aurĕus, a, um, adj. [aurum].
I Lit.
A Of gold , golden (syn.: aureolus, auratus, aurifer): patera, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 104 and 263: vasa, Vulg. Exod. 12, 35; ib. 2 Tim. 2, 20: torulus, Plaut. Am. prol. 144: imber, Ter. Eun. 585: funis, Lucr. 2, 1154: torques. Vulg. Gen. 41, 42: simulacra, Lucr. 2, 24: mala Hesperidum, id. 5, 33: aurea mala, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 6: pelles, id. ib.: corona (a gift for distinction in war), Liv. 7, 37, 1; Inscr. Orell. 363; 3453; 3475: corona, Vulg. Exod. 25, 11: candelabra, ib. Apoc. 1, 12: nummus, and absol. : aurĕus , i, m., the standard gold coin of Rome , a gold piece (first struck in the second Punic war), of the value of 25 denarii or 100 sestertii (weighing about 120 grains, and being about equal to £1, 1 s. 1 d. or $5.10), Cic. Phil. 12, 8: si (tibi) contigit aureus unus. Juv. 7, 122; fully, aureus nummus, Plin. 33, 3, 13, § 47; Suet. Calig. 42; id. Claud. 21; id. Vit. 16; id. Oth. 4; id. Dom. 7 al.—Of the Hebrew shekels (eccl. Lat.), Vulg. 4 Reg. 5, 5; ib. 2 Par. 9, 15; 9, 16.—Poet.: vis aurea tinxit Flumen, i. e. the power of changing every thing to gold , Ov. M. 11, 142.—
B Furnished with gold , wrought , interwoven , or ornamented with gold , gilded : victimam auream polcram immolabat, i. e. with gilded horns , Naev. 1, 12 (cf. Hom. Od. 3, 426): sella, Cic. Phil. 2, 34, and Prop. 5, 10, 28: cingula, Verg. A. 1, 492: Capitolia, id. ib. 8, 347. templa, Prop. 5, 1, 5: cuspis, Ov. M. 7, 673: Pactolus, whose waters flowed with gold , id. ib. 11, 87; cf: Lucr. 5, 911 sq.—
C Of the color of gold , glittering like gold , golden : liquidi color aureus ignis, Lucr. 6, 205: Barba erat incipiens, barbae color aureus, Ov. M. 12, 395; Plin. 37, 5, 20, § 76; Gell. 2, 26, 5; Pall. Mart. 13, 4: lumina solis, Lucr. 5, 461; so, aurea Phoebe, Verg. G. 1, 431; Ov. M. 2, 723: luna, id. ib. 10, 448; Hor. Epod. 17, 41: aureus sol, Verg. G. 1, 232; 4, 51; so Ov. M. 7, 663: sidera, Verg. A. 2, 488; Verg. 11, 832: caesaries, golden locks, id. ib. 8, 659: coma, Cat. 61, 95, and Ov. M. 12, 395: aurea mala, Verg. E. 3, 71, and 8, 52: Aurea pavonum ridenti imbuta lepore Saecla, the golden species of peacock , full of laughing beauty , Lucr. 2, 502.—
II Trop., of physical and mental excellences or attractions, golden , beautiful , splendid : aurea Venus, Verg. A. 10, 16; Ov. M. 10, 277; Ov. 15, 761: Amor, id. Am. 2, 18, 36: Copia, Hor. Ep. 1, 12, 28: Aurea Phoebi porticus, Prop. 3, 29, 1: litus, Mart. 11, 80: aether, Ov. M. 13, 587: medicamentum, Col. 6, 14, 5 al.: dicta, vita, Lucr. 3, 12 and 13: mores, Hor. C. 4, 2, 23: Qui nunc te fruitur credulus aureā, id. ib. 1, 5, 9: tua mater Me movet atque iras aurea vincit anus, Tib. 1, 6, 58: mediocritas, the golden mean , Hor. C. 2, 10, 5: aetas, the golden age , Ov. M. 1, 89: tempus, Hor. Epod. 16, 64.—Hence, Virgo = Astraea, Albin. 2, 23.