amphibious

* * *

anceps (once ancipes, Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 114; cf. Charis, pp. 67 and 96 P.; Prisc. p. 754 P.; with this form cf. procapis, Paul. ex Fest. p. 225 Müll., and Corss. Ausspr. II. pp. 398, 591; abl. sing. always ancipiti), cĭpĭtis, adj. [an-caput; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 19 Müll.].

Lit., that has two heads, twoheaded (cf.: biceps, praeceps, etc.;

so only in the poets): Janus,

Ov. M. 14, 334; so id. F. 1, 95 (cf.:

Janus bifrons,

Verg. A. 7, 180). —Hence also of a mountain which has two summits, two-peaked:

acumen,

Ov. M. 12, 337.—

In gen.

1.. Of an object whose qualities have significance in two respects, double, that extends on two opposite sides (while duplex is an object that exists in separate forms, twice. Thus anceps sententia is an opinion which wavers, fluctuates between two decisions, while duplex sententia is a twofold opinion):

Post altrinsecus ancipes securiculast,

the axe cuts on two sides, is two-edged, Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 114; so, ferrum, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 245, 17, and Lucr. 6, 168:

securis,

Ov. M. 8, 397 al. —Also, poet., of the contrast between great heat and cold: Ancipiti quoniam mucroni utrimque notantur, since things are marked by double point, i. e. one at one, another at the other end, Lucr. 2, 520:

bestiae quasi ancipites in utrāque sede viventes,

amphibious animals, Cic. N. D. 1, 37;

so in the histt. freq. of an attack, a contest, etc., on two different sides,

Caes. B. G. 7, 76: ita ancipiti proelio diu atque acriter pugnatum est, double, because contending with enemies both in front and in the rear, id. ib. 1, 26 Herz.; so id. B. C. 3, 63; Nep. Them. 3, 3:

periculum,

Sall. J. 38, 5: ancipitem pugnam hostibus facere, double, as given by horse and foot, Tac. A. 6, 35:

ancipiti metu et ab cive et ab hoste,

twofold, Liv. 2, 24; so,

anceps terror,

id. 34, 21; Tac. Agr. 26:

tumultus,

Liv. 32, 30: tela, shot or hurled from both sides, id. 37, 11:

ancipitia munimenta,

on two sides, id. 5, 1 al. —

Trop., twofold:

propter ancipitem faciendi dicendique sapientiam,

Cic. de Or. 3, 16:

ancipites viae rationesque et pro omnibus et contra omnia disputandi,

id. ib. 3, 36:

adferre ancipitem curam cogitandi,

a twofold care of thought, id. Off. 1, 3, 9; so Tac. A. 2, 40:

jus anceps,

the uncertainties of law, Hor. S. 2, 5, 34 al. —

Wavering, doubtful, uncertain, unfixed, undecided (the prevalent signif. in Cic.):

anceps fatorum via,

Cic. Somn. Scip. 2:

incertus exitus et anceps fortuna belli,

id. Marcell. 5:

anceps proelii fortuna,

Tac. H. 3, 18:

oraculum,

Liv. 9, 3:

proelium,

id. 2, 62, and Tac. H. 3, 22;

so esp. freq.: ancipiti Marte pugnare,

to contend without deciding the contest, Liv. 7, 29; 21, 1 al.:

causa anceps,

Cic. de Or. 2, 44:

genus causarum anceps,

id. Inv. 1, 15, 20 (cf.: genus causarum dubium, Auct. ad Her. 1, 3:

dubium vel anceps,

Quint. 4, 1, 10):

fides,

uncertain, wavering, fidelity, Curt. 3, 8;

so also, ancipites animi,

Luc. 9, 46.—Also ellipt.: Lucanus an Apulus, anceps, doubtful whether, etc., * Hor. S. 2, 1, 34.—

Dangerous, hazaraous, perilous, critical (post-Aug.; esp. freq. in Tac.;

never in Cic.): viae,

Ov. M. 14, 438:

loca,

Nep. Dat. 7, 3:

dubiā et interdum ancipiti fortunā,

Vell. 2, 79:

anceps periculum,

Tac. A. 4, 59:

ancipites morbi corporis,

Plin. 7, 45, 46, § 149:

cujus (Antonii) operā ex ancipiti morbo convaluerat,

Suet. Aug. 59:

Ideo et purgationibus (labruscum) ancipitem putant,

Plin. 23, 1, 14, § 20:

vox pro re publicā honesta, ipsi anceps,

pernicious, Tac. H. 1, 5:

adulatio anceps si nulla et ubi nimia est,

id. A. 4, 17.—So subst., danger, hazard, peril, = periculum, discrimen:

dubiā suorum re in anceps tractus vim legionum implorabat,

Tac. A. 4, 73:

seu nihil militi seu omnia concederentur, in ancipiti res publica,

id. ib. 1, 36:

scelus inter ancipitia probatum,

id. ib. 11, 26;

14, 22: facilius inter ancipitia clarescunt,

id. G. 14:

nova ambigua ancipitia malebat,

id. H. 2, 86:

inter ancipitia deterrimum est media sequi,

id. ib. 3, 40.

► Comp., sup., and adv. not used.

bestĭa, ae, f. [perh. akin to fera and to belua], a beast (as a being without reason; opp. to man; while animal, = aliving being, includes man; bestia includes both fera, the beast as distinguished by fierceness, and belua, as distinguished by its size or ferocity; cf. Doed. Syn. 4, p. 290 sq.).

Lit.

In gen. (in the classical per. mostly in prose;

esp. freq. in Cic., who uses it in its most extended signif., of every kind of living creature excepting man): disserens, neque in homine inesse animum vel animam nec in bestiā,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 10, 21; 5, 13, 38; id. N. D. 2, 11, 31; id. Agr. 2, 4, 9:

quod si hoc apparet in bestiis volucribus, nantibus, agrestibus, cicuribus, feris... quanto id magis in homine fit natura, etc.,

id. Lael. 21, 81; id. N. D. 2, 48, 124.—So of the serpent, Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 75.—Of the crocodile and other amphibious animals, Cic. l. l.—Of the dog, Cic. Rosc. Am. 20, 56. —Of the elephant (for the more usual belua), Liv. 33, 9, 7.—Of the ass, Suet. Aug. 96.—Of a caterpillar, Plaut. Cist. 4, 2, 62.—

Of the ostrich: sequitur natura avium, quarum grandissimi et paene bestiarum generis struthiocameli,

Plin. 10, 1, 1, § 1; cf. Dig. 3, 1, 1, § 6; 9, 1, 1, § 10.—With muta, Cic. Fin. 1, 21, 71; Liv. 7, 4, 6 (cf. mutae pecudes, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 8, 24).—And for the designation of a wild animal, with fera:

vinctum ante se Thyum agebat, ut si feram bestiam captam duceret,

Nep. Dat. 3, 2 Dähne; Liv. 26, 13, 12; 26, 27, 12; Auct. Her. 2, 19, 29; Just. Inst. 2, 1, 12 sq.—

As a term of reproach (cf. belua and our beast):

mala tu es bestia,

Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 21; id. Poen. 5, 5, 13.—And, humorously, of the odor of the armpits (cf. ala and caper), Cat. 69, 8.—

Esp., when the contest with animals became more usual in the public spectacles at Rome (not yet customary A.U.C. 583, B.C. 171, Liv. 44, 9, 4), bestia designated, without the addition of fera, a wild beast destined to fight with gladiators or criminals (v. bestiarius;

usually lions, tigers, panthers, etc.).—Hence, ad bestias mittere aliquem,

to send one to fight with wild beasts, Cic. Pis. 36, 89; so, bestiis obioere aliquem, Asin. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 32, 3:

condemnare aliquem ad bestias,

Suet. Calig. 27; id. Claud. 14:

dare aliquem ad bestias,

Dig. 48, 8, 11; Gell. 5, 14, 27:

ad pugnam bestiarum datus, Gell. l. l. § 10: tradere aliquem ad bestias depugnandas, Dig. l. l.: bestiarum damnatio,

the condemnation to fight with wild beasts, ib. 48, 13, 6 al. —Hence the expl.:

bestiarum vocabulum proprie convenit leonibus, pardis et lupis, tigribus et vulpibus, canibus et simiis ac ceteris, quae vel ore vel unguibus saeviunt, exceptis serpentibus,

Isid. Orig. 12, 2, 1 (but cf. supra, 1.).—

Transf., as a constellation, the wotf, Vitr. 9, 4 (7) (called by Cic. Arat. 211 or 455, Quadrupes vasta).

Bestĭa, ae, m., a cognomen in the Calpurnian family.

The consul L. Calpurnius Bestia, Sall. J. 27, 4 al.; Flor. 3, 1, 7.—

The tribune of the people L. Bestia, Cic. Brut. 34, 128; id. de Or. 2, 70, 283.—

Another tribune of the people, L. Bestia, a confederate of Catiline, Sall. C. 17, 3; 43, 1.

bestĭa, ae, f. [perh. akin to fera and to belua], a beast (as a being without reason; opp. to man; while animal, = aliving being, includes man; bestia includes both fera, the beast as distinguished by fierceness, and belua, as distinguished by its size or ferocity; cf. Doed. Syn. 4, p. 290 sq.).

Lit.

In gen. (in the classical per. mostly in prose;

esp. freq. in Cic., who uses it in its most extended signif., of every kind of living creature excepting man): disserens, neque in homine inesse animum vel animam nec in bestiā,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 10, 21; 5, 13, 38; id. N. D. 2, 11, 31; id. Agr. 2, 4, 9:

quod si hoc apparet in bestiis volucribus, nantibus, agrestibus, cicuribus, feris... quanto id magis in homine fit natura, etc.,

id. Lael. 21, 81; id. N. D. 2, 48, 124.—So of the serpent, Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 75.—Of the crocodile and other amphibious animals, Cic. l. l.—Of the dog, Cic. Rosc. Am. 20, 56. —Of the elephant (for the more usual belua), Liv. 33, 9, 7.—Of the ass, Suet. Aug. 96.—Of a caterpillar, Plaut. Cist. 4, 2, 62.—

Of the ostrich: sequitur natura avium, quarum grandissimi et paene bestiarum generis struthiocameli,

Plin. 10, 1, 1, § 1; cf. Dig. 3, 1, 1, § 6; 9, 1, 1, § 10.—With muta, Cic. Fin. 1, 21, 71; Liv. 7, 4, 6 (cf. mutae pecudes, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 8, 24).—And for the designation of a wild animal, with fera:

vinctum ante se Thyum agebat, ut si feram bestiam captam duceret,

Nep. Dat. 3, 2 Dähne; Liv. 26, 13, 12; 26, 27, 12; Auct. Her. 2, 19, 29; Just. Inst. 2, 1, 12 sq.—

As a term of reproach (cf. belua and our beast):

mala tu es bestia,

Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 21; id. Poen. 5, 5, 13.—And, humorously, of the odor of the armpits (cf. ala and caper), Cat. 69, 8.—

Esp., when the contest with animals became more usual in the public spectacles at Rome (not yet customary A.U.C. 583, B.C. 171, Liv. 44, 9, 4), bestia designated, without the addition of fera, a wild beast destined to fight with gladiators or criminals (v. bestiarius;

usually lions, tigers, panthers, etc.).—Hence, ad bestias mittere aliquem,

to send one to fight with wild beasts, Cic. Pis. 36, 89; so, bestiis obioere aliquem, Asin. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 32, 3:

condemnare aliquem ad bestias,

Suet. Calig. 27; id. Claud. 14:

dare aliquem ad bestias,

Dig. 48, 8, 11; Gell. 5, 14, 27:

ad pugnam bestiarum datus, Gell. l. l. § 10: tradere aliquem ad bestias depugnandas, Dig. l. l.: bestiarum damnatio,

the condemnation to fight with wild beasts, ib. 48, 13, 6 al. —Hence the expl.:

bestiarum vocabulum proprie convenit leonibus, pardis et lupis, tigribus et vulpibus, canibus et simiis ac ceteris, quae vel ore vel unguibus saeviunt, exceptis serpentibus,

Isid. Orig. 12, 2, 1 (but cf. supra, 1.).—

Transf., as a constellation, the wotf, Vitr. 9, 4 (7) (called by Cic. Arat. 211 or 455, Quadrupes vasta).

Bestĭa, ae, m., a cognomen in the Calpurnian family.

The consul L. Calpurnius Bestia, Sall. J. 27, 4 al.; Flor. 3, 1, 7.—

The tribune of the people L. Bestia, Cic. Brut. 34, 128; id. de Or. 2, 70, 283.—

Another tribune of the people, L. Bestia, a confederate of Catiline, Sall. C. 17, 3; 43, 1.