aequus (aecus, Pac. 32 Rib.; Lucr. 5, 1023 Lachm. and Munro; AIQVOS, S. C. de Bacch. 1. 26), a, um, adj. [formerly referred to ΕΙΚΩ, ἔοικα, but Pott connects it with Sanscr. ēka = one, as if properly, one and uniform; others consider it as akin to aemulor, q. v.].
I.A Of place, that extends or lies in a horizontal direction , plain , even , level , flat (esp. freq. in the strategic descriptions of the histt.; syn.: planus, aequalis, aequabilis, par, similis, justus): locus ad libellam aequus, level , Varr. R. R. 1, 6 fin. : aequus et planus locus, Cic. Caec. 17 fin. : in aequum locum se demittere, Caes. B. G. 7, 28: legio, quae paulo aequiore loco constiterat, id. ib. 7, 51: in aequum locum deducere, Sall. J. 42 (cf. in Gr. εἰς τὸ ἴσον καταβαίνειν, Xen. Anab. 4, 6, 18).—Trop.: sive loquitur ex inferiore loco sive aequo sive ex superiore, i. e. before the judges , sitting on raised seats , or in the Senate , or in the assembly of the people from the rostra , Cic. de Or. 3, 6, 23: meos multos et ex superiore et ex aequo loco sermones habitos cum tuā summā laude, from the tribune , and on private matters , id. Fam. 3, 8.—In the histt., sometimes subst.: aequum , i, n., with a gen., level ground , a plain : facilem in aequo campi victoriam fore, Liv. 5, 38: ut primum agmen aequo, ceteri per acclive jugum insurgerent, Tac. Agr. 35: in aequum digredi, id. ib. 18: in aequo obstare, id. ib. 36; id. H. 4, 23.—Also, an eminence , if it rises without inequalities: dum Romanae cohortes in aequum eniterentur, up the slope , Tac. A. 2, 80.—As a level place is more favorable for military operations than an uneven one, aequus has the signif.,
B Favorable , convenient , advantageous (as its opp., iniquus, uneven, has that of unfavorable, etc.).
1 Of place: locum se aequum ad dimicandum dedisse, Caes. B. C. 3, 73: etsi non aequum locum videbat suis, Nep. Milt. 5, 4: non hic silvas nec paludes, sed aequis locis aequos deos, Tac. A. 1, 68. —
2 Of time: judicium aequiore tempore fieri oportere, more propitious , Cic. Corn. Fragm. ap. Ascon. p. 72: et tempore et loco aequo, Liv. 26, 3: tempore aequo, Suet. Caes. 35.—
3 In gen., of persons or things (freq. and class.), favorable , kind , friendly , benevolent , etc.; constr. absol. with dat., or in and acc. (in poets in with abl.).
α Absol. : consequeris, ut eos ipsos, quos contra statuas, aequos placatosque dimittas, Cic. Or. 10, 34: nobilitate inimica, non aequo senatu, id. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 4: meis aequissimis utuntur auribus, id. Fam. 7, 33: oculis aspicere aequis, Verg. A. 4, 372: O dominum aequum et bonum, Suet. Aug. 53: boni et aequi et faciles domini, id. Tib. 29.—
β With dat.: aequa Venus Teucris, Pallas iniqua fuit, Ov. Tr. 1, 2, 6; id. A. A. 2, 310.—
γ With in and acc.: quis hoc statuit, quod aequum sit in Quintium, id iniquum esse in Maevium, Cic. Quint. 14.—
δ With in and abl.: victor erat quamvis, aequus in hoste fuit, Prop. 4, 18, 28.—Hence,
4 aequus , i, m. subst., a friend : ego ut me tibi amicissimum esse et aequi et iniqui intellegant, curabo, both friends and enemies , Cic. Fam. 3, 6 fin. : aequis iniquisque persuasum erat, Liv. 5, 45.
II That is equal to another in any quality , equal , like; and of things divided into two equal parts, a half : aequo censu censeri, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 92: partīs, Lucr. 3, 125; so Aur. Vict. Orig. 19, 1; and Vulg. 1 Reg. 30, 24: aequa erit mensura sagorum, ib. Exod. 26, 8: pondera, ib. Lev. 19, 36: portio, ib. 2 Mach. 8, 30: aequa dementia, Lucr. 1, 705 al.: aequā manu discedere, to come off with equal advantage , Sall. C. 39; so, aequo Marte pugnare, with equal success , Liv. 2, 6; Curt. 4, 15, 29; Flor. 4, 2, 48 al.: urbs erat in summo nubibus aequa jugo, Ov. P. 4, 7, 24: aequum vulnus utrique tulit, id. M. 9, 719 (cf. id. ib. 7, 803: aequales urebant pectora flammae): sequiturque patrem non passibus aequis, Verg. A. 2, 724: pars aequa mundi, Plin. 2, 19, 17, § 81: utinam esset mihi pars aequa amoris tecum, i. e. aeque vicissim amaremus, Ter. Eun. 92: non tertiam portionem, verum aequam, Plin. 3, 1, 1, § 5 al.—Hence the adverbial phrases,
1 Ex aequo, in like manner , in an equal degree , equally ( = ἐξ ἴσου, Hdt., Dem.), Lucr. 1, 854: dixit et ex aequo donis formaque probata, etc., Ov. H. 16, 87; 20, 123; id. Am. 1, 10, 33; id. A. A. 2, 682; id. M. 3, 145; 4, 62; Liv. 36, 37: adversarum rerum ex aequo socii sunt (Fosi Cheruscis), cum in secundis minores fuissent, Tac. G. 36 fin. —
2 In aequo esse or stare, to be equal : qui cogit mori nolentem, in aequo est, quique properantem impedit, Sen. Phoen. 98: ut naturam oderint, quod infra deos sumus, quod non in aequo illis stetimus, id. Ben. 2, 29: in aequo ponere aliquem alicui, to make equal , to put on an equality , to compare : in aequo eum (Philopoemenem) summis imperatoribus posuerunt, Liv. 39, 50 fin. —
B Morally.
1 Of persons, fair , equitable , impartial in conduct toward others (diff. from justus, just; v. aequitas, II.); constr. absol. , with dat.; more rarely with gen.: praetor aequus et sapiens, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 65; 2, 5, 59: aequissimus aestimator et judex, id. Fin. 3, 2: praebere se aequum alicui, id. Fam. 2, 1: absentium aequi, praesentibus mobiles, benevolent toward , Tac. A. 6, 36.—
2 Of things, fair , right , equitable , reasonable : ITA. SENATVS. AIQVOM. CENSVIT., S. C. de Bach. 1. 26: et aecum et rectum est, Pac. ap. Non. 261, 13 (Trag. Rel. p. 81 Rib.): aequa et honesta postulatio, Cic. Rosc. Am. 2: quod justum est et aequum, servis praestate, just and fair , Vulg. Col. 4, 1: postulo primum id, quod aequissimum est, ut, etc., Cic. Clu. 2: aequa lex et omnibus utilis, id. Balb. 27: aequissimis legibus monere, Aur. Vict. Caes. 9, 5: aequae conditiones, Vell. 2, 25; see Fischer, Gr. II. 611.—Hence,
3 ae-quum , i, n. subst., what is fair , equitable , or just; fairness , equity , or justice , etc.: jus atque aequum, Enn. ap. Non. p. 399, 10 (Trag. v. 224 Vahl.): utilitas justi prope mater et aequi, Hor. S. 1, 3, 98: aequi studium, Aur. Vict. Caes. 24, 6.—Often with comparatives, more than is right , proper , reasonable : lamentari amplius aequo, Lucr. 3, 966: injurias gravius aequo habere, to feel too deeply , Sall. C. 50: potus largius aequo, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 215.—Hence, aequum est, it is reasonable , proper , right , etc.; constr. with acc. and inf., in good prose also with dat. pers. and ut , Rudd. II. p. 235, n. 21: nos quiescere aequom est, Enn. ap. Diom. p. 382 P. (Trag. v. 199 Vahl.): quae liberum scire aequom est adulescentem, Ter. Eun. 478: significant Imbecillorum esse aecum misererier omnīs, Lucr. 5, 1023: non est aequum nos derelinquere verbum Dei, Vulg. Act. 6, 2: aequius est mori quam auctoritatem imperii foedare, Aur. Vict. Epit. 12, 7: ut peritis? Ut piscatorem aequomst (sc. perire), fame sitique speque, Plaut. Rud. 2, 2, 7; so, sicut aequum est homini de potestate deorum timide et pauca dicamus, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 16, 47.—In Plaut., with abl.: plus vidissem quam med atque illo aequom foret, would be becoming in me and him , Plaut. Bacch. 3, 3, 84; id. Rud. prol. 47.—
4 Aequum as subst. very freq. with bonum = aequitas, equitable conduct toward others , fairness , equity , etc.: neque quidquam queo aequi bonique ab eo impetrare, what is right and just , Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 65: cum de jure civili, cum de aequo et bono disputaretur, Cic. Brut. 38: ex aequo et bono, non ex callido versutoque jure rem judicari oportere, id. Caecin. 23: fit reus magis ex aequo bonoque quam ex jure gentium, in accordance with justice and equity , Sall. J. 35.— Also without et : illi dolum malum, illi fidem bonam, illi aequum bonum tradiderunt, Cic. Top. 17.—So also, aequius melius, according to greater equily , Cic. Off. 3, 15; id. Top. 17.—
C Of a state of mind, even , unruffled , calm , composed , tranquil , patient , enduring (cf. aequitas, II. B.); esp. freq. with animus or mens: animus aequos optumum est aerumnae condimentum, Plaut. Rud. 2, 3, 71: concedo et quod animus aequus est et quia necesse est, Cic. Rosc. Am. 50: quodadest memento Componere aequus, Hor. C. 3, 29, 32: tentantem majora, fere praesentibus aequum, id. Ep. 1, 17, 24; and so, aequam memento rebus in arduis Servare mentem, etc., id. C. 2, 3, 1.—Esp. freq. in the adv. abl. : aequo (aequiore, aequissimo) animo, with even mind , with equanimity , patiently , calmly , quietly , with forbearance : ego, nisi Bibulus adniteretur de triumpho, aequo animo essem, nunc vero αἰσχρὸν σιωπᾶν, Cic. Att. 6, 8: carere aequo animo aliquā re, id. Brut. 6: ferre aliquid, Nep. Dion. 6, 7; Aur. Vict. Orig. 6, 3: accipere, Sall. C. 3, 2: tolerare, id. J. 31: quo aequiore animo Germanicus celerem successionem operiretur, Suet. Tib. 25: testem se in judiciis interrogari aequissimo animo patiebatur, id. Aug. 56.—In eccl. Lat. = bono animo: aequo animo esto, be of good cheer , Vulg. 3 Reg. 21, 7: aequo animo (aliquis) est? Psallat, ib. Jacob. 5, 13.—Hence: aequi bonique facere aliquid, to regard as fair and reasonable (prop., a gen. of value , Roby, § 1191), to put up with , be content with , submit to , acquiesce in , etc.: istuc aequi bonique facio, Ter. Heaut. 788: tranquillissimus animus meus totum istuc aequi boni facit, Cic. Att. 7, 7; Liv. 34, 22 fin. : aequi istuc faciam, it will be all the same to me , Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 189.—So also: aequi bonique dicere, to propose any thing reasonable , Ter. Phorm. 637.
XX —Hence, aequē , adv., in like manner , equally , just as = ex aequo, pariter, Gr. ἴσως, ὁμοίως (indicating the entire equality of two objects compared, while similiter denotes only likeness): eā (benevolentiā) non pariter omnes egemus ... honore et gloriā fortasse non aeque omnes egent, Cic. Off. 2, 8, 30: non possum ego non aut proxime atque ille aut etiam aeque laborare, id. Fam. 9, 13, 2: universa aeque eveniunt justo et impio, Vulg. Eccl. 9, 2.
1 In the comic poets with cum or the comp. abl. (cf. adaeque); in Cic. and good class. authors gen. with et , atque , ac , ac si; less class. with quam , ut , quam ut; in Petr. with tamquam.
α Aeque—cum: animum advorte, ut aeque mecum haec scias, Plaut. As. 2, 2, 66, id. Poen. prol. 47: novi aeque omnia tecum, Ter. Phorm. 1032. But in Plaut. As. 4, 1, 26, tecum una postea aeque pocla potitet, una belongs with tecum to potitet, and aeque is put absol. (sc. ut tu).—
β Aeque with comp. abl. : nullus est hoc meticulosus aeque, as this person , Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 137: qui me in terrā aeque fortunatus erit, id. Curc. 1, 2, 51.—
γ Aeque—et or aeque— que (as in Gr. ἴσον καί, ἴσα καί, Soph. Oed. Tyr. 611; Thuc. 3, 14). nisi aeque amicos et nosmet ipsos diligamus, equally as ourselves , Cic. Fin. 1, 20, 67. versūs aeque prima et media et extrema pars attenditur, id. de Or. 3, 50, 192; id. Rosc. Com. 1, 2; so id. Mur. 13, 28; id. Clu. 69, 195, id. Tusc. 2, 26, 62 al.: quod Aeque neglectum pueris senibusque nocebit, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 26.—
δ Aeque—atque, —ac, —ac si, as ... as; as much as , as : vide ne, quem tu esse hebetem deputes aeque ac pecus, is, etc., Att. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 22, 45: pumex non aeque aridus atque hic est senex, Plaut. Aul. 2, 4, 18; Ter. Phorm. 93; Varr. R. R. 3, 8, 2: nisi haberes, qui illis aeque ac tu ipse gauderet, Cic. Lael. 6, 22: sed me colit et observat aeque atque patronum suum, id. Fam. 13, 69; 2, 2; so id. Brut. 71, 248; id. Rosc. Am. 40, 116; Cels. 6, 15; Tac. H. 4, 5; Suet. Caes. 12 al.: aeque ac si. with the subj., just as if, altogether as if : Egnatii absentis rem ut tueare, aeque a te peto ac si mea negotia essent, Cic. Fam. 13, 43, 3; Auct. Her. 2, 13, 19: quo factum est, ut jumenta aeque nitida ex castellis educeret ac si in campestribus ea locis habuisset, Nep. Eum. 5, 6; Liv. 10, 7, 4; 44, 22, 5 al.—
ε Aeque ... quam (only in Plaut. and prose writers from the Aug. per.; neither in Cic. nor in Caes.), as ... as , in the same manner as , as well ... as , like , Plaut. Mil. 2, 5, 55; nullum esse agrum aeque feracem quam hic est, id. Epid. 2, 3, 1: nihil aeque eos terruit quam robur et color imperatoris, Liv. 28, 26, 14, 5, 6, 11; so 5, 3, 4; 31, 1, 3; in navibus posita aeque quam in aedificiis, Plin. 2, 81, 83, § 196; so 2, 70, 72, § 180; Tac. A. 14, 38; id. H. 2, 10; 4, 52; Suet. Aug. 64, 89; id. Galb. 4 al.—
ζ Aeque—ut, a rare combination, and unworthy of imitation (in authors of the class. per. its reception rests, for the most part, upon false readings for aeque et or aeque ac), as much as , like , cui nihil aeque in causis agendis ut brevitas placet, Plin. Ep. 1, 20, 1 Keil. accinctus aeque ut discinctus, Vulg. 3 Reg. 20, 11. Possidebitis eam (terram) singuli aeque ut frater suus, ib. Ezech. 47, 14: idemque proficeret aeque ut rosaceum, Plin. 23, 4, 45, § 89, where Jan reads proficeret quod rosaceum. —In Plaut. once aeque—quasi for the class. aeque ac. quem videam aeque esse maestum quasi dies si dicta sit, Plaut. As. 5, 1, 11 Fleck.—
η Sometimes aeque—aeque, as well as , as much as. aeque pauperibus prodest, locupletibus aeque, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 25: aeque discordiam praepositorum, aeque concordiam subjectis exitiosam, Tac. Agr. 15.—
2 The comparison is often to be supplied from the whole sentence or context; hence, aeque stands absol. for aeque ac, etc. (ante-class. freq.; also in Cic. and Liv.), equally , as much as , as : eadem oratio non aeque valet, Enn. ap. Gell. 11, 4 (from Eurip. Hec. 295: λόγος ... οὐ ταὐτὸν σθένει): satin habes, si feminarum nullast quam aeque diligam? Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 11: Aetna mons non aeque altus, id. Mil. 4, 2, 73; 4, 7, 10; id. Most. 1, 3, 85, etc.; Ter. Phorm. 565; Cic. Fam. 4, 6, 1; so id. ib. 5, 21; id. Fin. 4, 33, 62: aeque sons, Liv. 29, 19, 2; so 29, 19, 4 al.: aeque non est dubium, it is as little doubtful , Plin. 2, 15, 13, § 68.—
3 With omnes, uterque, and definite numerals, to indicate that a thing applies equally to all the objects designated, equally : non omnia eadem aeque omnibus suavia esse scito, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 51; Ter. Hec. 199; so Cic. Off. 2, 8, 31; id. Fin. 4, 27, 75 al.: etsi utrique nostrum prope aeque gratae erant (litterae), id. Fam. 13, 18; so id. Quint. 28, 86; Verg. G. 3, 118; Ov. Tr. 3, 8, 33; id. Fast. 1, 226: aeque ambo pares, Plaut. Men. 5, 9, 60: duae trabes aeque longae, Caes. B. C. 2, 10; Suet. Aug. 101. —
4 Sometimes absol. , with several substantives, alike , equally : Tragici et comici Numquam aeque sunt meditati, Plaut. Pers. 4, 2, 4. imperium bonus ignavus aeque sibi exoptant, Sall. C. 11.—
5 In Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 42, nec est mihi quisquam, melius aeque cui velim, melius velle is, perhaps, to be taken together as a phrase, and the comp. considered as used in a restricted sense, as in melius est. Others consider the comp. as used for the simple positive; cf. adaeque.—
B Justly , with equity : mihi id aeque factum arbitror, Plaut. Mil. 5, 22 dub. (Ritschl: jureque id factum arbitror).— Comp. : ferro quam fame aequius perituros, more willingly , Sall. H. Fragm.— Sup. : aequissime jus dicere, Aur. Vict. Epit. 11, 2: judicas ut qui aequissime, Sid. 15, Ep. 11.☞ An old adverb. form, aequĭter , also occurs: praeda per participes aequiter partita est, Liv. Andr. ap. Non. 512, 31; so Pac. ib., Att. ib., and Plaut. acc. to Prisc. 1010 P.