leges+mōri+serviunt

mos, mōris, m. [etym. dub.; perh. root ma-, measure; cf.: maturus, matutinus; prop., a measuring or guiding rule of life; hence], manner, custom, way, usage, practice, fashion, wont, as determined not by the laws, but by men's will and pleasure, humor, self-will, caprice (class.; cf.: consuetudo, usus).

Lit.:

opsequens oboediensque'st mori atque imperiis patris,

Plaut. Bacch. 3, 3, 54:

huncine erat aequum ex illius more, an illum ex hujus vivere?

Ter. Heaut. 1, 2, 24: alieno more vivendum est mihi, according to the will or humor of another, id. And. 1, 1, 125:

nonne fuit levius dominae pervincere mores,

Prop. 1, 17, 15: morem alicui gerere, to do the will of a person, to humor, gratify, obey him:

sic decet morem geras,

Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 35; Cic. Tusc. 1, 9, 17:

animo morem gessero,

Ter. And. 4, 1, 17:

adulescenti morem gestum oportuit,

id. Ad. 2, 2, 6; v. gero.—

The will as a rule for action, custom, usage, practice, wont, habit:

leges mori serviunt,

usage, custom, Plaut. Trin. 4, 3, 36:

legi morique parendum est,

Cic. Univ. 11:

ibam forte Viā Sacrā, sicut meus est mos,

custom, wont, Hor. S. 1, 9, 1:

contra morem consuetudinemque civilem,

Cic. Off. 1, 41, 148:

quae vero more agentur institutisque civilibus,

according to usage, according to custom, id. ib.:

mos est hominum, ut nolint eundem pluribus rebus excellere,

id. Brut. 21, 84:

ut mos est,

Juv. 6, 392;

moris erat quondam servare, etc.,

id. 11, 83:

more sinistro,

by a perverted custom, id. 2, 87.— So with ut:

morem traditum a patribus, ut, etc.,

Liv. 27, 11, 10:

hunc morem servare, ut, etc.,

id. 32, 34, 5:

virginibus Tyriis mos est gestare pharetram,

it is the custom, they are accustomed, Verg. A. 1, 336:

qui istic mos est?

Ter. Heaut. 3, 3, 1:

mos ita rogandi,

Cic. Fam. 12, 17, 1:

ut mos fuit Bithyniae regibus,

id. Verr. 2, 5, 11, § 27: moris est, it is the custom:

negavit, moris esse Graecorum, ut, etc.,

id. ib. 2, 1, 26, § 66; Vell. 2, 37, 5:

quae moris Graecorum non sint,

Liv. 36, 28, 4; cf.:

(aliquid) satis ex more Graecorum factum,

id. 36, 28, 5:

ut Domitiano moris erat,

Tac. Agr. 39.— Plur.:

id quoque morum Tiberii erat,

Tac. A. 1, 80:

praeter civium morem,

contrary to custom, to usage, Ter. And. 5, 3, 9: sine more, unwonted, unparalleled:

facinus sine more,

Stat. Th. 1, 238; so,

nullo more,

id. ib. 7, 135:

supra morem: terra supra morem densa,

unusually, Verg. G. 2, 227 (cf.:

supra modum): perducere aliquid in morem,

to make into a custom, make customary, Cic. Inv. 2, 54, 162:

quod jam in morem venerat, ut, etc.,

had become customary, Liv. 42, 21, 7.—

In partic., in a moral point of view, conduct, behavior; in plur., manners, morals, character; in a good or bad sense:

est ita temperatis moderatisque moribus, ut summa severitas summā cum humanitate jungatur,

manners, Cic. Fam. 12, 27, 1:

suavissimi mores,

id. Att. 16, 16, A, 6: boni, id. Fragm. ap. Non. 254, 8.—Prov.:

corrumpunt mores bonos colloquia mala,

Vulg. 1 Cor. 15, 33:

justi,

Cic. de Or. 2, 43, 184:

severi et pudici,

Plin. 28, 8, 27, § 106:

sanctissimi,

Plin. Ep. 10, 20, 3: feri immanisque natura, Cic. Rosc. [p. 1168] Am. 13, 38:

totam vitam, naturam moresque alicujus cognoscere,

character, id. ib. 38, 109:

eos esse M'. Curii mores, eamque probitatem, ut, etc.,

id. Fam. 13, 17, 3; id. de Or. 2, 43, 182:

mores disciplinamque alicujus imitari,

id. Deiot. 10, 28:

perditi,

id. Fam. 2, 5, 2:

praefectura morum,

the supervision of the public morals, Suet. Caes. 76:

moribus et caelum patuit,

to good morals, virtue, Prop. 4 (5), 11, 101:

amator meretricis mores sibi emit auro et purpurā,

polite behavior, complaisance, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 128:

propitiis, si per mores nostros liceret, diis,

i. e. our evil way of life, Tac. H. 3, 72:

morum quoque filius,

like his father in character, Juv. 14, 52:

ne te ignarum fuisse dicas meorum morum, leno ego sum,

i. e. my trade, Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 6:

in publicis moribus,

Suet. Tib. 33; 42.—

Transf.

Quality, nature, manner; mode, fashion:

haec meretrix fecit, ut mos est meretricius,

Plaut. Men. 5, 4, 8:

mores siderum,

qualities, properties, Plin. 18, 24, 56, § 206:

caeli,

Verg. G. 1, 51:

Carneadeo more et modo disputare,

manner, Cic. Univ. 1:

si humano modo, si usitato more peccāsset,

in the usual manner, id. Verr. 2, 2, 3, § 9:

Graeco more bibere,

id. ib. 1, 26, 66:

apis Matinae More modoque,

after the manner of, like, Hor. C. 4, 2, 27:

Dardanius torrentis aquae vel turbinis atri More furens,

Verg. A. 10, 604:

more novalium,

Col. 3, 13, 4:

caeli et anni mores,

Col. 1, Praef. 23:

omnium more,

Cic. Fam. 12, 17, 3; so,

ad morem actionum,

Quint. 4, 1, 43:

elabitur anguis in morem fluminis,

like, Verg. G. 1, 245:

in hunc operis morem,

Hor. S. 2, 1, 63:

pecudum in morem,

Flor. 3, 8, 6:

morem vestis tenere,

mode, fashion, Just. 1, 2, 3.—

A precept, law, rule ( poet. and postAug.):

moresque viris et moenia ponet,

precepts, laws, Verg. A. 1, 264; cf.:

pacis inponere morem,

id. ib. 6, 852:

quod moribus eorum interdici non poterat,

Nep. Ham. 3:

quid ferri duritiā pugnacius? sed cedit, et patitur mores,

submits to laws, obeys, is tamed, Plin. 36, 16, 25, § 127:

ut leo mores Accepit,

Stat. Ach. 2, 183:

in morem tonsa coma, = ex more ludi,

Verg. A. 5, 556.