Vĕnus, ĕris (gen. sing. VENERVS, Inscr. Orell. 1364), f. [v. veneror],
I the goddess of Love , the goddess Venus , Cic. N. D. 3, 23, 59 sq.; id. Div. 1, 13, 23; id. Or. 2, 5; id. Verr. 2, 4, 60, § 135; Varr. R. R. 1, 1, 6; Lucr. 1, 2; Hor. C. 1, 30, 1: filius Veneris, i. e. Cupid , Ov. M. 1, 463; cf. puerum, id. Am. 1, 10, 17; also Aeneas , Verg. A. 1, 325; and in jest, Venere prognatus, of C. Julius Caesar , Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 15, 2: Veneris mensis, i. e. April , Ov. F. 4, 61.—
B Transf.
1 Love , sexual love , venery (as euphemism freq.): sine Cerere et Libero friget Venus, Ter. Eun. 732: Venus trivio conmissa, Prop. 4 (5), 7, 19; Verg. G. 3, 97; Ov. M. 10, 80; 10, 434; 11, 306; 12, 198; Ap. Met. 1, 9, 5; Quint. 8, 6, 24; Tac. G. 20; Col. 6, 27, 10.—
2 Like the Engl. love , to denote a beloved object , beloved : nec veneres nostras hoc fallit, Lucr. 4, 1185: mea Venus, Verg. E. 3, 68; Hor. C. 1, 27, 14; 1, 33, 13.—
3 Qualities that excite love , loveliness , attractiveness , beauty , grace , elegance , charms (sing. and plur.; not in Cic.): quo fugit venus? quo color? decens Quo motus? Hor. C. 4, 13, 17: ac bene nummatum decorat suadela venusque, id. Ep. 1, 6, 38; id. A. P. 42; Sen. Ben. 2, 28, 1: fabula nullius veneris sine pondere et arte, Hor. A. P. 320: sermo ipse Romanus non recipere videatur illam solis concessam Atticis venerem, Quint. 10, 1, 100: quod cum gratiā quādam et venere dicatur, id. 6, 3, 18; so (with gratia) id. 4, 2, 116.— Of paintings: deesse iis unam illam suam venerem dicebat, quam Graeci charita vocant, Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 79.— Plur. : profecto Amoenitates omnium venerum atque venustatum adfero, Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 5: Isocrates omnes dicendi veneres sectatus est, Quint. 10, 1, 79.—
4 The planet Venus , Cic. N. D. 2, 20, 53; id. Rep. 6, 17, 17.—
5 The highest throw at dice, when each of the dice presented a different number, the Venus throw , Prop. 4 (5), 8, 45; Hor. C. 2, 7, 25; Aug. ap. Suet. Aug. 71; cf. in the foll.—
II Derivv.: Vĕnĕrĕus or Vĕnĕrĭus , a, um, adj., of or belonging to Venus : sacerdos, Plaut. Rud. 2, 2, 23: antistita, id. ib. 3, 2, 10: nepotulus, id. Mil. 5, 20; 5, 28: nutricatus, id. ib. 3, 1, 54: servi, temple-slaves of the Erycinian Venus in Sicily , Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 20, § 50; 2, 5, 54, § 141; v. also infra, B. 2.: res, voluptates, etc., of or belonging to sexual love , venereous , venereal , Cic. Sen. 14, 47; id. Div. 2, 69, 143: visa, Plin. 34, 18, 50, § 166; Col. 12, 4, 3; cf. in a pun: homo, belonging to Venus and lascivious (of Verres), Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 54, § 141: delphinus, wanton , Gell. 7, 8, 1: nostros quoque antiquiores poëtas amasios et Venerios fuisse, id. 19, 9, 9: pira, a kind of pear , Venus-pear , Col. 5, 10, 18; 12, 10, 4; Plin. 15, 15, 16, § 56.—
B Substt.
1 Vĕnĕrĕus ( Vĕnĕrĭus ), i, m. (i. e. jactus), the Venus-throw at dice (v. supra, I. B. 5.), Cic. Div. 1, 13, 23; 2, 21, 48; 2, 59, 121; also Vĕnĕrĕum , i, n.: hoc Venereum est, Plaut. As. 5, 2, 55.—
2 Vĕnĕrĕi ( Vĕnĕrĭi ), ōrum, m. (i. e. servi), the templeslaves of the Erycinian Venus (v. supra), Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 38, § 92; 2, 3, 25, § 61; id. Clu. 15, 43.—
3 Vĕnĕrĕae ( Vĕnĕrĭae ), ārum, f. (i. e. conchae), a kind of mussels , Venus-shell , Plin. 9, 33, 52, § 103; 32, 11, 53, § 151.