inventor of a thing

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.

auctor (incorrectly written autor or author), ōris, comm. [id.], he that brings about the existence of any object, or promotes the increase or prosperity of it, whether he first originates it, or by his efforts gives greater permanence or continuance to it; to be differently translated according to the object, creator, maker, author, inventor, producer, father, founder, teacher, composer, cause, voucher, supporter, leader, head, etc. (syn.: conditor, origo, consiliarius, lator, suasor, princeps, dux).

Lit.

Of persons, a progenitor, father, ancestor:

L. Brutus, praeclarus auctor nobilitatis tuae,

the founder, progenitor of your nobility, Cic. Tusc. 4, 1, 2:

generis,

Verg. A. 4, 365; so Ov. M. 4, 640, and Suet. Vit. 2:

tu sanguinis ultimus auctor,

Verg. A. 7, 49; so Ov. M. 12, 558, and 13, 142:

tantae propaginis,

id. F. 3, 157:

originis,

Suet. Ner. 1:

gentis,

id. Claud. 25:

auctores parentes animarum,

Vulg. Sap. 12, 6:

auctore ab illo ducit originem,

Hor. C. 3, 17, 5:

Sive neglectum genus et nepotes Respicis auctor,

id. ib. 1, 2, 36:

mihi Tantalus auctor,

Ov. M. 6, 172:

auctores saxa fretumque tui,

id. H. 10, 132:

Juppiter e terrā genitam mentitur, ut auctor Desinat inquiri,

id. M. 1, 615.—Of animals, Col. 6, 27, 1.—

Of buildings, etc., founder, builder:

Trojae Cynthius auctor,

Verg. G. 3, 36:

murorum Romulus auctor,

Prop. 5, 6, 43 ( augur, Müll.):

auctor posuisset in oris Moenia,

Ov. M. 15, 9:

porticus auctoris Livia nomen habet,

id. A. A. 1, 72:

amphitheatri,

Plin. 36, 15, 24, § 118:

omnia sub titulo tantum suo ac sine ullā pristini auctoris memoriā,

Suet. Dom. 5.—

Of works of art, a maker, artist:

statua auctoris incerti,

Plin. 34, 8, 19, § 93: apparuit summam artis securitatem auctori placaisse, id. praef. § 27.—

Transf.

In gen., the originator, executor, performer, doer, cause, occasion of other things (freq. interchanged with actor):

tametsi haud quaquam par gloriá sequitur scriptorem et auctorem rerum, tamen etc.,

Sall. C. 3, 2 Kritz (cf. without rerum: Suam quisque culpam auctores ad negotia transferunt, id. J. 1, 4):

praeclari facinoris,

Vell. 2, 120, 6:

facti,

Ov. M. 9, 206; Vell. 1, 8:

cum perquirerent auctorem facti,

Vulg. Jud. 6, 29:

optimi statūs auctor,

Suet. Aug. 28:

honoris,

Ov. M. 10, 214:

vitae,

Vulg. Act. 3, 15:

salutis,

ib. Heb. 2, 10:

fidei,

ib. ib. 12, 2:

funeris,

Ov. M. 10, 199:

necis,

id. ib. 8, 449;

9, 214: mortis,

id. ib. 8, 493:

vulneris,

id. ib. 5, 133;

8, 418: plagae,

id. ib. 3, 329:

seditionis sectae,

Vulg. Act. 24, 5.—Also, in gen., one from whom any thing proceeds or comes:

auctor in incerto est: jaculum de parte sinistrā Venit,

i. e. the sender, Ov. M. 12, 419; so,

teli,

id. ib. 8, 349:

muneris,

the giver, id. ib. 2, 88;

5, 657, 7, 157 al.: meritorum,

id. ib. 8, 108 al.—

An investigator:

non sordidus auctor Naturae verique,

Hor. C. 1, 28, 14.—And as imparting learning, a teacher:

quamquam in antiquissimā philosophiā Cratippo auctore versaris,

Cic. Off. 2, 2, 8:

dicendi gravissimus auctor et magister Plato,

id. Or. 3, 10:

divini humanique juris auctor celeberrimus,

Vell. 2, 26, 2:

Servius Sulpicius, juris civilis auctor,

Gell. 2, 10; Dig. 19, 1, 39; 40, 7, 36.—

The author of a writing, a writer:

ii quos nunc lectito auctores,

Cic. Att. 12, 18:

ingeniosus poëta et auctor valde bonus,

id. Mur. 14:

scripta auctori perniciosa suo,

Ov. Tr. 5, 1, 68:

Belli Alexandrini Africique et Hispaniensis incertus auctor est,

Suet. Caes. 56; id. Aug. 31:

sine auctore notissimi versus,

i. e. anonymous verses, id. ib. 70; so id. Calig. 8; id. Dom. 8 al.— Meton. of cause for effect, for a literary production, writing, work:

in evolvendis utriusque linguae auctoribus, etc.,

Suet. Aug. 89. —In partic., the author of historical works, an historian (with and without rerum):

ego cautius posthac historiam attingam, te audiente, quem rerum Romanarum auctorem laudare possum religiosissimum,

Cic. Brut. 11, 44; so,

Matrem Antoniam non apud auctores rerum, non diurnā actorum scripturā reperio ullo insigni officio functam,

Tac. A. 3, 3; 3, 30 (diff. from auctor rerum in II. A.):

Polybius bonus auctor in primis,

Cic. Off. 3, 32, 113; so Nep. Them. 10, 4; Liv. 4, 20; Tac. A. 5, 9; 14, 64 al.—With historiae (eccl. Lat.):

historiae congruit auctori,

Vulg. 2 Macc. 2, 31.—Hence, in gen., one that gives an account of something, a narrator, reporter, informant (orally or in writing):

sibi insidias fieri: se id certis auctoribus comperisse,

Cic. Att. 14, 8:

celeberrimos auctores habeo tantam victoribus irreverentiam fuisse, ut, etc.,

Tac. H. 3, 51:

criminis ficti auctor, i. e. nuntius,

Ov. M. 7, 824:

Non haec tibi nuntiat auctor Ambiguus,

id. ib. 11, 666; 12, 58; 12, 61; 12, 532.—Hence, auctorem esse, with acc. and inf., to relate, recount:

Auctores sunt ter novenis punctis interfici hominem,

Plin. 11, 21, 24, § 73:

Fabius Rustiçus auctor est scriptos esse ad Caecinam Tuscum codicillos,

Tac. A. 13, 20:

Auctor est Julius Marathus ante paucos quam nasceretur menses prodigium Romae factum (esse) publice, etc.,

Suet. Aug. 94 et saep.—

One by whose influence, advice, command, etc., any thing is done, the cause, occasion, contriver, instigator, counsellor, adviser, promoter; constr. sometimes with ut, acc. and inf., or gen. gerund.: quid mihi es auctor ( what do you counsel me?) huic ut mittam? Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 2; 4, 7, 70; id. Poen. 1, 3, 1:

idne estis auctores mihi?

Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 16:

mihique ut absim, vehementer auctor est,

Cic. Att. 15, 5:

Gellium ipsis (philosophis) magno opere auctorem fuisse, ut controversiarum facerent modum,

id. Leg. 1, 20, 53:

ut propinqui de communi sententiā coërcerent, auctor fuit,

Suet. Tib. 35; id. Claud. 25; id. Calig. 15:

a me consilium petis, qui sim tibi auctor in Siciliāne subsidas, an proficiscare,

Cic. Fam. 6, 8: ego quidem tibi non sim auctor, si Pompeius Italiam reliquit, te quoque profugere, Att. ap. Cic. Att. 9, 10:

ne auctor armorum duxque deesset, Auct. B. G. 8, 47: auctor facinori non deerat,

Liv. 2, 54:

auctores Bibulo fuere tantundem pollicendi,

Suet. Caes. 19:

auctores restituendae tribuniciae potestatis,

id. ib. 5; so id. Dom. 8:

auctor singulis universisque conspirandi simul et ut... communem causam juvarent,

id. Galb. 10 al. —So freq. in the abl. absol.: me, te, eo auctore, at my, your, his instance, by my [p. 199] advice, command, etc.:

non me quidem Faciet auctore, hodie ut illum decipiat,

Plaut. Stich. 4, 2, 23:

an paenitebat flagiti, te auctore quod fecisset Adulescens?

Ter. Eun. 5, 6, 12:

quare omnes istos me auctore deridete atque contemnite,

Cic. de Or. 3, 14, 54:

quia calida fomenta non proderant, frigidis curari coactus auctore Antonio Musā,

Suet. Aug. 81; 96; id. Galb. 19; id. Vit. 2 al.: agis Carminibus grates et dis auctoribus horum, the promoters or authors of spells, Ov. M. 7, 148.—

Esp., in political lang., t. t.

Auctor legis.

One who proposes a law, a mover, proposer (very rare):

quarum legum auctor fuerat, earum suasorem se haud dubium ferebat,

Liv. 6, 36:

Quid desperatius, qui ne ementiendo quidem potueris auctorem adumbrare meliorem,

Cic. Dom. 30, 80.—

One who advises the proposal of a law, and exerts all his influence to have it passed, a supporter (stronger than suasor; cf. Suet. Tib. 27:

alium dicente, auctore eo Senatum se adīsse, verba mutare et pro auctore suasorem dicere coegit): isti rationi neque lator quisquam est inventus neque auctor umquam bonus,

Cic. Leg. 3, 15, 34:

cum ostenderem, si lex utilis plebi Romanae mihi videretur, auctorem me atque adjutorem futurum (esse),

id. Agr. 2, 5; id. Att. 1, 19:

quo auctore societatem cum Perseo junxerunt,

Liv. 45, 31; Suet. Oth. 8; id. Vesp. 11 al.—Sometimes in connection with suasor:

atque hujus deditionis ipse Postumius suasor et auctor fuit,

Cic. Off. 3, 30, 109:

Nisi quis retinet, idem suasor auctorque consilii ero,

Tac. H. 3, 2 al. —

Of a senate which accepts or adopts a proposition for a law, a confirmer, ratifier:

nunc cum loquar apud senatores populi Romani, legum et judiciorum et juris auctores,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 67.— Poet., in gen., a law-giver:

animum ad civilia vertet Jura suum, legesque feret justissimus auctor,

Ov. M. 15, 833;

and of one who establishes conditions of peace: leges captis justissimus auctor imposuit,

id. ib. 8, 101. —Hence, auctores fieri, to approve, accept, confirm a law:

cum de plebe consulem non accipiebat, patres ante auctores fieri coëgerit,

Cic. Brut. 14, 55:

Decreverunt ut, cum populus regem jussisset, id sic ratum esset, si patres auctores fierent,

Liv. 1, 17; 1, 22; 2, 54; 2, 56; 6, 42; 8, 12 al.—

Auctor consilii publici, he who has the chief voice in the senate, a leader:

hunc rei publicae rectorem et consilii publici auctorem esse habendum,

Cic. de Or. 1, 48, 211; 3, 17, 63. —Also absol.:

regem Ariobarzanem, cujus salutem a senatu te auctore, commendatam habebam,

by your influence, and the decree of the senate occasioned by it, Cic. Fam. 15, 4, 6; cf. Gron. ad Liv. 24, 43.—

One who is an exemplar, a model, pattern, type of any thing:

Caecilius, malus auctor Latinitatis,

Cic. Att. 7, 3, 10:

nec litterarum Graecarum, nec philosophiae jam ullum auctorem requiro,

id. Ac. 2, 2, 5; cf.

Wopk. Lect. Tull. p. 34: unum cedo auctorem tui facti, unius profer exemplum,

i. e. who has done a similar thing, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 26:

Cato omnium virtutum auctor,

id. Fin. 4, 16, 44 al. —

One that becomes security for something, a voucher, bail, surety, witness:

id ita esse ut credas, rem tibi auctorem dabo,

Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 70:

auctorem rumorem habere,

Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 19: fama nuntiabat te esse in Syriā;

auctor erat nemo,

id. Fam. 12, 4:

non si mihi Juppiter auctor Spondeat,

Verg. A. 5, 17:

gravis quamvis magnae rei auctor,

Liv. 1, 16:

auctorem levem, nec satis fidum super tantā re Patres rati,

id. 5, 15 fin.:

urbs auspicato deis auctoribus in aeternum condita,

under the guaranty of the gods, id. 28, 28.—Also with acc. and inf.:

auctores sumus tutam ibi majestatem Romani nominis fore,

Liv. 2, 48.—

In judic. lang., t. t.

A seller, vender (inasmuch as he warrants the right of possession of the thing to be sold, and transfers it to the purchaser; sometimes the jurists make a distinction between auctor primus and auctor secundus; the former is the seller himself, the latter the bail or security whom the former brings, Dig. 21, 2, 4; cf.

Salmas. Mod. Usur. pp. 728 and 733): quod a malo auctore emīssent,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 22:

auctor fundi,

id. Caecin. 10; Dig. 19, 1, 52: Inpero (auctor ego sum), ut tu me quoivis castrandum loces, Plaut. Aul. 2, 2, 73 Wagn.; id. Ep. 3, 2, 21; id. Curc. 4, 2, 12.— Trop.:

auctor beneficii populi Romani,

Cic. Mur. 2.—

A guardian, trustee (of women and minors):

dos quam mulier nullo auctore dixisset,

Cic. Caecin. 25:

majores nostri nullam ne privatam quidem rem agere feminas sine auctore voluerunt,

Liv. 34, 2:

pupillus obligari tutori eo auctore non potest,

Dig. 26, 8, 5.—

In espousals, auctores are the witnesses of the marriage contract (parents, brothers, guardians, relatives, etc.):

nubit genero socrus, nullis auspicibus, nullis auctoribus,

Cic. Clu. 5.—

An agent, factor, spokesman, intercessor, champion:

praeclarus iste auctor suae civitatis,

Cic. Fl. 22:

(Plancius) princeps inter suos... maximarum societatum auctor, plurimarum magister,

id. Planc. 13, 22:

meae salutis,

id. Sest. 50, 107:

doloris sui, querelarum, etc.,

id. Fl. 22 fin.

Lat. auctor is also used as fem.:

eas aves, quibus auctoribus etc.,

Cic. Div. 1, 15, 27:

Et hostes aderant et (Theoxena) auctor mortis instabat,

Liv. 40, 4, 15:

auctor ego (Juno) audendi,

Verg. A. 12, 159; Ov. M. 8, 108; id. F. 5, 192; 6, 709; id. H. 14, 110; 15, 3; Sen. Med. 968; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 29 Müll. The distinction which the grammarians, Serv. ad Verg. A. 12, 159, Prob. p. 1452 sq. P., and others make between auctor fem. and auctrix, that auctrix would refer more to the lit. signif. of the verb, augeo, while auctor fem. has more direct relation to the prevailing signif. of its noun, auctoritas, is unfounded.

actor, ōris, m. [id.].

One who drives or moves something:

pecoris actor,

Ov. H. 1, 95:

habenae,

a slinger, Stat. Ach. 2, 419.—

In gen., he who does any thing, a doer or performer (cf. ago, II.).

In gen. of every kind of action:

ut illum efficeret oratorem verborum actoremque rerum,

Cic. de Or. 3, 15, 57 (a translation of the Homer. prêktêra ergôn, Il. 9, 443):

Cato dux, auctor, actor rerum illarum fuit,

id. Sest. 28 fin.; so Caes. B. C. 1, 26; Nep. Att. 3, 2 al.—

In judicial lang., one who brings an action, a plaintiff:

accusatorem pro omni actore et petitore appello,

Cic. Part. 32;

esp. of lawyers: Moloni Rhodio et actori summo causarum et magistro,

id. Brut. 89 fin.; so Hor. A. P. 369 al.—Also, one who conducts a suit, an advocate, Cic. Caec. 1.—Hence,

At a later period, an agent or attorney; in gen., an administrator or manager or steward, overseer of property or an estate.—So in Tac.: actor publicus, he who administers the public property, Ann. 2, 30; 3, 67: actor summarum, a keeper of accounts or cashier, Suet. Dom. 11, and so often in the Dig.: sub actoribus, overseers (of a household), Vulg. Gal. 4, 2.—

In rhetor. lang., one who delivers any oral discourse; and esp. one who delivers an oration, an orator:

inventor, compositor, actor,

Cic. Or. 19.—

A player, an actor:

actores secundarum et tertiarum partium,

Cic. Div. in Caecil. 15; so id. de Or. 1, 26; id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 16 (cf. ago, II., and actio, II. C.).

Actor, ŏris, m.

A companion of Aeneas, Verg. A. 9, 500.—

An Auruncan, ib. 12, 94; 96.—Hence, Actŏ-rĭdes, ae, patron. m., son or grandson of Actor: his son, Menoetius, Ov. F. 2, 39; his grandson, Patroclus, Ov. Tr. 1, 9, 29; id. M. 13, 273; Erithos, id. ib. 5, 79.—In plur.: Actŏrĭdae, i. e. Eurytus and Cleatus, sons of Actor, King of Phthia, id. ib. 8, 308.

actor, ōris, m. [id.].

One who drives or moves something:

pecoris actor,

Ov. H. 1, 95:

habenae,

a slinger, Stat. Ach. 2, 419.—

In gen., he who does any thing, a doer or performer (cf. ago, II.).

In gen. of every kind of action:

ut illum efficeret oratorem verborum actoremque rerum,

Cic. de Or. 3, 15, 57 (a translation of the Homer. prêktêra ergôn, Il. 9, 443):

Cato dux, auctor, actor rerum illarum fuit,

id. Sest. 28 fin.; so Caes. B. C. 1, 26; Nep. Att. 3, 2 al.—

In judicial lang., one who brings an action, a plaintiff:

accusatorem pro omni actore et petitore appello,

Cic. Part. 32;

esp. of lawyers: Moloni Rhodio et actori summo causarum et magistro,

id. Brut. 89 fin.; so Hor. A. P. 369 al.—Also, one who conducts a suit, an advocate, Cic. Caec. 1.—Hence,

At a later period, an agent or attorney; in gen., an administrator or manager or steward, overseer of property or an estate.—So in Tac.: actor publicus, he who administers the public property, Ann. 2, 30; 3, 67: actor summarum, a keeper of accounts or cashier, Suet. Dom. 11, and so often in the Dig.: sub actoribus, overseers (of a household), Vulg. Gal. 4, 2.—

In rhetor. lang., one who delivers any oral discourse; and esp. one who delivers an oration, an orator:

inventor, compositor, actor,

Cic. Or. 19.—

A player, an actor:

actores secundarum et tertiarum partium,

Cic. Div. in Caecil. 15; so id. de Or. 1, 26; id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 16 (cf. ago, II., and actio, II. C.).

Actor, ŏris, m.

A companion of Aeneas, Verg. A. 9, 500.—

An Auruncan, ib. 12, 94; 96.—Hence, Actŏ-rĭdes, ae, patron. m., son or grandson of Actor: his son, Menoetius, Ov. F. 2, 39; his grandson, Patroclus, Ov. Tr. 1, 9, 29; id. M. 13, 273; Erithos, id. ib. 5, 79.—In plur.: Actŏrĭdae, i. e. Eurytus and Cleatus, sons of Actor, King of Phthia, id. ib. 8, 308.

actor, ōris, m. [id.].

One who drives or moves something:

pecoris actor,

Ov. H. 1, 95:

habenae,

a slinger, Stat. Ach. 2, 419.—

In gen., he who does any thing, a doer or performer (cf. ago, II.).

In gen. of every kind of action:

ut illum efficeret oratorem verborum actoremque rerum,

Cic. de Or. 3, 15, 57 (a translation of the Homer. prêktêra ergôn, Il. 9, 443):

Cato dux, auctor, actor rerum illarum fuit,

id. Sest. 28 fin.; so Caes. B. C. 1, 26; Nep. Att. 3, 2 al.—

In judicial lang., one who brings an action, a plaintiff:

accusatorem pro omni actore et petitore appello,

Cic. Part. 32;

esp. of lawyers: Moloni Rhodio et actori summo causarum et magistro,

id. Brut. 89 fin.; so Hor. A. P. 369 al.—Also, one who conducts a suit, an advocate, Cic. Caec. 1.—Hence,

At a later period, an agent or attorney; in gen., an administrator or manager or steward, overseer of property or an estate.—So in Tac.: actor publicus, he who administers the public property, Ann. 2, 30; 3, 67: actor summarum, a keeper of accounts or cashier, Suet. Dom. 11, and so often in the Dig.: sub actoribus, overseers (of a household), Vulg. Gal. 4, 2.—

In rhetor. lang., one who delivers any oral discourse; and esp. one who delivers an oration, an orator:

inventor, compositor, actor,

Cic. Or. 19.—

A player, an actor:

actores secundarum et tertiarum partium,

Cic. Div. in Caecil. 15; so id. de Or. 1, 26; id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 16 (cf. ago, II., and actio, II. C.).

Actor, ŏris, m.

A companion of Aeneas, Verg. A. 9, 500.—

An Auruncan, ib. 12, 94; 96.—Hence, Actŏ-rĭdes, ae, patron. m., son or grandson of Actor: his son, Menoetius, Ov. F. 2, 39; his grandson, Patroclus, Ov. Tr. 1, 9, 29; id. M. 13, 273; Erithos, id. ib. 5, 79.—In plur.: Actŏrĭdae, i. e. Eurytus and Cleatus, sons of Actor, King of Phthia, id. ib. 8, 308.

actor, ōris, m. [id.].

One who drives or moves something:

pecoris actor,

Ov. H. 1, 95:

habenae,

a slinger, Stat. Ach. 2, 419.—

In gen., he who does any thing, a doer or performer (cf. ago, II.).

In gen. of every kind of action:

ut illum efficeret oratorem verborum actoremque rerum,

Cic. de Or. 3, 15, 57 (a translation of the Homer. prêktêra ergôn, Il. 9, 443):

Cato dux, auctor, actor rerum illarum fuit,

id. Sest. 28 fin.; so Caes. B. C. 1, 26; Nep. Att. 3, 2 al.—

In judicial lang., one who brings an action, a plaintiff:

accusatorem pro omni actore et petitore appello,

Cic. Part. 32;

esp. of lawyers: Moloni Rhodio et actori summo causarum et magistro,

id. Brut. 89 fin.; so Hor. A. P. 369 al.—Also, one who conducts a suit, an advocate, Cic. Caec. 1.—Hence,

At a later period, an agent or attorney; in gen., an administrator or manager or steward, overseer of property or an estate.—So in Tac.: actor publicus, he who administers the public property, Ann. 2, 30; 3, 67: actor summarum, a keeper of accounts or cashier, Suet. Dom. 11, and so often in the Dig.: sub actoribus, overseers (of a household), Vulg. Gal. 4, 2.—

In rhetor. lang., one who delivers any oral discourse; and esp. one who delivers an oration, an orator:

inventor, compositor, actor,

Cic. Or. 19.—

A player, an actor:

actores secundarum et tertiarum partium,

Cic. Div. in Caecil. 15; so id. de Or. 1, 26; id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 16 (cf. ago, II., and actio, II. C.).

Actor, ŏris, m.

A companion of Aeneas, Verg. A. 9, 500.—

An Auruncan, ib. 12, 94; 96.—Hence, Actŏ-rĭdes, ae, patron. m., son or grandson of Actor: his son, Menoetius, Ov. F. 2, 39; his grandson, Patroclus, Ov. Tr. 1, 9, 29; id. M. 13, 273; Erithos, id. ib. 5, 79.—In plur.: Actŏrĭdae, i. e. Eurytus and Cleatus, sons of Actor, King of Phthia, id. ib. 8, 308.

nōdus, i, m. [for gnodus; Sanscr. root gadh-, gandh-, grasp; cf. Gr. Chandanô, hold; gnathos, jaw; Lat. pre-hend-o; Germ. Knoten; Engl. knot], a knot (cf. nexus).

Lit.:

nodus vinculumque,

Cic. Univ. 4: necte tribus nodis ternos, Amarylli, colores, Verg. E. 8, 77:

Cacum Corripit in nodum complexus,

clasping him as in a knot, id. A. 8, 260:

nodos manu diducere,

Ov. M. 2, 560:

nodus Herculis or Herculaneus,

a knot difficult to untie, of which Hercules was held to be the inventor, Plin. 28, 6, 17, § 63:

unus tibi nodus, sed Herculaneus, restat,

Sen. Ep. 87, 38:

tamquam nodus Gordius difficillimus,

Amm. 14, 11, 1: cingulum (novae nuptae) Herculaneo nodo vinctum vir solvit ominis gratia, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. cingulo, p. 63 Müll.—

Transf.

A girdle ( poet.):

nodoque sinus collecta fluentes,

Verg. A. 1, 320; Mart. 6, 13, 5.—

Hence, astronom.: nodus anni,

the circle of the equator, Lucr. 5, 688.—

A mode of dressing the hair, a knot, club:

Rheni nodos,

the hair of the Germans gathered into a club, Mart. 5, 37, 8; cf.:

insigne gentis obliquare crinem nodoque substringere,

Tac. G. 38.—

Plur.:

nodi,

a knotted fishing-net, Manil. 5, 664.—

A knot, knob, node on a joint of an animal's body:

crura sine nodis,

Caes. B. G. 6, 27:

cervix articulorum nodis jungitur,

Plin. 11, 37, 67, § 177; 11, 37, 88, § 217:

dirae nodus hyaenae,

a backbone, dorsal vertebra, Luc. 6, 672.—

Hence, nodi articulorum,

a swelling, tumor on the joints, Plin. 24, 5, 13, § 21; 30, 12, 36, § 110.—

A knot, knob, fold, etc.

In wood or the branches of plants:

baculum sine nodo aduncum tenens,

Liv. 1, 18, 7; Sen. Ben. 7, 9:

stipes gravidus nodis,

Verg. A. 7, 507:

telum solidum nodis,

id. ib. 11, 553:

gracilitas harundinis, distincta nodis,

Plin. 16, 36, 64, § 158; Col. Arb. 3.—Hence, the knotty club of Hercules, Sen. Herc. Oet. 1661.—

Of a writhing serpent:

nixantem nodis seque in sua membra plicantem,

Verg. A. 5, 279.—

Prov.: nodum in scirpo quaerere, to look for knots in a bulrush (which contains none), i. e. to find difficulties where there are none, Enn. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 330 Müll. (Sat. v. 46 Vahl.):

in scirpo nodum quaeris,

Plaut. Men. 2, 1, 22; Ter. And. 5, 4, 38.—

A knot, hard part of a thing;

so of metals,

Plin. 34, 13, 37, § 136;

of precious stones,

id. 37, 10, 55, § 150.—

A star in the constellation Pisces, Cic. Arat. 14; Caes. Germ. Arat. 243.—

In astron.:

nodi,

the four points in the heavens where the seasons begin, the nodes, Manil. 3, 618; cf. id. 2, 430.—

Trop.

In gen., a band, bond:

his igitur singulis versibus quasi nodi apparent continuationis,

Cic. Or. 66, 222:

velut laxioribus nodis resolvemus,

Quint. 9, 4, 127:

amabilissimum nodum amicitiae tollere,

Cic. Lael. 14, 51.—

In partic.

A bond, obligation ( poet.):

exsolvere animum nodis religionum,

Lucr. 4, 7:

imponere nodos, i. e. jusjurandum,

Ov. H. 20, 39 Ruhnk.—

A knotty point, difficulty, impediment.— Absol.:

dum hic nodus expediatur non putet senatus nos oportere decedere,

Cic. Att. 5, 21, 3: incideramus in difficilem nodum, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 11, 1.—With gen.:

Abantem interimit, pugnae nodumque moramque,

Verg. A. 10, 428:

cum scopulus et nodus et mora publicae securitatis superesset Antonius,

Flor. 4, 9, 1:

qui juris nodos et legum aenigmata solvat (an allusion to the Gordian knot),

Juv. 8, 50 (hence, Cicuta nodosus; v. nodosus).— Esp.: nodus linguae, the bond or tie of the tongue:

nodum linguae rumpere,

Gell. 5, 9, 2:

nodos linguae solvere,

Just. 13, 7, 6.