyestes,

Mart. 10, 4, 1; Scrib. Comp. 184.

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.