pecus bubulum

pĕcus, pecŏris, n. [Zend, pacu, cattle; cf. Goth. faihu; Angl.-Sax. feó, cattle; Germ. Vieh; Engl. fee. Fick refers the word to root pag- of pango, etc.], cattle, as a collective, a herd (opp.: pecus, pecudis, a single head of cattle).

Lit.

In gen.:

bubulum pecus,

horned cattle, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 13; Col. 6, 13, 2:

ovile,

sheep, id. 1 prooem.:

caprile,

id. ib.:

pecus majus et minus... de pecore majore, in quo sunt ad tres species naturā discreti, boves, asini, equi,

Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 12:

equinum,

a stud, Verg. G. 3, 72: setigerum pecus, the bristly herd, i. e. the herd of swine, Ov. M. 14, 288:

flammatum pecus,

the thirsty steeds, Stat. Th. 4, 733:

volatile pecus,

fowls, hens, Col. 8, 4:

ignavum fucos pecus a praesepibus arcent,

i. e. the drones, Verg. G. 4, 168.—So of bees, Col. 9, 8, 6.—Of seals:

omne cum Proteus pecus egit altos Visere montes,

Hor. C. 1, 2, 7; cf.

of fish: aquatile,

Col. 8, 17, 7.—

In partic, of sheep, small cattle, a flock:

pecori et bubus diligenter substernatur. Scabiem pecori et jumentis caveto (shortly after: frondem substernito ovibus bubusque),

Cato, R. R. 5, 7: boni pastoris est pecus tondere non deglubere, Tiber. ap. Suet. Tib. 32:

balatus pecorum,

Verg. G. 3, 554; Plin. 8, 47, 72, § 187.—

Transf.

Of a single animal:

inque pecus magnae subito vertare parentis = pecudem,

the young lion, Ov. Ib. 459; Mos. et Rom. Leg. Coll. 6, 7, 9.—In late and eccl. lat. the distinction [p. 1323] between pecus, f., and pecus, n., nearly disappears, and the latter is found in all senses of the words; cf. Vulg. Lev. 20, 15; id. 2 Par. 14, 15; id. Isa. 66, 3.—

Contemptuously, or as a term of abuse, of persons, cattle:

mutum et turpe pecus,

Hor. S. 1, 3, 100:

o imitatores, servum pecus,

id. Ep. 1, 19, 19:

simul ite, Dindymenae dominae vaga pecora,

Cat. 63, 13:

sed venale pecus Corythae posteritas,

Juv. 8, 62.

pĕcus, ŭdis ( masc.: pecudi marito, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 659 P. or Trag. v. 336 Vahl.— Nom. sing., Caesar ap. Prisc. p. 719; cf. Charis. p. 72.— Plur. collat. form, neutr., pecuda, Att., Sisenn., and Cic. ap. Non. 159, 11; v. infra), f. [same root with pecu and pecus, ŏris], a single head of cattle, a beast, brute, animal, one of a herd (opp.: pecus, pecŏris, cattle collectively; different from animal, which includes man).

Lit.

In gen.:

Neptuni pecudes terrestres pecudes,

Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 45:

squammigerum pecudes,

the fishes, Lucr. 2, 343:

genus aequoreum, pecudes pictaeque volucres,

land animals, Verg. G. 3, 243:

genera pecudum ferarum,

Varr. R. R. 2, 1: anates buxeis rostris pecudes, Varr. ap. Non. 460, 9:

quā pecude (sc. sue) nihil genuit natura fecundius,

Cic. N. D. 2, 64, 160:

quantum natura hominis pecudibus reliquisque bestiis antecedat,

domestic animals, id. Off. 1, 30, 105:

ista non modo homines, sed ne pecudes quidem mihi passurae esse videntur,

id. Cat. 2, 9, 20; id. Att. 1, 16, 6.— Plur. neutr. pecuda: vagant, pavore pecuda in tumulis deserunt, Att. ap. Non. 159, 11; Sisenn. ap. Non. 159, 17: cum adhibent in pecuda pastores, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 159, 13.—

In partic.

A head of small cattle, one of a flock:

at variae crescunt pecudes armenta feraeque,

Lucr. 5, 228.—

A sheep:

haedi cornigeras norunt matres, agnique petulci balantum pecudes,

Lucr. 2, 369; Ov. F. 4, 903:

pecudem spondere sacello Balantem,

Juv. 13, 232:

pecus et caprae,

Plin. 24, 11, 53, § 90.—

Collectively, = 1. pecus, id genus pecudis, horses, Col. 6, 27, 13.—

Transf., as a term of reproach for an ignorant, stupid, or filthy person, a beast, brute:

istius, pecudis ac putidae carnis consilium,

Cic. Pis. 9, 19:

istius impurissimae atque intemperantissimae pecudis sordes,

id. ib. 29, 72; id. Phil. 8, 3, 9; cf.:

Gaius Caesar pecudem auream eum appellare solitus est,

Tac. A. 13, 1.

pĕcus, ūs, m., i. q. 1. pecus, Lucil. ap. Gell. 20, 8, 4.