an infamous person

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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.

dīvīsor, ōris, m. [id.].

A divider: divisor et disterminator mundi (axis), Ap. de Mundo, p. 57.—Esp., arithm. t. t., a divisor, Boëth. Geom. 1, p. 1529 al.—More freq.,

In gen.:

Italiae,

Cic. Phil. 11, 6, 13; 5, 7, 20:

regni inter filios,

Eutr. 4, 11.—

In partic.

One who superintended the legal distributions to the tribes, Ps. Ascon. ad Cic. Verr. 1, 8, 22, p. 136 Bait.—

A person hired by a candidate to bribe the electors, by distributing money among them (persons regarded as infamous), Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 14, 57; Cic. Planc. 19, 48; Cornel. Fragm. 1 (18, p. 450 ed. Orell.); id. Mur. 26 fin.; id. Verr. 1, 8, 22; 2, 4, 20, § 45; id. Har. Resp. 20, 42; id. de Or. 2, 63 fin.; Suet. Aug. 3; cf. Smith's Antiq. p. 46, b.—

A judge (late Lat.), Vulg. Luc. 12, 14.

prō̆pŭdĭum, ĭi, n. [pro-pudet].

A shameful or infamous action (ante-class. and post-Aug.):

propudium dicebant, cum maledicto nudare turpitudinem volebant, quasi porro pudendum. Quidam propudium putant dici, a quo pudor et pudicitia procul sint,

Fest. p. 227 Müll.:

propudii aliquem insimulare,

Plaut. Mil. 2, 4, 11.—In plur.:

hoc cinere poto propudia virorum inhiberi,

Plin. 28, 8, 32, § 122.—

Transf., concr., a shameful person, vile wretch, a rascal, villain, a term of abuse (class.):

quid ais, propudium?

Plaut. Curc. 1, 3, 34; id. Bacch. 4, 1, 7; cf. id. Poen. 1, 2, 60:

propudium illud et portentum L. Antonius,

Cic. Phil. 14, 3, 8; App M. 8, p. 215, 15.

prō̆pŭdĭum, a dub. reading:

moraris tanquam propudium ignores,

Petr. 99; perh. a signal to set sail (Bücheler), or a vulgar form for propediem.

scĕlĕro, no perf., ātum, 1, v. a. [id.], to pollute, defile, contaminate, desecrate (in the verb. finit. rare, and only poet.;

syn.: temero, polluo): impia non verita est divos scelerare parentes,

Cat. 64, 405; cf. Stat. Th. 2, 663:

sanguine fauces,

id. ib. 8, 761:

parce pias scelerare manus,

Verg. A. 3, 42:

Cererem,

Juv. 9, 25:

animum,

Sil. 16, 122; cf.:

dextram sanguine,

Stat. Th. 9, 666. —Hence, scĕlĕrātus, a, um, P. a., polluted, profaned by crime.

Lit. (appellatively;

only in the poets): terra,

Verg. A. 3, 60:

terrae,

Ov. P. 1, 6, 29:

limina Thracum,

id. M. 13, 628.—

In partic., as an adj. prop., denoting places where crimes had been committed or criminals punished. So,

Sceleratus Vicus, that part of the Vicus Cyprius, on the Esquiline, in which Tullia, daughter of Servius Tullius, drove over her father ' s corpse, Liv. 1, 48; Varr. L. L. 5, § 159 Müll.; Ov. F. 6, 609; Fest. pp. 332 and 333 Müll.—

Sceleratus Campus, under the city will hard by the porta Collina, where unchaste Vestals were buried alive, Liv. 8, 15; Fest. l. l.; Serv. Verg. A. 11, 206.—

Scelerata sedes, the place of punishment for the wicked in Tartarus, Tib. 1, 3, 67; Ov. M. 4, 455;

also called Sceleratum limen,

Verg. A. 6, 563.—For Scelerata Porta and Castra, v. infra, B. 2. b.—

Transf.

Subjectively, bad, impious, wicked, ac-cursed, infamous, vicious, flagitious; in the masc. subst., a bad, impious, or vicious person; a wretch, miscreant (the predom. signif.; freq. with nefarius, impious, etc.; cf. consceleratus);

of persons: virum sceleratum, facinorosum, nefarium,

Cic. Rep. 3, 17, 27:

deliberantium genus totum sceleratum et impium,

id. Off. 3, 8, 37; id. Mur. 30, 62 (with nefarius); id. Att. 9, 15, 5 (with impurus); Caes. B. G. 6, 13 (with impius); Plaut. Pers. 2, 4, 4; Ter. And. 1, 1, 132; id. Ad. 4, 2, 14; Cic. Cat. 1, 9, 23; Caes. B. G. 6, 34; Sall. C. 52, 36:

facto plus et sceleratus eodem,

Ov. M. 3, 5:

puella,

id. R. Am. 299; Liv. 1, 59; 31, 31; Suet. Ner. 46; Hor. S. 2, 3, 71; 2, 3, 221 al.— Comp.:

homo sceleratior,

Ov. M. 11, 781.— Sup.:

refertam esse Graeciam sceleratissimorum hominum,

Cic. Planc. 41, 98; Sall. J. 14, 2; 31, 12; Liv. 4, 32 et saep.—Of things:

sceleratas ejus preces et nefaria vota cognovimus,

Cic. Clu. 68, 194:

contra patriam scelerata arma capere,

id. Phil. 11, 1, 1; Ov. M. 5, 102:

conjuratio,

Liv. 2, 6:

insania belli,

Verg. A. 7, 461:

caput,

Plaut. Ep. 3, 2, 33:

vox (with inhumana),

Cic. Fin. 3, 19, 64:

consilia,

Vell. 2, 130, 3:

amor habendi,

Ov. M. 1, 131:

munera,

id. ib. 8, 94:

ignes,

id. F. 6, 439.— Comp.:

a sceleratiore hastā,

Cic. Off. 2, 8, 29:

causa parricidii,

Just. 10, 2, 1. — Sup.:

res,

Quint. 3, 8, 45:

fraus humani ingenii,

Plin. 34, 14, 39, § 138.— Poet.:

subit ira sceleratas sumere poenas,

i.e. to take satisfaction for her crimes, Verg. A. 2, 576. —

(As a result of viciousness or criminality; cf. scelus, II. C.) Hurtful, harmful, noxious, pernicious, unhappy, unfortunate, calamitous, etc. (only poet. and in postAug. prose):

teritur sinapis scelerata: qui terunt, oculi ut exstillent, facit,

Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 28:

herba,

App. Herb. 8.— Sup.:

sceleratissimis serpentium haemorrhoidi et presteri,

Plin. 24, 13, 73, § 117:

frigus,

Verg. G. 2, 256:

lues,

Mart. 1, 102, 6:

poëmata,

id. 3, 50, 9 et saep.: MATER, Inscr. Rein. cl. 12, 122; so Inscr. Fabr. p. 237, 631:

PARENTES,

Inscr. Murat. 1187, 2.—

Made hurtful, i. e. poisoned:

scelerata sucis spicula,

Sil. 3, 272.—

As an adj. prop.

Scelerata Porta, the gate (also called Porta Carmentalis) through which the three hundred Fabii marched on their fatal expedition, Fest. pp. 334 and 335 Müll.; Serv. Verg. A. 8, 337; Flor. 1, 12, 2.—

Scelerata Castra, the camp in which D. Drusus died, Suet. Claud. 1.—Hence, adv.: scĕlĕrātē (acc. to B. 1.), impiously, wickedly, nefariously (Ciceronian):

peccavi scelerateque feci,

Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 2:

facere (with audacter),

id. Sull. 24, 67:

dicere (opp. pie),

id. Mil. 38, 103:

susceptum bellum,

id. Cat. 1, 10, 27.— Comp.:

sceleratius,

Vulg. Ezech. 16, 52. — Sup.:

sceleratissime machinatus omnes insidias,

Cic. Sest. 64, 133.

scĕlestus, a, um, adj. [scelus; like funestus, from funus], wicked, villanous, infamous, accursed, abominable; knavish, roguish; and subst., a wicked person, a knave, rogue, scoundrel, miscreant (freq. ante-class. in Plaut. and Ter.; after the class. per. sceleratus is more freq.; by Cic. not used of persons).

Lit., of persons:

ego sum malus, Ego sum sacer, scelestus,

Plaut. Bacch. 4, 6, 14:

eheu, scelestus galeam in navi perdidi,

id. Rud. 3, 5, 22:

perjuravisti, sceleste,

id. Ps. 1, 3, 120 sq.:

o scelestum atque audacem hominem!

Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 41; Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 36; id. Merc. 1, 90; id. Ps. 3, 2, 103 et saep.; Ter. Heaut. 5, 2, 17; id. Ad. 2, 1, 5; id. Eun. 1, 1, 26 al.; Sall. C. 51, 32; 52, 15; Quint. 2, 16, 2; Hor. C. 2, 4, 17; 3, 2, 31; 3, 11, 39; id. Epod. 7, 1.— Comp., Plaut. Aul. 3, 2, 5; id. Cist. 4, 1, 8; id. Bacch. 2, 3, 22 al.— Sup., Plaut. Am. 2, 1, 2.—As a term of reproach or abuse: sceleste, scelesta, etc., you knave! you wretch! sceleste. Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 120; 1, 3. 126; Ter. And. 4, 4, 51; id Eun. 4, 4, 1; id. Heaut. 2, 3, 71:

scelesta,

Plaut. As. 1, 2, 23; id. Most. 1, 3, 26; Ter. Eun. 5, 1, 1; 5, 1, 16:

scelesti,

Plaut. Men. 5, 7, 28; cf. sup.:

scelestissime, audes mihi praedicare id?

you arrant rogue! id. Am. 2, 1, 11.—Of things:

scelestum ac nefarium facinus,

Cic. Rosc. Am. 13, 37:

res scelesta, atrox, nefaria,

id. ib. 22, 62:

numquam quidquam facinus feci pejus neque scelestius,

Plaut. Men. 3, 1, 2:

scelesto facinori scelestiorem sermonem addidit,

Liv. 5, 27:

scelestae hae sunt aedes, impia est habitatio,

Plaut. Most. 2, 2, 73:

scelestior cena,

id. Rud. 2, 6, 24:

lingua,

id. Am. 2, 1, 7:

facta,

id. Mil. 3, 1, 139:

ser-vitus,

id. Curc. 1, 1, 40:

vacuam domum scelestis nuptiis fecisse,

Sall. C. 15, 2:

servitium,

id. H. Fragm. 3, 61, 9 Dietsch:

malitia,

Phaedr. 2, 4, 5.—

Transf., in Plaut. for sceleratus (B. 2.), baleful, calamitous, unlucky, unfortunate:

scelestiorem ego annum argento faenori Numquam ullum vidi,

Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 1:

me (vidisti) adeo scelestum, qui, etc.,

id. Rud. 4, 4, 123; id. Cas. 3, 5, 34:

ne ego sum miser, Scelestus,

id. Most. 3, 1, 36; id. Capt. 3, 5, 104; id. As. 5, 2, 6; id. Rud. 3, 5, 22; id. Men. 3, 1, 2; id. Cist. 4, 2, 17; cf.

scelesta, vae te!

Cat. 8, 15 Ellis ad loc.— Adv.: scĕlestē (acc. to. I.), wickedly, viciously, impiously, abominably, detestably:

sceleste atque impie facere,

Liv. 24, 25:

parta bona,

Plaut. Rud. 2, 6, 22:

insimulare,

Vell. 2, 60, 3:

exercere arma,

Val. Max. 5, 1, 3.— Comp.:

interit pudor,

Aug. Ep. 202.—Humorously: tu sceleste suspi-caris, ego aphelôs scripsi, roguishly, Cic. Att. 6, 1, 8.