spiders' webs

* * *

ărānĕa, ae, f. [arachnê].

A spider:

aranearum perdere texturam,

Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 24:

antiquas exercet aranea telas,

Ov. M. 6, 145:

tela aranearum,

Vulg. Job, 8, 14; so ib. Isa. 59, 5;

ib. Osee, 8, 6: araneae textura,

Sen. Ep. 121:

invisa Minervae aranea,

Verg. G. 4, 247:

anni nostri sicut aranea meditabuntur,

Vulg. Psa. 89, 10.—

Meton.

A spider's web, cobweb:

(aedes) oppletae araneis,

Plaut. Aul. 1, 2, 6:

ut aranea bratteaque auri,

Lucr. 4, 727:

arcula plena aranearum, Afran. ap. Fest. s. v. tanne, p. 154 Müll. (Com. Rel. p. 217 Rib.): Catulli Plenus sacculus est aranearum,

Cat. 13, 8:

summo quae pendet aranea tigno,

Ov. M. 4, 179; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 3, 158.—

Also, for threads similar to spiders' webs:

salicis fructus ante maturitatem in araneam abit,

Plin. 24, 9, 37, § 56.

ărānĕōsus, a, um, adj. [araneum].

Lit., full of spiders' webs:

situs,

Cat. 25, 3. —

Meton., similar to cobwebs:

fila,

Plin. 11, 19, 21, § 65:

caulis araneosus in mandendo,

id. 21, 15, 51, § 87:

lanugo,

id. 24, 12, 66, § 108 al.

līnĕa ( līnĭa), ae, f. [linum], a linen thread, a string, line.

Lit.:

nectere lineas, restes, funes,

Varr. R. R. 1, 23, 6:

linia longinqua per os religata,

Plin. 9, 17, 26, § 59:

ligato pede longā lineā gallina custoditur,

Col. 8, 11, 15:

linea margaritarum triginta quinque,

Dig. 35, 2, 26; cf.:

lineae duae ex margaritis,

ib. 34, 2, 40; and ib. 9, 2, 27 fin.:

linea dives (of the strings of pearls which were thrown among the people at the public games),

Mart. 8, 78, 7 (cf. Suet. Ner. 11).—

In partic.

In a net, the threads which form the meshes:

licia difficile cernuntur: atque ut in plagis lineae offensae, praecipitant in sinum (of spiders' webs),

Plin. 11, 24, 28, § 82.—

Transf., a net, Plin. 9, 43, 67, § 145:

si feras lineis et pinna clusas contineas,

Sen. Clem. 1, 12, 5.—

A fishing-line:

tremulāve captum lineā trahit piscem,

Mart. 3, 58, 27; 10, 30, 18.—Hence, prov.: mittere lineam, to cast a line, to fish for, try to catch a person, Plaut. Most. 5, 1, 22.—

A plumbline of masons and carpenters:

perpendiculo et lineā uti,

Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 1; cf.:

ad regulam et lineam,

Vitr. 7, 3; 5, 3; Pall. 3, 9.—Hence,

Ad lineam and rectā lineā, in a straight line, vertically, perpendicularly:

solida corpora ferri suo deorsum pondere ad lineam,

Cic. Fin. 1, 6, 18; Plin. 19, 8, 42, § 147;

of the layers of stone in a wall: saxa, quae rectis lineis suos ordines servant,

Caes. B. G. 7, 23:

(ignis) rectis lineis in caelestem locum subvolat,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 17, 40.—

A region, tract:

linea tam rectum mundi ferit illa Leonem,

that region lies directly under the lion, Luc. 10, 306.—

A bowstring, Ter. Maur. praef. v. 19.—

Transf., a thread-like stroke or mark made with a pen, pencil, etc., a line:

Apelli fuit perpetua consuetudo, numquam tam occupatam diem agendi, ut non, lineam ducendo, exerceret artem, quod ab eo in proverbium venit (namely, the proverb: nulla dies sine linea),

Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 84:

lineam cinere ducere,

id. 18, 33, 76, § 327:

candida per medium folium transcurrens,

id. 27, 11, 77, § 102:

serra in praetenui linea premente harenas (of sawing marble),

id. 36, 6, 9, § 51:

nec congruebant ad horas ejus lineae (of the sundial),

id. 7, 60, 60, § 214; Pers. 3, 4.—In geometry, a line: linea a nostris dicitur, quam grammên Graeci nominant. Eam M. Varro ita definit:

Linea est, inquit, longitudo quaedam sine latitudine et altitudine,

Gell. 1, 20, 7:

locorum extremae lineae,

Quint. 1, 10, 39:

lineae, quae emittuntur ex centro,

Plin. 2, 65, 65, § 165; 2, 16, 13, § 64:

linea circumcurrens,

a circular line, circle, Quint. 1, 10, 41.—

In partic.

A boundary-line which consisted of a narrow path between fields, Hyg. de Limit. p. 151; 152 Goes. —

In gen., a way, path:

dedit sequendam calle recto lineam,

Prud. Cath. 7, 48.—

A barrier or line in the theatre, by which the seats were separated from each other:

quid frustra refugis? cogit nos linea jungi,

Ov. Am. 3, 2, 19; id. A. A. 1, 139:

lineas poscere,

Quint. 11, 3, 133.—

A feature, lineament:

adulti venustissimis lineis,

Arn. 5, 179 al. —

Trop.

A line of descent or kindred, lineage (post-class.): stemmata cognationum directo limite in duas lineas separantur, quarum altera est superior, altera inferior, Dig. 38, 10, 9:

clara gentis Linea,

Stat. S. 3, 3, 43:

primo gradu superioris linea continentur pater, mater,

Paul. Sent. 4, 11, 1.—

An outline, sketch, design (a fig. borrowed from painting):

quidam materias latius dicendo prosequebantur... alii, cum primas modo lineas duxissent,

Quint. 2, 6, 2; cf. id. 4, 2, 120: ea quae in Platonis oratione demiramur, non aemulari quidem, sed lineas umbrasque facere ausi sumus, Gell. 17, 20, 8.—

A boundary-line, bound, limit, end, goal:

cum poëtae transilire lineas impune possint,

Varr. L. L. 9, § 5 Müll.; Cassiod. Var. 3, 50:

si quidem est peccare tamquam transire lineas,

to go beyond the mark, pass the prescribed limits, Cic. Par. 3, 1, 20:

mors ultima linea rerum est,

Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 79:

admoveri lineas sentio,

Sen. Ep. 49.—Hence, prov.: amare extremā lineā, to love at a distance, i. e. to see the beloved object only at a distance, not be able to speak to her, Ter. Eun. 4, 2, 12.

līnĕa ( līnĭa), ae, f. [linum], a linen thread, a string, line.

Lit.:

nectere lineas, restes, funes,

Varr. R. R. 1, 23, 6:

linia longinqua per os religata,

Plin. 9, 17, 26, § 59:

ligato pede longā lineā gallina custoditur,

Col. 8, 11, 15:

linea margaritarum triginta quinque,

Dig. 35, 2, 26; cf.:

lineae duae ex margaritis,

ib. 34, 2, 40; and ib. 9, 2, 27 fin.:

linea dives (of the strings of pearls which were thrown among the people at the public games),

Mart. 8, 78, 7 (cf. Suet. Ner. 11).—

In partic.

In a net, the threads which form the meshes:

licia difficile cernuntur: atque ut in plagis lineae offensae, praecipitant in sinum (of spiders' webs),

Plin. 11, 24, 28, § 82.—

Transf., a net, Plin. 9, 43, 67, § 145:

si feras lineis et pinna clusas contineas,

Sen. Clem. 1, 12, 5.—

A fishing-line:

tremulāve captum lineā trahit piscem,

Mart. 3, 58, 27; 10, 30, 18.—Hence, prov.: mittere lineam, to cast a line, to fish for, try to catch a person, Plaut. Most. 5, 1, 22.—

A plumbline of masons and carpenters:

perpendiculo et lineā uti,

Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 1; cf.:

ad regulam et lineam,

Vitr. 7, 3; 5, 3; Pall. 3, 9.—Hence,

Ad lineam and rectā lineā, in a straight line, vertically, perpendicularly:

solida corpora ferri suo deorsum pondere ad lineam,

Cic. Fin. 1, 6, 18; Plin. 19, 8, 42, § 147;

of the layers of stone in a wall: saxa, quae rectis lineis suos ordines servant,

Caes. B. G. 7, 23:

(ignis) rectis lineis in caelestem locum subvolat,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 17, 40.—

A region, tract:

linea tam rectum mundi ferit illa Leonem,

that region lies directly under the lion, Luc. 10, 306.—

A bowstring, Ter. Maur. praef. v. 19.—

Transf., a thread-like stroke or mark made with a pen, pencil, etc., a line:

Apelli fuit perpetua consuetudo, numquam tam occupatam diem agendi, ut non, lineam ducendo, exerceret artem, quod ab eo in proverbium venit (namely, the proverb: nulla dies sine linea),

Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 84:

lineam cinere ducere,

id. 18, 33, 76, § 327:

candida per medium folium transcurrens,

id. 27, 11, 77, § 102:

serra in praetenui linea premente harenas (of sawing marble),

id. 36, 6, 9, § 51:

nec congruebant ad horas ejus lineae (of the sundial),

id. 7, 60, 60, § 214; Pers. 3, 4.—In geometry, a line: linea a nostris dicitur, quam grammên Graeci nominant. Eam M. Varro ita definit:

Linea est, inquit, longitudo quaedam sine latitudine et altitudine,

Gell. 1, 20, 7:

locorum extremae lineae,

Quint. 1, 10, 39:

lineae, quae emittuntur ex centro,

Plin. 2, 65, 65, § 165; 2, 16, 13, § 64:

linea circumcurrens,

a circular line, circle, Quint. 1, 10, 41.—

In partic.

A boundary-line which consisted of a narrow path between fields, Hyg. de Limit. p. 151; 152 Goes. —

In gen., a way, path:

dedit sequendam calle recto lineam,

Prud. Cath. 7, 48.—

A barrier or line in the theatre, by which the seats were separated from each other:

quid frustra refugis? cogit nos linea jungi,

Ov. Am. 3, 2, 19; id. A. A. 1, 139:

lineas poscere,

Quint. 11, 3, 133.—

A feature, lineament:

adulti venustissimis lineis,

Arn. 5, 179 al. —

Trop.

A line of descent or kindred, lineage (post-class.): stemmata cognationum directo limite in duas lineas separantur, quarum altera est superior, altera inferior, Dig. 38, 10, 9:

clara gentis Linea,

Stat. S. 3, 3, 43:

primo gradu superioris linea continentur pater, mater,

Paul. Sent. 4, 11, 1.—

An outline, sketch, design (a fig. borrowed from painting):

quidam materias latius dicendo prosequebantur... alii, cum primas modo lineas duxissent,

Quint. 2, 6, 2; cf. id. 4, 2, 120: ea quae in Platonis oratione demiramur, non aemulari quidem, sed lineas umbrasque facere ausi sumus, Gell. 17, 20, 8.—

A boundary-line, bound, limit, end, goal:

cum poëtae transilire lineas impune possint,

Varr. L. L. 9, § 5 Müll.; Cassiod. Var. 3, 50:

si quidem est peccare tamquam transire lineas,

to go beyond the mark, pass the prescribed limits, Cic. Par. 3, 1, 20:

mors ultima linea rerum est,

Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 79:

admoveri lineas sentio,

Sen. Ep. 49.—Hence, prov.: amare extremā lineā, to love at a distance, i. e. to see the beloved object only at a distance, not be able to speak to her, Ter. Eun. 4, 2, 12.

ŏpĕra, ae, f. [opus], service, pains, exertion, work, labor (opus is used mostly of the mechanical activity of work, as that of animals, slaves, and soldiers; opera supposes a free will and desire to serve).

Lit.

In gen.:

omnes, quorum operae, non quorum artes emuntur,

Cic. Off. 1, 42, 150:

sine hominum manu atque operā,

id. ib. 2, 4, 14:

operam exigere,

id. ib. 1, 13:

perdere,

id. de Or. 1, 28, 126:

praebere amicis,

id. Brut. 47, 174:

in re ponere,

id. Clu. 57, 157:

curamque in rebus honestis ponere,

id. Off. 1, 6, 19:

et laborem consumere in aliquā re,

to bestow labor and pains on any thing, id. de Or. 1, 55, 234:

studiumque in res obscuras conferre,

id. Off. 1, 6, 19:

tribuere rei publicae,

id. Div. 2, 2, 7;

sumere,

id. Verr. 2, 4, 31, § 69:

impendere,

id. ib. 2, 2, 30, §

68: polliceri,

Sall. C. 28, 1; 40, 6:

insumere,

Liv. 10, 18:

dicare alicui,

Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 12: interponere, to bestow, employ, Cic. Div. in. Caecil. 19, 63: ipse dabat purpuram tantum, amici operas, gave their work thereto, i. e. wrought it, id. Verr. 2, 4, 26, § 59:

pleraque sunt hominum operis effecta,

id. Off. 2, 3, 12:

ibo, atque illam adducam, Quam propter opera est mihi,

on whose behalf I am engaged, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 93:

operam navare,

Cic. Fam. 15, 12, 2; Liv. 25, 6, 15.—

In partic., a service, rendering of service: Cn. Pupius, qui est in operis ejus societatis, in the service of the society or company, Cic. Fam. 13, 9, 3:

operae forenses,

id. Fin. 1, 4, 10:

P. Terentius, qui operas in portu et scripturā pro magistro dat,

serves as director, id. ib. 13, 65, 11:

ferrum istud bonas edet operas,

will do good service, Sen. Prov. 2, 10:

musis operas reddere,

to do service to, to serve, Cic. Fam. 16, 10, 2:

dare operas alicui,

Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 11.—

Transf.

Care, attention, exertion bestowed on any thing:

deditā operā,

seriously, with a purpose, Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 29.—So esp. freq.,

Operam dare, to bestow care or pains on, to give attention to any thing.—Constr. with dat., with ut or ne ( = studere).

With dat.: dant operam simul auspicio augurioque, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107 (Ann. v. 81 Vahl.):

dare operam funeri,

to attend, Cic. Att. 15, 1, 1:

bellis, Sive foro,

Ov. R. Am. 165:

amori,

Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 58: liberis ( to the begetting of children), Cic. Fam. 9, 22, 3: memoriae alicujus, to attend to what brings a person to mind, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 1, 1:

tonsori,

to get shaved, Suet. Aug. 79:

alicui,

to attend to one, listen to him, Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 52:

sermoni,

Cic. Leg. 2, 1, 4:

amico,

to serve, Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 17: me huic dedisse operam malam, that I have done him an ill turn, id. Capt. 3, 5, 43.—For dat. the acc. with ad occurs:

benigne operam detis ad nostrum gregem,

Plaut. Cas. prol. 21.—

With ut and subj.:

da operam, ut valeas,

Cic. Att. 16, 16, A, 5:

omnem operam do, ut cognoscam,

Sen. Contr. 4, 24, 15; id. Vit. Beat. 3, 2.—

With ne:

dent operam consules, ne quid respublica detrimenti capiat,

Caes. B. C. 1, 5:

ego omnem operam dabo, ne pervenire ad me erubescat,

Sen. Polyb. 13, 3:

studiose te operam dare, ut ne quid meorum tibi esset ignotum,

Cic. Fam. 13, 11, 1.—

With subj. alone: dabo operam, quoad exercitus huc summittatis, etc., Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 21, 6.—

With inf.:

id scire,

Ter. Hec. 4, 1, 38.—

In abl.: operā meā, tuā, etc., through my ( thy, etc.) means, agency, fault:

fateor Abiisse eum abs te, meā operā atque astutiā,

Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 21:

quid mihi nisi malum vostra opera'st?

id. Ps. 1, 2, 50:

non meā operā, neque pol culpā evenit,

Ter. Hec. 2, 1, 31:

meā operā, Q. Fabi, Tarentum recepisti,

Cic. Sen. 4, 11.—

Unā or eādem operā, in the same manner, at the same time (ante-class.):

unā operā mihi sunt sodales, quā iste,

Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 31:

eādem operā a praetore sumam syngrapham,

id. ib. 2, 3, 89.—

Operā, by experience (ante-class.):

nam te omnes saevom commemorant... ego contra operā expertus,

Plaut. Trin. 4, 1, 7:

id operā expertus sum esse ita,

id. Bacch. 3, 2, 3:

magis non factum possum velle quam operā experiar persequi,

id. Capt. 2, 3, 65.—

Operae pretium, v. pretium, II. B.—

Leisure, spare time for any thing (class., but in the phrase operae est, only ante-class. and Livian):

operae ubi mihi erit, ad te venero,

as soon as I can spare the time, Plaut. Truc. 4, 4, 30:

si operae illi esset,

if he had time, Liv. 5, 15; 4, 8; 44, 36:

dicam, si tibi videam esse operam, aut otium,

Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 15:

operae non est,

id. ib. 5, 2, 77:

quos tu operam gravare mihi,

id. Rud. 2, 4, 21: de versibus, quos tibi a me scribi vis, deest mihi quidem opera, I have not time or leisure, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 4, 4.—

In concr.

A day's work or labor (usu. in plur.):

quaternis operis singula jugera confodere,

Varr. R. R. 1, 18:

puerilis una opera,

Col. 11, 2, 44:

bubulcorum operae quatuor,

id. 2, 13:

operae (filiorum) locari possunt,

Paul. Sent. 5, 1, 1.—

A day-laborer, journeyman; also, in gen., a laborer, workman (usu. in plur.):

ipse dominus dives operis et laboris expers,

Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 16:

plures operas conducere,

Col. 3, 21: nona, a ninth laborer (on his farm), Hor. S. 2, 7, 118; Suet. Oct. 3.—Hence, transf., in a bad sense: operae, hired aiders, abettors, tools, etc. (of political or theatrical parties):

mercenariae (corresp. to multitudo conducta),

Cic. Phil. 1, 9, 22; cf.:

erat mihi contentio cum operis conductis et ad diripiendam urbem concitatis,

id. Sest. 17, 38:

Claudianae,

id. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 2; cf. id. Att. 4, 3, 3:

theatrales,

parties for the purpose of applauding, theatrical factions, Tac. A. 1, 16:

VETERES A SCENA,

Inscr. Grut. 467, 7.—

That which is wrought or produced, a work:

operae aranearum,

i. e. spiders' webs, Plaut. As. 2, 4, 19:

exstabit opera peregrinationis hujus,

Cic. Att. 15, 13, 6.