cōpĭa, ae, f. [co-ops], abundant power, wealth, riches, abundance (very freq. in all periods and species of composition).
I Of material objects.
A Of possessions, resources, wealth, supplies, riches, prosperity (syn.: divitiae, opes; opp. inopia): pro re nitorem et gloriam pro copiā, Plaut. Aul. 3, 6, 5: divitiarum fructus in copiā est; copiam autem declarat satietas rerum et abundantia, Cic. Par. 6, 2, 47; Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 32: copiis rei familiaris locupletes et pecuniosi, Cic. Rosc. Com. 15, 44: utrum copiane sit agri, vectigalium, pecuniae, an penuria, id. Inv. 2, 39, 115: frugum, id. Dom. 7, 17: publicani suas rationes et copias in illam provinciam contulerunt, id. Imp. Pomp. 7, 17: circumfluere omnibus copiis atque in omnium rerum abundantiā vivere, id. Lael. 15, 52 and 55; id. Deiot. 5, 14; Caes. B. G. 4, 4 fin. ; Hor. C. 3, 29, 9: Plenior ut si quos delectet copia justo, id. S. 1, 1, 57: Si recte frueris non est ut copia major Ab Jove donari possit tibi, id. Ep. 1, 12, 2; Ov. M. 8, 838: exercitus omnium rerum abundabat copiā, Caes. B. C. 1, 49: abundans omni copiā rerum est regio, Liv. 29, 25, 12: bonam copiam ejurare, to abjure property , i. e. to declare one's self exempt through poverty , Cic. Fam. 9, 16, 7.—Poet.: omnis copia narium ( = luxus odorum, Schol.), Hor. C. 2, 15, 6.—
B In respect to other objects, fulness, copiousness, multitude, number, abundance : meretricum, Plaut. Bacch. 3, 6, 34: tanta copia venustatum aderat, id. Poen. 5, 4, 5: quorum (librorum) habeo Antii festivam copiam, Cic. Att. 2, 6, 1: tanta copia virorum fortium atque innocentium, id. Imp. Pomp. 10, 27; cf.: tanta doctissimorum hominum, Sall. H. 1, 1 Dietsch: magna latronum in eā regione, id. C. 28, 4: tubicinum, id. J. 93, 8: procorum, Ov. M. 10, 356: nimborum, Lucr. 6, 511 et saep.—
2 In milit. lang. copia, and far more freq. in plur. copiae, ārum, men, troops, forces, army .
α Sing. : omnis armatorum copia, Cic. Att. 13, 52, 2: eā copiā, quam secum eduxit, se hanc civitatem oppressurum arbitratur, id. Mur. 37, 78: ex omni copiā eligere aliquos, Caes. B. G. 1, 48; id. B. C. 1, 45; Pompei. ap. Cic. Att. 8, 12, A, 3; Sall. C. 56, 2 Kritz; 61, 5.—
β More freq. plur., orig. of a body of troops as made up of smaller bodies; cf. Engi. troops; the forces, troops , etc.: armare quam maximas copias, Sall. J. 13, 1: copias secum adducere, Ter. Eun. 755; cf.: in angustum oppido nunc meae coguntur copiae, id. Heaut. 669: cogere copias Brundusium, Cn. Pomp. ap. Cic. Att. 8, 12, A, 3; id. Fam. 3, 3, 2; Caes. B. G. 1, 11; 1, 12; 1, 13; 1, 25; Nep. Them. 2, 4; id. Alcib. 8, 2; Liv. 40, 44, 3 et saep.—
II Of immaterial objects, fulness, copiousness, multitude, abundance .
A In gen.: Quam tibi de quāvis unā re versibus omnis argumentorum sit copia missa per auris, Lucr. 1, 417: rerum copia verborum copiam gignit, Cic. de Or. 3, 31, 125; cf. rerum, Sall. C. 2, 10; Quint. 7, prooem. § 1: inventionis, id. 11, 3, 56: orationis, id. 4, 2, 117: sermonis, id. 8, 6, 5: abundare debet orator exemplorum copiā, id. 12, 4, 1: tanta facultas dicendi vel copia, Cic. Verr. 1, 4, 10: verborum, Quint. 1, 8, 8: in dicendo ubertas et copia, Cic. de Or. 1, 12, 50: dicendi, id. Red. Sen. 1, 1; id. Top. 18, 67; Quint. 10, 6, 6; and so of fulness in expression, absol. , copia, Cic. Brut. 11, 44; id. Fam. 5, 12, 3; Quint. 1, 8, 17: copias eloquentiae ponere in medio, id. 7, 10, 15: Platonis, id. 10, 1, 108: Senecae, id. 12, 10, 11.—
B Esp., in reference to action, ability, power, might, opportunity, facilities, means of doing a thing .
α With gen. gerund. : ut mi ejus facias conveniundi copiam, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 90; so, facere, Ter. Heaut. 29; cf. dare, id. ib. 28; Verg. A. 1, 520 al.: edundi, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 72: cunctandi, id. Ep. 1, 2, 58: illius inspectandi, id. Bacch. 3, 3, 84: societatis amicitiaeque conjungendae, Sall. J. 83, 1 al.—
β With inf.: quibus in otio vel magnifice vel molliter vivere copia erat, Sall. C. 17, 6; so Cat. 64, 366. —
γ With ut : cum copiam istam mihi et potestatem facis, ut ego, etc., Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 14; id. Mil. 3, 1, 174; Ter. Heaut. 328 al.—
δ Absol. : neque edepol facio: neque, si cupiam, copia est, Plaut. Aul. 2, 2, 76; id. Trin. 1, 2, 98 al.: ne quam aliam quaerat copiam ac te deserat, Ter. Heaut. 927; cf. Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 22.—So pro copiā, according to one's ability, as one is able : volo habere hic aratiunculam pro copiā hic aput vos. Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 46: pro copiā supplicare Lari familiari, Cato R. R. 143, 2: dona pro copiā portantes, Liv. 26, 11, 9: in vehiculis pro copiā cujusque adornatīs, Curt. 9, 10, 26.—Esp. with the implication that one can do little: pro eā copiā quae Athenis erat, Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 12, 3: pro rei copiā, Sall. J. 90, 1: ludi funebres additi pro copiā provinciali et castrensi apparatu, Liv. 28, 21, 10: iudos pro temporis hujus copiā magnifici apparatus fecerunt, id. 27, 6, 19. —
2 Access to a person, with gen.: quando ejus copia est. Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 45; cf.: obsecrat, ut sibi ejus faciat copiam, Ter. Phorm. 113.