psaltriae+n+f

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dĕcet, cuit, 2, v. impers. [Sanscr. dacas, fame; Gr. dokeô, to seem, think; Lat. decus, dignus]. It is seemly, comely, becoming,; it beseems, behooves, is fitting, suitable, proper (for syn. v. debeo init.):

decere quasi aptum esse consentaneumque tempori et personae,

Cic. Or. 22, 74; cf. also nunc quid aptum sit, hoc est, quid maxime deceat in oratione videamus, id. de Or. 3, 55, 210 (very freq. and class.; not in Caes.).—Constr., with nom. or inf. of the thing, and with acc.; less freq. with dat. of the pers.; sometimes absol.

With nom. rei

and acc. pers.: Ph. Quin me aspice et contempla, ut haec (sc. vestis) me decet. Sc. Virtute formae id evenit, te ut deceat, quicquid habeas, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 16 sq.; cf.:

quem decet muliebris ornatus, quem incessus psaltriae, Cic. Clod. fragm. 5, p. 105 ed. Beier: te toga picta decet,

Prop. 4, 4, 53 al.; Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 30; Quint. 8, 5, 28;

and nec habitus triumphalis feminas deceat,

id. 11, 1, 3; cf.:

omnis Aristippum color decuit,

Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 23:

intonsus crinis deum,

Tib. 1, 4, 38; cf.:

neglecta decet multas coma,

Ov. A. A. 3, 153; id. F. 2, 106 et saep.:

id maxime quemque decet, quod est cujusque maxime suum,

Cic. Off. 1, 31, 113:

quod omnes et semper et ubique decet,

Quint. 11, 1, 14:

non si quid Pholoen satis, Et te, Chlori, decet,

Hor. Od. 3, 15, 8 et saep.:

qui flexus deceat miserationem,

Quint. 1, 11, 12:

civitatem quis deceat status,

Hor. Od. 3, 29, 25 et saep.—In plur.:

quem tenues decuere togae nitidique capilli,

Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 32:

te non citharae decent,

id. Od. 3, 15, 14:

alba decent Cererem: vestes Cerealibus albas Sumite,

Ov. F. 4, 619; id. M. 1, 457 et saep.:

nec velle experiri, quam se aliena deceant,

Cic. Off. 1, 31, 113; Quint. 6, 1, 25:

illa quoque diversa bonum virum decent,

id. 11, 1, 42 et saep.:

duo verba uni apposita ne versum quidem decuerint,

id. 8, 6, 43.—

Without acc. pers.:

nihil est difficilius quam quid deceat videre,

Cic. Or. 21, 70; cf.:

quid deceat et quid aptum sit personis,

id. Off. 1, 34 fin.:

casus singularis magis decuit,

Quint. 8, 3, 20; id. 11, 3, 161 et saep.:

idem fere in omni genere causarum et proderit et decebit,

id. 11, 1, 14; cf. id. 9, 4, 21.—In plur.:

ubi lepos, joci, risus, vinum, ebrietas decent,

Plaut. Ps. prol. 20:

cum magna pars est exhausta orationis, pene omnia decent,

Quint. 11, 3, 147; 150; id. 11, 1, 48 et saep. —

With dat.:

istuc facinus nostro generi non decet,

Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 188: certa est ratio quae deceat philosopho, Apul. Flor. 3, p. 355, 13; Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 34; cf. infra. —

With inf.

and acc. pers.:

non te mihi irasci decet,

Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 24:

hanc maculam nos decet effugere,

Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 31:

oratorem irasci minime decet,

Cic. Tusc. 4, 25; Quint. 12, 6, 3; Ov. M. 3, 265; so freq. with inf. pass.:

specimen naturae capi debet ex optima quaque natura,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 14, 32:

mortalin' decuit violari vulnere divum?

Verg. A. 12, 797; Ter. And. prol. 16. —

Without acc.:

injusta ab justis impetrare non decet,

Plaut. Am. prol. 35:

exemplis grandioribus decuit uti,

Cic. Div. 1, 20; Ov. M. 8, 27:

nunc decet caput impedire myrto: nunc et in umbrosis Fauno decet immolare lucis,

Hor. Od. 1, 4, 9 sq.; id. Ep. 1, 17, 2; Pers. 3, 27.—

With dat.:

decet tantae majestati eas servare leges, quibus, etc.,

Dig. 32, 1, 23:

ita uti liberali esse ingenio decet,

Ter. Hec. 1, 2, 89:

prima certe pensari decet populo utrum, etc.,

Liv. 34, 58, 8.

with acc. pers.:

ita ut vos decet,

Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 40; cf.:

facis, ut te decet,

Ter. Andr. 2, 5, 10; id. Heaut. 5, 5, 10:

ita uti fortes decet milites,

id. Eun. 4, 7, 44; cf.: id. Andr. 2, 6, 14:

illum decet,

Quint. 9, 4, 15 et saep.—

Without case:

eia haud sic decet,

Ter. Eun. 5, 9, 35; cf. id. Hec. 2, 2, 10:

fecisti ut decuerat,

id. ib. 4, 4, 66:

minus severe quam decuit,

Cic. Phil. 6, 1:

velata parte oris, quia sic decebat,

it was becoming, Tac. A. 13, 45:

nihil aliter ac deceat,

id. Att. 6, 3, 8: perge;

decet,

Verg. A. 12, 153 et saep.—

With dat.:

ita nobis decet,

Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 5; id. Heaut. 5, 2, 12:

locum editiorem quam victoribus decebat,

Sall. H. 1, 98 (Serv. Verg. A. 8, 127.)— Hence, dĕcens, entis, P. a. (freq. in Hor., Ov., and post-Aug. prose, esp. Quint.; not in Verg.; in Cic. once adverbially, and cf. decentia), seemly, becoming, decent, proper, fit:

amictus,

Ov. Pont. 2, 5, 52; cf.:

decentior amictus,

Quint. 11, 3, 156;

and sinus (togae) decentissimus,

id. 11, 3, 140:

ornatus,

id. 2, 15, 21:

motus,

Hor. Od. 4, 13, 17; Quint. 1, 10, 26; cf.:

corporis decens et accommodatus orationi motus,

id. 11, 3, 29;

and allevatio atque contractio humerorum,

id. 11, 3, 83:

decentissimum sponsalium genus,

Sen. Ben. 1, 9 et saep.:

quid verum atque decens,

Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 11:

decentius erit servare pudorem,

Quint. 11, 1, 78; cf. 8, 6, 6.—

Esp. of corporeal fitness and symmetry, regularly, symmetrically, handsomely shaped; well-formed; noble:

forma,

Ov. Am. 3, 1, 9; cf.:

habitus decentior quam sublimior,

Tac. Agr. 44:

facies,

Ov. Tr. 3, 7, 33:

malae,

Hor. Od. 3, 27, 53:

Venus,

id. ib. 1, 18, 6; cf.:

Cynthia,

Prop. 4, 8, 52 (5, 8, 52 M.):

Gratiae,

Hor. Od. 1, 4, 6:

(Paullus) et nobilis et decens,

id. ib. 4, 1, 13: pulcher et decens toto corpore, Suct. Dom. 18; cf. Juv. 6, 161:

sumptis decentior armis Minerva,

Ov. H. 5, 35; Quint. 8, 3, 10 et saep.— Adv.: decenter (acc. to no. 1), becomingly, decently, properly, fitly:

fictis nominibus decenter uti,

Plin. Ep. 6, 21, 5; cf.:

fieri,

Quint. 11, 1, 79:

singula quaeque locum teneant sortita decenter,

Hor. A. P. 92; cf.:

maesta,

Ov. Am. 2, 5, 44.— Comp.: Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 216; Quint. 9, 1, 21 al.— Sup., a false reading for diligentissime, Cic. Caes. 26, 74.