Lătĭum, ii, n. [2. lătus; Sanscr. root prath-, to spread or widen; cf. Lat. later, etc.; prop., the plains or flat-land; by the ancients referred to latēre, because here Saturnus lay concealed from his son, Ov. F. 1, 238; Verg. A. 8, 322; Arn. 4, 143; Lact. 1, 13; or to Latinus, the name of the mythical king , Varr. L. L. 5, § 32 Müll.],
I a country of Italy, in which Rome was situated , now Campagna di Roma , and a part of the Terra di Lavoro , Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 54; Enn. ap. Acro. ad Hor. S. 1, 2, 37 (Ann. v. 455); Cic. Rep. 2, 24, 44; Liv. 6, 21; 8, 13; Hor. C. 1, 12, 53; 1, 35, 10; id. C. S. 66; Mel. 3, 4, 2; consisting of two parts : Latium vetus, Tac. A. 4, 5; or antiquum, Verg. A. 7, 38; Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 56; which was the original territory governed by Rome before the subjugation of the Aequi and Volsci, and : Latium novum, or adjectum, originally the territory of the Aequi, Volsci, Hernici, and Aurunci , Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 59.—
B Jus Latii, the political rights and privileges which belonged originally to the Latins, but were afterwards granted by the Romans to other people; this jus comprehended less than civitas Romana, but more than peregrinitas (cf. latinitas and Latini): eodem anno Caesar nationes Alpium maritimarum in jus Latii transtulit, Tac. A. 15, 32. —Also called Latium alone: aut majus est Latium aut minus; majus est Latium, cum et hi, qui decuriones leguntur, et ei qui honorem aliquem aut magistratum gerunt, civitatem Romanam consecuntur; minus Latium est, cum hi tantum, qui vel magistratum vel honorem gerunt, ad civitatem Romanam perveniunt, Gai. Inst. 1, 96; cf.: Latium externis dilargiri, Tac. H. 3, 55: Latio dato, Plin. 5, 2, 1, § 20: Latio donata oppida, id. 3, 1, 3, § 7.—
II Hence,
A Lătĭ-us , a, um, adj., of or belonging to Latium, Latian, Latin (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): agri, the Latin territory , Ov. F. 2, 553; 3, 606; 5, 91: gens, id. ib. 4, 42; id. M. 14, 832: lingua, id. P. 2, 3, 75: palmes, vines growing in Latium , id. F. 4, 894: boves, Col. 6, 1, 2. —Poet., for Roman : turba, the Roman people , Ov. F. 1, 639: parentes, id. ib. 3, 243; cf. matres, id. ib. 4, 133: annus, the Roman year , id. ib. 1, 1: vulnera, of Roman soldiers , id. A. A. 1, 414.—
B Lătīnus , a, um, adj., of or belonging to Latium, Latin .
1 Adj. : populi, the Latins , Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 28 Müll. (Ann. v. 24 Vahl.); cf. genus, the Latins, Romans , Verg. A. 1, 6: lingua, the Latin language , Varr. L. L. 5, § 1 Müll.; cf. opp. Graeca, Cic. Fin. 1, 3, 10: poëtae, opp. Graeci, id. Ac. 1, 3, 10: via, beginning at the Porta Latina, near the Porta Capena, id. Clu. 59, 163; Liv. 2, 39; 10, 36 al.: dies, the days of the Roman calendar, the Roman year , Ov. F. 3, 177: feriae, the festival of the allied Latins, which was celebrated especially by offerings to Juppiter Latiaris on Mons Albanus, Varr. L. L. 6, § 25 Müll.; Cic. N. D. 1, 6, 15; Liv. 21, 63; 22, 1; more freq. absol.; v. in the foll. 2.: coloniae, which possessed the jus Latii, Cic. Caecin. 33 fin. ; Suet. Caes. 8: nomen, Latin citizenship , also called jus Latii and Latinitas, Cic. Rep. 1, 19, 31; 3, 29, 41; Sall. J. 39, 2 (v. socius): casus, i. e. the ablative , Varr. ap. Diom. p. 277 P.: tragici veteres, Quint. 1, 8, 8: esse illud Latinum (verbum), Suet. Gram. 22.— Comp. : nihil Latinius legi, M. Aur. ap. Front. Ep. 2, 6 Mai.; cf.: nihil Latinius tuis voluminibus, Hier. Ep. 58, 9.— Sup. : homo Latinissimus, Hier. Ep. 50, 2.—Adv.: Lătīnē , in Latin : Graece haec vocatur emporos: eadem Latine mercator, Plaut. Merc. 1, 1, 5; id. Cas. prol. 34: Cumanis petentibus, ut publice Latine loquerentur, et praeconibus Latine vendendi jus esset, in the Latin tongue , Liv. 40, 42 fin. : scire, to understand Latin , Cic. Caecin. 19, 55: num Latine scit? id. Phil. 5, 5, 13: non enim tam praeclarum est scire Latine, quam turpe nescire, id. Brut. 37, 140: nescire, Juv. 6, 188: reddere, to translate into Latin , Cic. de Or, 1, 34, 153; cf. docere, Plin. Ep. 7, 4, 9.—In partic.: Latine loqui, to speak with propriety or elegance : Latine et diligenter loqui, Cic. Brut. 45, 166; cf.: ut pure et emendate loquentes, quod est Latine, id. Opt. Gen. Or. 2, 4: pure et Latine loqui, id. de Or. 1, 32, 144.—Sometimes, also, like our to talk plain English , for, to speak out, to speak plainly or openly (syn. Romano more loqui): (gladiator), ut appellant ii, qui plane et Latine loquuntur, Cic. Phil. 7, 6, 17: Latine me scitote, non accusatorie loqui, id. Verr. 2, 4, 1, § 2: poscere, Juv. 11, 148: formare, to compose in Latin , Suet. Aug. 89: componere, id. Gram. init.—Comp. : Latinius, in better Latin (late Lat.), Front. Ep. ad M. Caes. 3, 6; Hier. in Isa. 8, 10.—
2 Subst.
a Lătīni , ōrum, m.
α The inhabitants of Latium, Latins , Liv. 1, 2 sq.; 1, 32 sq.; 2, 19 sq.; Cic. Off. 1, 12, 38; 3, 31, 112; Verg. A. 7, 367; Juv. 6, 44. —
β Those who possessed the Latin rights of citizenship (jus Latii, Latinitas); freq. in the connection, socii et Latini, Cic. Balb. 8, 21; id. Sest. 13, 30; id. Lael. 3, 12 (v. socius).—
γ Latini Juniani, freedmen whose liberty was secured by the operation of the lex Junia Norbana (772 A. U. C.), Gai. Inst. 3, § 56.—
b Lătīnae , ārum, f. (sc. feriae), the festival of the allied Latins, the Latin holidays , Liv. 5, 17; 19; Cic. Att. 1, 3; id. Q. Fr. 2, 4, 2 fin. ; id. poët. Div. 1, 11, 18.—
c Lătīnum , i, n., Latin, the Latin language : licet in Latinum illa convertere, Cic. Tusc. 3, 14, 29: in Latinum vertore, Quint. 1, 5, 2.—
C Lătī-nĭensis , e, adj., Latin : populi, Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 69: ager, Auct. Harusp. Resp. 10, 20.— In plur absol. : Lătīnĭenses , ĭum, m., the Latins , Auct. Harusp. Resp. 28, 62.—
D Lătĭālis , and euphon. collat. form Lă-tĭāris , e (also Lătĭar , v. infra), adj., of or belonging to Latium, Latin .
1 Form Latialis: populus, the Latins, Romans , Ov. M. 15, 481: sermo, Plin. 3, 1, 3, § 7: Juppiter, Luc. 1, 198; hence, also, caput, a statue of Jupiter , id. 1, 535.
XVII — Lătĭālĭter , adv., in the Latin manner (post - class.): peplo circa umeros involuto Latialiter tegebatur, Mart. Cap. 5 init. : nihil effari, id. 6, § 587: te Latialiter sonantem, Sid. Carm. 23, 235 (al. Latiariter).—
2 Form Latiaris: Latiaris sancte Juppiter (Juppiter Latiaris was the guardian deity of the Latin confederacy, to whom the feriae Latinae were consecrated), Cic. Mil. 31, 85: Juppiter, Plin. 34, 7, 18, § 43 Sillig. N. cr. : collis, Varr. L. L. 5, § 52 Müll.: doctrina Latiaris, Macr. S. 1, 2.—Adv.: Lătĭārĭter , v. in the preced. 1.—
b Hence, subst.: Lătĭar , āris, n., the festival of Jupiter Latiaris : confectum erat Latiar, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 4, 2; cf. Macr. S. 1, 16, 16.