a contacl with something physically

contāgĭo, ōnis, f., contāgĭum, ii, n., and contāmen, ĭnis, n. (contagium only in poets—and in plur.—and in postAug. prose writers; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 59, 12; Non. p. 199, 2; Marc. Vict. 1, p. 2469 P.; cf. also colluvio: contamen only in late Lat.) [id.], a touching, contact, touch, in a good or bad sense.

In gen.

Contagio, Cato, R. R. 132 fin.:

anima calescit... contagione pulmonum,

Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 138:

corporis,

id. Div. 1, 30, 63; 2, 43, 92; id. Fat. 3, 5:

ab omni mentione et contagione Romanorum abstinere,

Liv. 40, 20, 6.—

Contagium, Lucr. 3, 346; 3, 740; Plin. 2, 20, 18, § 82; Mart. 11, 47.—

Pregn., a union, connection:

contagio naturae valet,

Cic. Fat. 3, 5.—

Freq., in a bad sense, a contacl with something physically or morally unclean, a contagion, infection.

Lit.

Contagio: nolite ad me adire, ne contagio mea bonis obsit, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 12, 26 (Trag. Rel. v. 405 Vahl.); cf. Cic. de Or. 3, 41, 164:

velut contagione quādam pestiferā insanire,

Liv. 28, 34, 4:

tum praecipue oves contagione vexentur,

Col. 7, 5, 6; so id. 7, 5, 16:

lichenis,

Plin. 26, 1, 3, §

3: vini,

id. 14, 21, 27, § 134 al. —

Contagium:

morbi,

Lucr. 3, 472; 6, 1235; Curt. 9, 10, 1; cf.

pestilentiae,

Plin. 23, 8, 80, § 157:

vicini pecoris,

Verg. E. 1, 51.— Absol.:

agunt contagia late,

Ov. M. 7, 551; Hor. Epod. 16, 61 al.—

Trop., an infection, pollution, vicious companionship or intercourse, participation, contamination, etc.

Contagio:

contagione mei patris metuo malum,

Plaut. Am. prol. 31; so with the gen.:

illius sceleris,

Cic. Mur. 37, 78; id. Sull. 2, 6:

criminis,

Liv. 9, 34, 14:

turpitudinis,

Cic. Att. 1, 16, 3:

conscientiae,

id. Verr. 2, 5, 71, § 183:

furoris,

Liv. 28, 24, 10:

cujus facti dictive,

id. 2, 37, 7:

noxae,

id. 9, 1, 6:

imitandi belli,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 3, § 6; cf.

belli,

Flor. 2, 13, 1:

bellorum,

id. 2, 2, 4:

aspectus,

Cic. Clu. 68, 193.— Plur.:

contagiones malorum, quae a Lacedaemoniis profectae manaverunt latius,

Cic. Off. 2, 23, 80.— Absol.: haec (vitia) primo paulatim crescere; post, ubi contagio quasi pestilentia invasit, civitas immutata, etc., * Sall. C. 10 fin.; Liv. 5, 6, 11; 5, 12, 7; 10, 18, 2 al.; Flor. 1, 9, 8.—

Contagium:

aegrae mentis,

Ov. Tr. 3, 8, 25:

scelerum,

Luc. 3, 322:

lucri (connected with scabies),

Hor. Ep. 1, 12, 14:

belli,

Flor. 1, 15, 1:

deditionis,

id. 3, 14, 2:

terrae,

Ov. M. 15, 195.—

Contamen, Tert. Carm. adv. Marc. 1, 1; 4, 4; Mart. Cap. 1, § 10 Kopp.