cŭpīdo (cūpēdo or cuppēdo, Lucr. 1, 1082; 4, 1090; 5, 45), ĭnis, f. (m., Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 210; Hor. C. 2, 16, 15; 3, 16, 39; 3, 24, 51; id. S. 1, 1, 61; id. Ep. 1, 1, 33; Ov. M. 8, 74; 9, 734; Sil. 4, 99; and personified in all authors; v. the foll.) [cupidus], access. form of cupiditas, desire, wish, longing, eagerness, in a good and (more usu.) in a bad sense (very freq. in the poets and histt., esp. in Sall.; twice in Quint., but in Cic. only as personified).
I In gen.
A In a good sense: cupido cepit miseram nunc me proloqui, etc. (transl. from Eurip. Med. 57: ἵμερος μ᾽ ὑπῆλθε, etc.), Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 26, 63 (Trag. Rel. v. 291 Vahl.); cf.: Romulum cupido cepit urbis condendae, Liv. 1, 6, 3: cupido eum ceperat in verticem montis ascendendi, id. 40, 21, 2; and with inf.: cupido incessit Aethiopiam invisere, Curt. 4, 8, 3: aquae, Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 50; cf.: laticum frugumque, Lucr. 4, 1093: gloriae, Sall. C. 7, 3: aeternitatis perpetuaeque famae, Suet. Ner. 55: lucis, Quint. 6, prooem. § 13: placendi, id. 10, 7, 17 al.—
2 Trop., of things: res medii cuppedine victae, overcome by their tendency to a centre , Lucr. 1, 1082.—
B In a bad sense, desire, passion, lust, greed .
α With gen.: honorum caeca (with avarities), Lucr. 3, 59; cf. honoris, Sall. C. 3, 5: mala vitaï, Lucr. 3, 1077: immitis uvae (i. e. virginis immaturae), Hor. C. 2, 5, 9: praedae caeca, Ov. M. 3, 620: intempestiva concubitūs, id. ib. 10, 689; cf. Veneris, id. ib. 14, 634 et saep.: difficilia faciundi, Sall. J. 93, 3: ejus (oppidi) potiundi, id. ib. 89, 6: quarum (rerum) inmodica cupido inter mortales est, Liv. 6, 35, 6: populos ad cupidinem novae fortunae erigere, id. 21, 19, 7.—In plur.: malae dominationis cupidinibus flagrans, Tac. A. 13, 2.—
β Absol. : homines cupidine caeci, Lucr. 4, 1153; so id. 4, 1090: cuppedinis acres curae, id. 5, 45; Hor. C. 2, 16, 15 et saep.: femineus, Ov. M. 9, 734; cf. muliebris, Tac. A. 4, 39.—In plur., Hor. S. 1, 2, 111; 2, 7, 85; Tac. A. 3, 52: eo provectas Romanorum cupidines, ut non corpora, ne senectam quidam aut virginitatem inpollutam relinquant, id. ib. 14, 35.—
II In partic.
A The desire that springs from love, desire, love : differor Cupidine ejus, Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 29; cf.: visae virginis, Ov. M. 13, 906; Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 210; cf. id. Poen. 1, 1, 68. —In plur.: me, Contactum nullis ante cupidinibus, Prop. 1, 1, 2.—Hence,
2 Personified: Cŭpīdo , ĭnis, m., the god of love, Cupid , son of Venus, Cic. N. D. 3, 23, 58 sq.; Prop. 2, 14, 5 (3, 18, 21); Ov. M. 1, 453; 5, 366 et saep.; Hor. C. 1, 2, 34; 2, 8, 14 al.; in the form CVPEDO, Inscr. Orell. 1367.—In plur.: mater saeva Cupidinum, Hor. C. 1, 19, 1 Orell. ad loc.; 4, 1, 5 al.; cf. of sculptured figures: exstant caelati scyphi ... Myos in eādem aede Silenos et Cupidines, Plin. 33, 12, 55, § 155; 36, 5, 4, § 41. —Hence,
β Cŭpīdĭnĕus , a, um, adj., of or belonging to Cupid (poet.): tela, Ov. Tr. 4, 10, 65: sagittae, id. R. Am. 157.—Transf., lovely, charming ( = formosus), Mart. 7, 87, 9.—
B In animals, the sexual impulse : equina, Col. 6, 27, 3: equi cupidine sollicitati, id. 6, 27, 8.—
C (Cf. cupidus, II. A. 2., and cupiditas, II. B. 1.) Avarice, covetousness : Narcissum incusat cupidinis ac praedarum, Tac. A. 12, 57; in plur., id. H. 1, 66.—*
2 Personified: Cupido sordidus, sordid Avarice , Hor. C. 2, 16, 15.