ăēnus (trisyl.; less freq. ăhēn-), a, um, adj. [aes], of copper or bronze (only poet. for aheneus; yet Hor. uses the latter oftener than the former).
I Lit.: signa, the bronze images of the gods , Lucr. 1, 316: ahënis in scaphiis, id. 6, 1045, falcīs, id. 5, 1293; cf. Verg. A. 4, 513; lux, i. e. armorum aënorum, id. ib. 2, 470: crateres, id. ib. 9, 165.— Hence, ăēnum (sc. vas), a bronze vessel : litore aëna locant, Verg. A. 1, 213; so Ov. M. 6, 645, Juv. 15, 81 al., of the bronze vessels in which the purple color was prepared, Ov. F. 3, 822; Sen. Herc. Oet. 663; Stat. S. 1, 2, 151 (hence, aenulum).—
II Trop.
A Firm , invincible (cf. adamantinus): manus, Hor. C. 1, 35, 18.—
B Hard , rigorous , inexorable : corda, Stat. Th. 3, 380.