cŏm-ĕs, ĭtis, comm. [con and 1. eo] (lit. one who goes with another), a companion, an associate, comrade, partaker, sharer, partner, etc. (whether male or female; class. and freq.).
I In gen.
a Masc. : age, age, argentum numera, ne comites morer, Plaut. Ep. 5, 1, 25: confugere domum sine comite, Ter. Hec. 823: comes meus fuit, et omnium itinerum meorum socius, Cic. Fam. 13, 71: erat comes ejus Rubrius, id. Verr. 2, 1, 25, § 64: cui tu me comitem putas esse, id. Att. 8, 7, 1: ibimus, o socii comitesque, Hor. C. 1, 7, 26; Lucr. 3, 1037; 4, 575: Catulli, Cat. 11, 1: Pisonis, id. 28, 1; Nep. Ages. 6, 3: quin et avo comitem sese Mavortius addet Romulus, Verg. A. 6, 778; cf.: comes ire alicui, id. ib. 6, 159: comitem aliquem mittere alicui, id. ib. 2, 86: comes esse alicui, Ov. H. 14, 54 et saep. —
β With gen. or dat. of thing : cum se victoriae Pompeii comitem esse mallet quam, etc., Caes. B. C. 3, 80: comitem illius furoris, Cic. Lael. 11, 37: me tuarum actionum, sententiarum, etc., socium comitemque habebis, id. Fam. 1, 9, 22: mortis et funeris atri, Lucr. 2, 581: tantae virtutis, Liv. 22, 60, 12: exsilii, Mart. 12, 25: fugae, Vell. 2, 53; Liv. 1, 3, 2; Cic. Att. 9, 10, 2; cf. Suet. Tib. 6: me habuisti comitem consiliis tuis, Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 15.—With in : comes in ulciscendis quibusdam, Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 2.—
b Fem. , Ter. Eun. 345; Lucr. 5, 741: data sum comes inculpata Minervae, Ov. M. 2, 588; cf. id. H. 3, 10: me tibi venturam comitem, id. ib. 13, 163; Verg. A. 4, 677; 6, 448.—
B Transf. to inanimate objects: malis erat angor Assidue comes, Lucr. 6, 1159: comes formidinis, aura, id. 3, 290: ploratus mortis comites, id. 2, 580: tunc vitae socia virtus, mortis comes gloria fuisset, Cic. Font. 21, 49 (17, 39): multarum deliciarum comes est extrema saltatio, id. Mur. 6, 13: pacis est comes, otiique socia eloquentia, id. Brut. 12, 45; cf. an idea (perh. intentionally) opp. to this, Tac. Or. 40: non ut ullam artem doctrinamve contemneres, sed ut omnis comites ac ministratrices oratoris esse diceres, Cic. de Or. 1, 17, 75: cui ipsi casus eventusque rerum non duces sed comites consiliorum fuerunt, id. Balb. 4, 9: exanimatio. quas comes pavoris, id. Tusc. 4, 8, 19: (grammatice) dulcis secretorum comes, Quint. 1, 4, 5: (cura) comes atra premit sequiturque fugacem, Hor. S. 2, 7, 115: culpam poena premit comes, id. C. 4, 5, 24: nec (fides) comitem abnegat, id. ib. 1, 35, 22: comitemque aeris alieni atque litis esse miseriam, Orac. ap. Plin. 7, 32, 32, § 119.—
II In partic.
A An overseer , tutor , teacher , etc., of young persons (rare; not ante-Aug.), Verg. A. 2, 86; 5, 546; Suet. Tib. 12; Stat. S. 5, 2, 60.— Esp. = paedagogus, a slave who accompanied boys as a protector, Suet. Aug. 98; id. Claud. 35.—Far more freq.,
B The suite , retinue of friends , relatives , scholars , noble youth , etc., which accompanied magistrates into the provinces , Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 10, § 27 sq; id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 3, § 11; Hor. Ep. 1, 8, 2; Suet. Caes. 42; id. Ner. 5; id. Gram. 10.—
C The attendants of distinguished private individuals , Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 76; 1, 17, 52; id. S. 1, 6, 102; Suet. Caes. 4.—Trop.: (Cicero) in libris de Republica Platonis se comitem profitetur, Plin. praef. § 22.—
D After the time of the emperors, the imperial train , the courtiers , court , Suet. Aug. 16; 98; id. Tib. 46; id. Calig. 45; id. Vit. 11; id. Vesp. 4; Inscr. Orell. 723; 750 al.—Hence,
E In late Lat., a designation for the occupant of any state office , as, comes scholarum, rei militaris, aerarii utriusque, commerciorum (hence, Ital. conte; Fr. comte ).