blandus, a, um, adj. [for mlandus; akin to μείλιχος, mollis, mulier; Goth. milds; Engl. mild], of a smooth tongue, flattering, fawning, caressing (class and very freq.).
I Lit.: blanda es parum, Plaut. Cas. 3, 3, 21: nemini credo qui large blandu'st dives pauperi, id. Aul. 2, 2, 19: ut unus omnium homo te vivat numquam quisquam blandior, Ter. Hec. 861: scis me minime esse blandum, Cic. Att. 12, 5, 4: unum te puto minus blandum esse quam me, id. ib. 12, 3, 1: blandum amicum a vero secernere, id. Lael. 25, 95: (Alcibiades) affabilis, blandus, temporibus callidissime inserviens, Nep. Alcib. 1, 3: an blandiores (mulieres) in publico quam in privato et alienis quam vestris estis? Liv. 34, 2, 10: tum neque subjectus solito nec blandior esto, Ov. A. A. 2, 411: canes, Verg. G. 3, 496: catulorum blanda propago, Lucr. 4, 999; Nemes. Cyneg. 215; 230: columba, Ov. Am. 2, 6, 56: tigres, Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 604; Quint. 9, 4, 133; 11, 1, 30; 11, 3, 72 al.—
b Poet. constr.
α With gen.: precum, Stat. Ach. 2, 237.—
β With acc.: genas vocemque, Stat. Th. 9, 155.—
γ With inf.: blandum et auritas fidibus canoris Ducere quercus, Hor. C. 1, 12, 11; Stat. Th. 5, 456. —
δ With abl.: chorus implorat. .doctā prece blandus ( = blande supplicans dis carmine quod poëta eum docuit. Orell. ad loc.), Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 135.—
II Trop. (mostly of things).
A Flattering , pleasant , agreeable , enticing , alluring , charming , seductive (cf. blandior, II. B.; blanditia, II.): blandā voce vocare, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 20, 40 (Ann. v. 51 Vahl.): ne blandā aut supplici oratione fallamur, Cic. Phil. 7, 9, 26; Lucr. 6, 1245: voces, Verg. A. 1, 670; Cat. 64, 139: preces, Tib. 3, 6, 46; Hor. C. 4, 1, 8; id. A. P. 395; Ov. M. 10, 642: querelae, Tib. 3, 4, 75: laudes, Verg. G. 3, 185: verba, Ov. M. 2, 575; 6, 360: dicta, id. ib. 3, 375; 9, 156: os, id. ib. 13, 555: pectus, Afran. ap. Non. p. 515.—So, voluptas, Lucr. 2, 966; 4, 1081; 4, 1259; 5, 179; Cic. Tusc. 4, 3, 6: amor, Lucr. 1, 20; Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 49: Veneris blandis sub armis, Prop. 4 (5), 1, 137: amaracini liquor, Lucr. 2, 847: tura, Tib. 3, 3, 2: manus, Hor. C. 3, 23, 18; cf. Ov. M. 2, 691: aquae, id. ib. 4, 344: caudae, id. ib. 14, 258 al.: otium consuetudine in dies blandius, Liv. 23, 18, 12: blandiores suci, Plin. 12, 1, 2, § 4; Suet. Tib. 27: blandissima litora, Baiae, Stat. S. 3, 5, 96; Plin. 9, 8, 9, § 32: actio, Quint. 7, 4, 27: ministerium, Cod. Th. 10, 10, 12, § 1.— With dat.: et blandae superūm mortalibus irae, Stat. Th. 10, 836: neque admittunt orationes sermonesve... jucunda dictu aut legentibus blanda, Plin. 1, prooem. § 12.—
2 Of persons: filiolus, Quint. 6, prooem. § 8; cf.: nam et voluptates, blandissimae dominae ( the most alluring mistresses ), majores partes animi a virtute detorquent, Cic. Off. 2, 10, 37.—
B Persuading by caressing , persuasive : nunc experiemur, nostrum uter sit blandior, Plaut. Cas. 2, 3, 56. —Hence, adv., in three forms, soothingly , flatteringly , courteously , etc.
a Anteclass. form blandĭter , Plaut. As. 1, 3, 69; id. Ps. 5, 2, 3; Titin. ap. Non. p. 210, 6 (also id. ib. p. 256, 15), and ap. Prisc. p. 1010 P.—
b Class. form blandē , Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 9: compellare hominem, id. Poen. 3, 3, 72: me adpellare, id. Truc. 1, 2, 61: adloqui, Ter. Phorm. 252: dicere, id. Ad. 878; cf.: blande, leniter, dulciter dicere, Quint. 12, 10, 71; and blande ac benedice, Plaut. As. 1, 3, 54: rogare, Cic. Rosc. Com. 16, 49: excepti hospitio ab Tullo blande ac benigne, Liv. 1, 22, 5: quaerere, Suet. Calig. 32: linguā lambere, Lucr. 5, 1066: et satiati agni ludunt blandeque coruscant, id. 2, 320: colere fructus, to treat carefully , gently , id. 5, 1368 (cf. blandimentum, II. B.): flectere cardinem sonantem, softly , carefully , Quint. Decl. 1, 13 al.— Comp. : blandius petere, Cic. de Or. 1, 24, 112: ad aurem invocabat, Cael. ap. Quint. 4, 2, 124: moderere fidem, Hor. C. 1, 24, 13 al.— Sup. : blandissime appellat hominem, Cic. Clu. 26, 72.—*
c blandum = blande: ridere, Petr. 127, 1.