a game

game, sport, school.

ālĕa, ae, f. [of uncer. origin; Curtius asserts an obscure connection with the words for bone; Sanscr. asthi; Zend, açti; Gr. osteon; Lat. os (ossis)].

A game with dice, and in gen., a game of hazard or chance. There were among the Romans two kinds of dice, tesserae and tali, Cic. Sen. 16, 58. The tesserae had six sides, which were marked with I. II. III. IV. V. VI.; the tali were rounded on two sides, and marked only on the other four. Upon one side there was one point, unio, an ace, like the ace on cards, called canis; on the opp. side, six points called senio, six, sice; on the two other sides, three and four points, ternio and quaternio. In playing, four tali were used, but only three tesserae. They were put into a box made in the form of a tower, with a strait neck, and wider below than above, called fritillus, turris, turricula, etc. This box was shaken, and the dice were thrown upon the gaming-board. The highest or most fortunate throw, called Venus, jactus Venereus or basilicus, was, of the tesserae, three sixes, and of the tali when they all came out with different numbers. The worst or lowest throw, called jactus pessimus or damnosus, canis or canicula, was, of the tesserae, three aces, and of the tali when they were all the same. The other throws were valued acc. to the numbers. When one of the tali fell upon the end (in caput) it was said rectus cadere, or assistere, Cic. Fin. 3, 16, 54, and the throw was repeated. While throwing the dice, it was customary for a person to express his wishes, to repeat the name of his mistress, and the like. Games of chance were prohibited by the Lex Titia et Publicia et Cornelia (cf. Hor. C. 3, 24, 58), except in the month of December, during the Saturnalia, Mart. 4, 14, 7; 5, 85; 14, 1; Suet. Aug. 71; Dig. 11, 5. The character of gamesters, aleatores or aleones, was held as infamous in the time of Cicero, cf. Cic. Cat. 2, 5, 10; id. Phil. 2, 23, although there was much playing with aleae, and old men were esp. fond of this game, because it required little physical exertion, Cic. Sen. 16, 58; Suet. Aug. 71; Juv. 14, 4; cf.

Jahn,

Ov. Tr. 2, 471; Rupert. ad Tac. G. 24, 5:

provocat me in aleam, ut ego ludam,

Plaut. Curc. 2, 3, 75.—Ludere aleā or aleam, also sometimes in aleā:

in foro aleā ludere,

Cic. Phil. 2, 23, 56; Dig. 11, 5, 1: ludit assidue aleam, Poët. ap. Suet. Aug. 70:

aleam studiosissime lusit,

Suet. Claud. 33; so id. Ner. 30; Juv. 8, 10:

repetitio ejus, quod in aleā lusum est,

Dig. 11, 5, 4.—Hence, in aleā aliquid perdere, Cic. Phil. 2, 13:

exercere aleam,

Tac. G. 24:

indulgere aleae,

Suet. Aug. 70:

oblectare se aleā,

id. Dom. 21:

prosperiore aleā uti,

to play fortunately, id. Calig. 41.— Trop.: Jacta alea esto, Let the die be cast! Let the game be ventured! the memorable exclamation of Cæsar when, at the Rubicon, after long hesitation, he finally decided to march to Rome, Suet. Caes. 32, ubi v. Casaub. and Ruhnk.—

Transf., any thing uncertain or contingent, an accident, chance, hazard, venture, risk:

alea domini vitae ac rei familiaris,

Varr. R. R. 1, 4:

sequentes non aleam, sed rationem aliquam,

id. ib. 1, 18:

aleam inesse hostiis deligendis,

Cic. Div. 2, 15:

dare summam rerum in aleam,

to risk, Liv. 42, 59:

in dubiam imperii servitiique aleam ire,

fortune, chance, id. 1, 23:

alea belli,

id. 37, 36:

talibus admissis alea grandis inest,

Ov. A. A. 1, 376:

periculosae plenum opus aleae,

Hor. C. 2, 1, 6: M. Tullius extra omnem ingenii aleam positus, raised above all doubt of his talents, Plin. praef. § 7: emere aleam, in the Pandects, to purchase any thing uncertain, contingent, e. g. a draught of fishes, Dig. 18, 1, 8; so ib. 18, 4, 7.

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lūdĭfĭcor, ātus sum, 1, v. dep. n. and a. [id.] ( inf. ludificarier, Plaut. Mil. 4, 4, 25), to make game, to mock; to make game of, make sport of, turn into ridicule; to delude, deceive.

Lit.

Neutr.:

aperte ludificari et calumniari,

to mock, ridicule, Cic. Rosc. Am. 20, 55.—With acc. of kindred signif.:

nugas ludificabitur,

will make game of you in trifles, Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 80.—

Act.:

Potin' ut hominem mihi des?... ni ludificata ero lepide, etc.,

Plaut. Mil. 3, 3, 53:

tun me, verbero, audes erum ludificari?

id. Am. 2, 1, 15:

me ludificatus est,

id. Most. 5, 2, 25:

virginem,

Ter. Eun. 4, 3, 3:

siquidem tu me hic etiam, nebulo, ludificabere,

id. ib. 4, 4, 49:

patres et plebem cunctatione fictā,

Tac. A. 1, 46:

aliena mala,

to make sport of, Plin. Ep. 6, 20.—

Transf., to thwart, frustrate, by tricks or contrivances:

locationem,

Liv. 39. 44:

ea, quae hostes agerent,

id. 24, 34:

rostra fuga,

Flor. 2, 2, 8:

hostis impune Romanum ludificabatur,

Tac. A. 3, 21.— Pass. part.:

ludificato incerto proelio,

Sall. J. 50, 4.—

Trop.:

Quojus ego hodie ludificabor corium, si vivo, probe,

i. e. cut up, lash, Plaut. Most. 5, 1, 19 Lorenz.

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fĕrīnus, a, um, adj. [id.], of or belonging to wild animals (mostly poet.;

not in Cic., for Inv. 1, 2, 2, is to be read victu fero): vultus,

Ov. M. 2, 523:

vox,

id. Tr. 5, 12, 55:

caedes,

id. M. 7, 675:

caro,

venison, game, Sall. J. 18, 1; 89, 7; Plin. 6, 28, 32, § 161:

lac,

Verg. A. 11, 571:

vestis,

of the skins of wild beasts, Lucr. 5, 1418:

voluptates,

brutal sensuality, Gell. 19, 2 init. — Transf.:

vita,

low, Amm. 26, 6; 15, 3.—

Subst.: fĕrīna, ae, f., the flesh of wild animals, game, Verg. A. 1, 215; Val. Fl. 3, 569:

pomum a ceteris distans sapore quodam ferinae,

Plin. 13, 4, 9, § 43.

fĕrīnus, a, um, adj. [id.], of or belonging to wild animals (mostly poet.;

not in Cic., for Inv. 1, 2, 2, is to be read victu fero): vultus,

Ov. M. 2, 523:

vox,

id. Tr. 5, 12, 55:

caedes,

id. M. 7, 675:

caro,

venison, game, Sall. J. 18, 1; 89, 7; Plin. 6, 28, 32, § 161:

lac,

Verg. A. 11, 571:

vestis,

of the skins of wild beasts, Lucr. 5, 1418:

voluptates,

brutal sensuality, Gell. 19, 2 init. — Transf.:

vita,

low, Amm. 26, 6; 15, 3.—

Subst.: fĕrīna, ae, f., the flesh of wild animals, game, Verg. A. 1, 215; Val. Fl. 3, 569:

pomum a ceteris distans sapore quodam ferinae,

Plin. 13, 4, 9, § 43.

lūdo, si, sum ( inf. ludier, Ter. Ad. 4, 3, 16), 3, v. a. and n. [root lud- for loid-, from Sanscr. krīd, to play; cf. laus and cluere from Sanscr. root cru-], to play.

Lit., to play, play at a game of some kind:

tesseris,

Ter. Ad. 4, 7, 21:

aleā ludere,

Cic. Phil. 2, 23, 56:

pilā et duodecim scriptis,

id. de Or. 1, 50, 217; 1, 16, 73; 2, 62, 253:

cum pila,

id. Tusc. 5, 20, 60:

trocho,

Hor. C. 3, 24, 56:

nucibus,

Mart. 14, 1, 12:

pilā,

Val. Max. 8, 8, 2:

positā luditur arcā,

with one's whole cash-box staked, Juv. 1, 90:

eburnis quadrigis cotidie in abaco,

Suet. Ner. 22:

apud quem alea lusum esse dicetur,

Dig. 11, 5, 1 praef.:

senatus consultum vetuit in pecuniam ludere,

to play for money, ib. 11, 5, 2:

ego nisi quom lusim nil morer ullum lucrum,

Plaut. Rud. 4, 7, 22. —

With acc.:

aleam,

Suet. Aug. 70; id. Claud. 33; id. Ner. 30:

par impar,

id. Aug. 71; Hor. S. 2, 3, 248:

ducatus et imperia,

Suet. Ner. 35:

Trojam,

id. Caes. 39; id. Ner. 7:

proelia latronum,

Ov. A. A. 3, 357; cf. pass.:

sunt aliis scriptae, quibus alea luditur, artes,

id. Tr. 2, 471:

alea luditur,

Juv. 8, 10:

aleae ludendae causa,

Dig. 11, 5, 1 praef.:

alea ludebatur,

ib. 11, 5, 1, § 2.—

Absol.:

lusimus per omnes dies,

Suet. Aug. 71; 94; cf.:

ludis circensibus elephantos lusisse,

appeared in the public games, Liv. 44, 18, 8.—In sup.:

dimittere lusum,

Varr. Sat. Men. 53, 7.—

To play, sport, frisk, frolic:

dum se exornat, nos volo Ludere inter nos,

have some fun, Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 20:

ludere armis,

Lucr. 2, 631:

suppeditant et campus noster et studia venandi honesta exempla ludendi,

Cic. Off. 1, 29, 104:

ad ludendumne, an ad pugnandum, arma sumturi,

id. de Or. 2, 20, 84:

in numerum,

dance, Verg. E. 6, 28:

hic juvenum series teneris immixta puellis ludit,

Tib. 1, 3, 64:

cumque marinae In sicco ludunt fulicae,

Verg. G. 1, 363:

in exiguo cymba lacu,

Ov. Tr. 2, 330. —

Trop.

To sport, play with any thing, to practise as a pastime, amuse one's self with any thing:

illa ipsa ludens conjeci in communes locos, Cic. Par. prooem.: Prima Syracosio dignata est ludere versu Nostra... Thalia,

Verg. E. 6, 1.—Esp., to play on an instrument of music, to make or compose music or song:

ludere quae vellem calamo permisit agresti,

Verg. E. 1, 10:

talia fumosi luduntur mense Decembri,

Ov. Tr. 2, 491:

quod tenerae cantent, lusit tua musa, puellae,

id. Am. 3, 1, 27:

coloni Versibus incomptis ludunt,

Verg. G. 2, 386:

carmina pastorum,

id. ib. 4, 565; Suet. Ner. 3:

si quid vacui sub umbra Lusimus tecum,

Hor. C. 1, 22, 2.—

To sport, dally, wanton (cf. "amorous play," Milton, P. L. 9, 1045):

scis solere illam aetatem tali ludo ludere,

Plaut. Most. 5, 2, 36: affatim edi, bibi, lusi, Liv. Andron. ap. Paul. ex Fest. s. v. affatim, p. 11 Müll.; cf.:

lusisti satis, edisti satis, atque bibisti,

Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 214; Ov. A. A. 2, 389; Cat. 61, 207; Suet. Tib. 44; Mart. 11, 104, 5.—

Ludere aliquem or aliquid, to play, mock, imitate, mimic a person or thing (only in mockery; cf.: partes agere, etc.): civem bonum ludit, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 9, 1; cf.:

ludere opus,

to imitate work, make believe work, Hor. S. 2, 3, 252:

magistratum fascibus purpurāque,

App. M. 11, p. 260 fin.:

ludere causas,

Calp. Ecl. 1, 45: impia dum Phoebi Caesar mendacia ludit, Poët. ap. Suet. Aug. 70.—

To trifle with:

summa pericula,

Mart. 9, 38, 1:

viribus imperii,

Sen. Brev. Vit. 18, 4.—

To spend in play or amusement, to sport away:

otium,

Mart. 3, 67, 9.—Hence, ludere operam, to throw away one's labor, to labor in vain, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 135.—

To make sport or game of a person, to ridicule, rally, banter:

Domitius in senatu lusit Appium collegam,

Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 15 a, 13:

satis jocose aliquem ludere,

id. ib. 2, 12, 2:

omnium irrisione ludi,

id. de Or. 1, 12, 50.—Rarely with ad:

caput aselli, ad quod lascivi ludebant ruris alumni,

Juv. 11, 98.—

To delude, deceive:

auditis, an me ludit amabilis Insania?

Hor. C. 3, 4, 5; Ov. A. A. 3, 332:

custodes,

Tib. 1, 6, 9; 3, 4, 7.— Comp.:

hoc civili bello, quam multa (haruspicum responsa) luserunt,

i. e. gave wanton, deceptive responses, Cic. Div. 2, 24, 53.

lūdus, i, m. [id.], a play.

Lit.

In gen., a play, game, diversion, pastime:

ad pilam se aut ad talos, aut ad tessaras conferunt, aut etiam novum sibi aliquem excogitant in otio ludum,

Cic. de Or. 3, 15, 58:

datur concessu omnium huic aliqui ludus aetati,

id. Cael. 12, 28:

campestris,

id. ib. 5, 11:

nec lusisse pudet, sed non incidere ludum,

Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 36.—

In partic.

Ludi, public games, plays, spectacles, shows, exhibitions, which were given in honor of the gods, etc.

In gen.:

hoc praetore ludos Apollini faciente,

Cic. Brut. 20, 78:

ludos committere,

id. Q. Fr. 3, 4, 6:

ludos magnificentissimos apparare,

id. ib. 3, 8, 6:

ludos apparatissimos magnificentissimosque facere,

id. Sest. 54, 116:

ludos aspicere,

Ov. F. 6, 238:

ludos persolvere alicui deo,

id. ib. 5, 330: ludis, during the games, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 63, 18; Plaut. Cas. prol. 27:

circus maximus ne diebus quidem ludorum Circensium... irrigabatur,

Front. Aq. 97.— Sing.:

haec ultra quid erit, nisi ludus?

Juv. 8, 199.—

In this sense, ludi is freq. in appos. with the neutr. plur. of the adj. which names the games:

ludi Consualia,

Liv. 1, 9, 6:

ludi Cerealia,

id. 30, 39, 8:

ludi Taurilia,

id. 39, 22, 1 (Weissenb. Taurii); 34, 54, 3; cf.:

quaedam faciem soloecismi habent... ut tragoedia Thyestes, ut ludi Floralia ac Megalensia... numquam aliter a veteribus dicta,

Quint. 1, 5, 52; cf.:

ludis Megalensibus,

Gell. 2, 24, 2.—

Also with gen. of place:

eo ipso die auditam esse eam pugnam ludis Olympiae memoriae proditum est,

Cic. N. D. 2, 2, 6.—

Stage-plays (opp. to the games of the circus):

venationes autem ludosque et cum collegā et separatim edidit,

Suet. Caes. 10.—

A place of exercise or practice, a school for elementary instruction and discipline (cf. schola):

in ludum ire,

Plaut. Pers. 2, 1, 6:

fidicinus,

music-school, id. Rud. prol. 43:

litterarius,

id. Merc. 2, 2, 32:

litterarum ludi,

Liv. 3, 44; 6, 25:

ludus discendi,

Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 4, 6:

Dionysius Corinthi dicitur ludum aperuisse,

id. Fam. 9, 18, 1:

Isocrates, cujus e ludo, tamquam ex equo Trojano, meri principes exierunt,

id. de Or. 2, 22, 94; id. Or. 42, 144:

gladiatores, quos ibi Caesar in ludo habebat,

Caes. B. C. 1, 14, 4:

militaris,

Liv. 7, 33, 1:

litterarii paene ista sunt ludi et trivialis scientiae,

Quint. 1, 4, 27:

litterarium ludum exercere,

Tac. A. 3, 66:

obsides quosdam abductos e litterario ludo,

Suet. Calig. 45:

ibi namque (in foro) in tabernis litterarum ludi erant,

Liv. 3, 44, 6:

quem puerum in ludo cognōrat,

Nep. Att. 10, 3:

in Flavī ludum me mittere,

Hor. S. 1, 6, 72; cf. Gell. 15, 11, 2; Suet. Gram. 4; id. Rhet. 1:

sic veniunt ad miscellanea ludi,

Juv. 11, 26.

Transf.

Play, sport, i. e. any thing done, as it were, in play, without trouble, mere sport, child's play:

oratio ludus est homini non hebeti,

Cic. de Or. 2, 17, 72:

cum illa perdiscere ludus esset,

id. Fin. 1, 8, 27:

quibus (Graecis) jusjurandum jocus est, testimonium ludus,

id. Fl. 5, 12.—

Sport, jest, joke, fun: si vis videre ludos [p. 1084] jucundissimos, Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 78:

ad honores per ludum et per neglegentiam pervenire,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 70, § 181:

aliquem per ludum et jocum evertere,

id. ib. 2, 1, 60, §

155: amoto quaeramus seria ludo,

Hor. S. 1, 1, 27:

vertere seria ludo,

id. A. P. 226:

nil per ludum simulabitur,

Juv. 6, 324:

ut ludos facit,

Ter. Phorm. 5, 7, 52: ludos facere aliquem, to make sport of, make game of, to banter, jeer at, mock:

ut nunc is te ludos facit,

Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 47:

quem, senecta aetate, ludos facias,

id. Aul. 2, 2, 74.— With dat.:

miris modis dī ludos faciunt hominibus,

Plaut. Rud. 3, 1, 1; id. Truc. 4, 2, 46.—In pass.:

ludos fieri,

Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 72:

hocine me aetatis ludos vis factum esse indigne?

id. Bacch. 5, 1, 4: ludos aliquem dimittere, to send one away with scorn and derision, or, as in Engl., to send one off with a flea in his ear:

numquam hercle quisquam me lenonem dixerit, si te non ludos pessimos dimisero,

id. Rud. 3, 5, 11:

ludos facis me,

id. Am. 2, 1, 21: facere ludos aliquid, to make a jest or a trifle of any thing, to throw away, to lose:

nunc et operam ludos facit, et retia, etc.,

id. Rud. 4, 1, 9:

ludos dare, praebere,

to make one's self ridiculous, Ter. Eun. 5, 7, 9:

ludos alicui reddere,

to play tricks on, id. And. 3, 1, 21: dare ludum alicui, to give play to one, i. e. to humor, indulge, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 10, 7; id. Cas. prol. 25; id. Bacch. 4, 10, 9:

amori dare ludum,

Hor. C. 3, 12, 1: ludus aetatis, the pleasures of love:

si frui liceret ludo aetatis, praesertim recto et legitimo amore,

Liv. 26, 50.—

Ludus, the title of a work of Nævius:

ut est in Naevii Ludo,

Cic. de Sen. 6, 20; Fest. s. v. redhostire, p. 270, 22 Müll.—Also, Ludus de Morte Claudii, a work of Seneca.

lūsus, a, um, Part., from ludo.

lūsus, ūs, m. [ludo], a playing, play, game (not in Cic.).

Lit.:

virgineis exercent lusibus undas Naides,

Ov. M. 14, 556:

aleae,

Suet. Calig. 41:

calculorum,

Plin. Ep. 7, 24:

nec me offenderit lusus in pueris,

Quint. 1, 3, 10; cf. id. 1, 1, 20:

eburneas litterarum formas in lusum offerre,

id. 1, 1, 26:

ediscere inter lusum,

id. 1, 1, 36:

in lusu duodecim scriptorum,

id. 11, 2, 38:

regnum lusu sortiri,

i. e. by throwing dice, Tac. A. 13, 15:

solent quidam et cogere ad lusum,

Dig. 11, 5, 2. —

Transf.

Play, sport, game (that is done by way of amusement):

fas est et carmine remitti, non dico continuo ac longo, sed hoc arguto et brevi. Lusus vocantur,

Plin. Ep. 7, 9, 10:

Trojae lusum exhibuit,

Suet. Claud. 21.—

Sportive dalliance, toying:

sunt apti lusibus anni,

Ov. Am. 2, 3, 13; Prop. 1, 10, 9.—

Jest, fun, mockery:

dant de se respondentibus venustissimos lusus,

i. e. make themselves ridiculous, Quint. 5, 13, 46:

lusum ludere aliquem,

Gell. 18, 13, 4.