to wait at table

mensa, ae, f [Sanscr, ma, measure; Gr. metron; cf. manus, mane, etc.], a table for any purpose, as a dining-table; a market-stand for meat, vegetables, etc.; a money-dealer's table or counter, a sacrificial table, etc.

Lit. Of the table itself as a fabrid:

non ferre mensam nisi crebris distinctam venis,

Sen. Dial. 3, 35, 5:

mensa inanis nunc si adponatur mihi,

Plaut. Pers. 3, 1, 26:

cibos in mensam alicui apponere,

id. Men. 1, 3, 29:

surgunt a mensā saturi, poti,

id. Ps. 1, 3, 62: ad mensam consistere. to wait at table, Cic. Tusc. 5, 21, 61:

auferre mensam,

Plaut. Truc. 2, 4, 14:

apud mensam,

at table, id. Trin. 2, 4, 77; Gell. 2, 22, 1; 19, 7, 2:

arae vicem praestare posse mensam dicatam,

Macr. S. 3, 11, 5.—

Transf.

Food; a table, meal, course: quocum mensam sermonesque suos impertit, Enn. ap. Gell. 12, 4 (Ann. v. 240 Vahl.):

communicabo te semper mensā meā,

Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 51:

ita mensas exstruit,

id. Men. 1, 1, 25:

parciore mensā uti,

Tac. A. 13, 16:

Italicae Syracusiaeque mensae,

Cic. Tusc. 5, 35, 100:

cui Quintus de mensa misit,

id. Att. 5, 1, 4; so,

parāsti mensam adversus eos qui tribulant me,

Vulg. Psa. 23, 5:

una mensa,

at a single meal, Juv. 1, 138: prior, proxima mensa, the first, the second rank at table; the first or second in esteem:

Raeticis uvis prior mensa erat,

Plin. 14, 1, 3, § 16; id. 9, 17, 29, § 63: secunda mensa, the second course, the dessert (at which much wine was used), Cels 1, 2:

haec ad te scripsi, appositā secundā mensā,

during the dessert, Cic. Att. 14, 6, 2; 14, 21, 4:

Agesilaus coronas secundamque mensam servis dispertiit, Nep Ages. 8, 4: secunda mensa bono stomacho nihil nocet,

Cels. 1, 2, fin.:

mensae tempore,

meal-time, Juv. 13, 211.—

The guests at table:

cum primum istorum conduxit mensa choragum,

Suet. Aug. 70.—

A money-changer's counter:

decem minas dum hic solvit, omnis mensas transiit,

Plaut. Curc. 5, 3, 4:

mensam poni jubet atque Effundi saccos nummorum,

Hor. S. 2, 3, 148:

nummulariorum,

Vulg. Matt. 21, 12:

publica,

a public bank, Cic. Fl. 19, 44; id. Pis. 36, 88.—

A butcher's table:

mensa lanionia,

butcher's stall, shambles, Suet. Claud. 15.—

Mensa lusoria, a gaming-table (late Lat.), Aug. Conf. 8, 6.—

A sacrificial table:

Curiales mensae, in quibus immolabatur Junoni, quae Curis est appellata, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. Curiales, p. 64 Müll.: mensae deorum,

Verg. A. 2, 764:

Jovis mensa,

Plin. 25, 9, 59, § 105: a small altar:

super tumulum statuere,

Cic. Leg. 2, 26, 66.—

The long flat part, the table, of a military engine (e. g. of a catapult), Vitr. 10, 16.—

A stand or platform on which slaves were exposed for sale:

servus de mensā paratus,

App. M. 8, p. 213; id. Mag. 17, p. 285, 15.

* * *

mĭnistĕrĭum, ii, n. [minister], the office or functions of a minister, attendance, service, ministry, in a good or bad sense; an office, occupation, work, labor, employment, administration, etc. (not in Cic. or Cæs.; cf.: munus, officium).

Lit.: sunt qui ita distinguant:

quaedam beneficia esse, quaedam officia, quaedam ministeria: beneficium esse, quod alienus det: officium esse filii, uxoris, etc.: ministerium esse servi, quem conditio sua eo loco posuit, ut nihil eorum, quae praestat, imputet superiori,

Sen. Ben. 3, 18, 1:

servorum,

Just. 2, 13, 10. ubi ego omnibus parvis magnisque ministeriis praefulcior, Plaut. Ps. 3, 1, 6: facere uxoribus, to wait or attend upon, id. 32, 3, 16:

praestare alicui,

Dig. 13, 5, 15:

exhibere,

ib. 50, 1, 17:

assuetos ministeriis talium facinorum,

Liv. 42, 15:

magis necessarium quam speciosi ministerii procurationem intueri,

id. 4, 8, 6:

praebere,

Dig. 47, 2. 51:

ministerium consilii sui afferre,

Just. 31, 5, 8:

fabrilia,

Plin. 16, 43, 84, § 230:

dura,

Ov. M. 11, 625:

diurna,

id. ib. 4, 216:

navis,

Petr. 108:

triste,

Verg. A. 6, 223; cf.

foeda,

id. ib. 7, 619; Sedul. 4, 130:

Quirinus acribus ministeriis consulatum adeptus,

Tac. A. 3, 48:

ministeria belli,

military service, id. ib. 2, 78:

ministerio Catonis... facta provincia Cyprus est,

agency, Vell. 2, 38, 6:

caedis,

Curt. 10, 1, 2: ministeris functi esse, Mos. et Rom. Leg. Coll. 13, 3, 2.—Esp., the Christian ministry, the office of a preacher of Christ or of religion:

verbi,

Vulg. Act. 6, 4:

reconciliationis,

id. 2 Cor. 6, 18:

melius,

id. Heb. 8, 6.—

Transf., concr.

A suite of attendants:

quindecim convivarum, ac ministerii capax triclinium,

Plin. 12, 1, 5, § 10:

ministeria magistratibus conscribere, i. e. lictores, viatores, etc.,

Tac. A. 13, 27:

aulicum,

court-servants, Lampr. Alex. Sev. 41:

atratum coquinae ministerium,

the kitchen-servants, Amm. 14, 6, 17:

varia arenae ministeria,

managers of the games, Suet. Ner. 12.—

A service of dishes, table-service (post-class.): ducentarum librarum argenti pondus ministerium, Lampr Alex. Sev. 34; Paul. Sent. 3, 6, 86.

mĭnistro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [minister], to attend, wait upon, serve, esp. at table, to serve up, pour out, hand food or drink (syn.: servio, appareo, praebeo, suggero; class.).

Lit.

With dat.:

Acastum retine, quo commodius tibi ministretur,

Cic. Fam. 16, 14, 2:

cui matronam ministrasse compererat,

Suet. Aug. 45.—

With acc.:

nosmet inter nos ministremus,

Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 7.—

Absol.:

hic ministrabit dum ego edam,

Plaut. Curc. 2, 3, 90.—

Transf., to take care of, manage, govern, direct; and, in gen., to provide, furnish, supply, give, afford:

ministrare (naves) velis, of the steersman,

Verg. A. 6, 302:

naves nec velis ministrantur, nec, etc.,

Tac. G. 44:

ministrare victum alicui,

Varr. R. R. 3, 17, 6:

viros et arma alicui,

Tac. H. 4, 12:

prolem,

to give, present, produce, Tib. 2, 2, 21:

ministrabant ei de facultatibus suis,

Vulg. Luc. 8, 3:

faces furiis Clodianis,

Cic. Pis. 11, 26:

equus terga ministrat (for mounting),

Val. Fl. 6, 216:

jussa medicorum,

to execute, Ov. H. 20, 133.—Also of inanim. subjects:

sarmentum colibus sucum ministrat,

Varr. R. R. 1, 31, 2: (vinum) verba ministrat, Hor. [p. 1147] Ep. 1, 15, 20:

luna ministrat equis,

serves them, lights them on their way, Prop. 3, 14, 15:

reges ministrabunt tibi,

Vulg. Isa. 60, 10; id. Act. 20, 34.