cunning contriver

artĭfex, fĭcis, m. [ars-facio].

Subst.

1.. One that is master in the liberal arts (while opifex is a master in the artes sordidae; cf. ars, I. B. 1.), an artist, artificer:

illi artifices corporis simulacra ignotis nota faciebant,

Cic. Fam. 5, 12:

reponendarum (tegularum) nemo artifex (i. e. architectus) inire rationem potuit,

Liv. 42, 3:

in armamentario multis talium operum (sc. tormentorum) artificibus de industriā inclusis,

id. 29, 35:

ut aiunt in Graecis artificibus eos auloedos esse, qui citharoedi fieri non potuerint, sic, etc.,

Cic. Mur. 13, 29; cf. Ov. M. 11, 169 al.:

artifices scaenici,

Cic. Arch. 5, 10; id. Quinct. 25; Suet. Caes. 84:

artifex lignorum,

a carpenter, Vulg. 2 Reg. 5, 11; so,

artifex lignarius,

ib. Isa. 44, 13:

artifices lapidum,

masons, ib. 2 Reg. 5, 11:

artifex aerarius,

a worker in bronze, ib. 3 Reg. 7, 14 (often thus used in Vulg. for opifex).—Also absol.:

artifex,

Plaut. Am. prol. 70:

multi artifices ex Graeciā venerunt,

Liv. 39, 22; so id. 5, 1; 5, 7; 5, 2; 41, 20; so Vulg. Exod. 36, 4; ib. Isa. 40, 20; ib. Act. 19, 24 et saep.—So of a charioteer, as in Gr. technitês:

ne hoc gloriae artificis daretur (auriga standing just before),

Plin. 7, 53, 54, § 186.—Of a physician, Liv. 5, 3. —Of an orator or writer:

Graeci dicendi artifices et doctores,

Cic. de Or. 1, 6, 23:

cum contra talem artificem (sc. Hortensium oratorem) dicturus essem,

id. Quinct. 24 fin.:

politus scriptor atque artifex,

id. Or. 51, 172. —

Trop., a master in any thing, in doing any thing, etc.:

artifices ad corrumpendum judicium,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 71:

artifex callidus comparandarum voluptatum,

id. Fin. 2, 35, 116:

Cotta in ambitione artifex,

Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 12, 47:

serendae in alios invidiae artifex,

Tac. H. 2, 86 al. —

A maker, originator, author, contriver:

si pulcher est hic mundus, si probus ejus artifex, etc.,

Cic. Tim. 2:

cujus (civitatis) artifex et conditor (est) Deus,

Vulg. Heb. 11, 10:

artifex omnium natura,

Plin. 2, 1, 1, § 3:

si indocta consuetudo tam est artifex suavitatis,

id. Or. 48, 161:

artificem (sc. malorum) mediis immittam Terea flammis,

Ov. M. 6, 615:

vadit ad artificem dirae Polymestora caedis,

id. ib. 13, 551:

sceleris infandi artifex,

Sen. Agam. 975.—Ironic.:

O artificem probum!

Ter. Phorm. 2, 1, 29.—Also for a sly, cunning contriver, inventor of a thing (cf. ars, II. fin.):

et mihi jam multi crudele canebant Artificis scelus,

Verg. A. 2, 125; 11, 407. —

Adj.

Act., skilled in a thing; skilful, practised, ingenious, dexterous:

Bomilcar et per homines talis negotii artifices itinera explorat,

Sall. J. 35, 5:

miles decollandi artifex,

Suet. Calig. 32:

artifex faber de silvā,

Vulg. Sap. 13, 11:

tam artifices saltationis,

Suet. Tit. 7.—Also of inanimate things:

artifices Natura manus admovit,

Ov. M. 15, 218:

Tellus artifices ne terat Osca manus,

Prop. 5, 2, 62:

artifex, ut ita dicam, stilus,

Cic. Brut. 25, 95:

mobilitas ignea artifex ad formanda corpora,

Plin. 6, 30, 35, § 187:

vir tam artificis ingenii,

id. 8, 16, 21, § 55 al. — Poet. with inf.:

venter, negatas artifex sequi voces,

Pers. prol. 11.—

Pass., skilfully prepared or made, artistic, artificial, ingenious:

quattuor artifices vivida signa boves,

Prop. 3, 29, 8:

tantae tamque artifices argutiae,

Plin. 10, 29, 4, § 85:

artifex dimicatio,

id. 8, 40, 61, § 150:

motus,

Quint. 9, 4, 8:

manus libratur artifici temperamento,

Plin. 12, 25, 54, §

115: artifex vultus,

Pers. 5, 40:

plaga,

Sol. 35 al. — Poet. of a horse, broken, trained, Ov. A. A. 3, 556.

* * *

archĭtectus, i, m., = architektôn (the usual form, while † archĭtecton, ŏnis, is rare).

Form architectus.

A master-builder, architect:

fabri architectique,

Plaut. Mil. 3, 3, 45:

Philo architectus,

Cic. de Or. 1, 14, 62; so id. Fam. 9, 2; Vitr. 1, 1; Plin. 34, 14, 42, § 148; Vulg. Eccli. 38, 28; ib. Isa. 3, 3; ib. 2 Macc. 2, 30:

ut sapiens architectus,

ib. 1 Cor. 3, 10 al.—

Trop., an inventor, deviser, contriver, author, maker:

bene factis Juppiter architectus,

Plaut. Am. prol. 45 ( = auctor atque opifex, Lambin.):

inventor veritatis et quasi architectus beatae vitae Epicurus,

Cic. Fin. 1, 10, 32 (cf. id. ib. 2, 16, 52:

architectari voluptates): princeps atque architectus sceleris,

id. Clu. 22:

Stoici architecti paene verborum,

id. Brut. 31, 118.—Hence, archĭtecta, ae, f., a female architect:

natura architecta vis,

Plin. 10, 71, 91, § 196.—

Form architecton.

A master-builder, architect, etc.:

nam sibi laudavisse hasce ait architectonem, Nescio quem, esse aedificatas has sane bene,

Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 73; Sen. Ep. 90; Sol. 32 fin. —

Trop., a master in cunning, a crafty man:

me quoque dolis jam superat architectonem,

Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 150.