dŭbĭus, a, um, adj. [for duhibius, duohabeo, held as two or double, i. e. doubtful; cf. dubito, Corss. Ausspr. 2, 1027].
I Moving in two directions alternately , vibrating to and fro , fluctuating (cf. ambiguus, anceps, incertus, perplexus, duplex).
A Lit. (very rare): ut vas non quit constare, nisi humor Destitit in dubio fluctu jactarier intus, Lucr. 6, 556; cf.: fluctibus dubiis volvi coeptum est mare, Liv. 37, 16, 4.—Far more freq. and class.,
B Trop., vacillating in mind , uncertain.
1 Act.
a Wavering in opinion , doubting , doubtful , dubious , uncertain , = ambigens, haesitans, etc.: sin est is homo, anni multi me dubiam dant, Plaut. Ep. 4, 1, 17: quae res est, quae cujusquam animum in hac causa dubium facere possit? Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 10.— With an interrog. clause , A. and S. Gr. § 213 R. 4 (1.): temptat dubiam mentem rationis egestas, ecquae nam fuerit mundi genitalis origo, Lucr. 5, 1211; cf.: equites procul visi ab dubiis, quinam essent, Liv. 4, 40: dubius sum, quid faciam, Hor. S. 1, 9, 40: dubius, unde rumperet silentium, id. Epod. 5, 85: spemque metumque inter dubii, seu vivere credant, Sive extrema pati, Verg. A. 1, 218; cf. Liv. 1, 42: Philippus non dubius, quin, etc., id. 31, 42: haud dubius quin, id. 42, 14; Curt. 5, 12.—With acc. and inf.: dictator minime dubius, bellum cum his populis Patres jussuros, Liv. 6, 14; so, haud dubius, id. 31, 24; Curt. 9, 7: nec sum animi dubius, verbis ea vincere magnum Quam sit, well aware how hard it is , Verg. G. 3, 289; so, dubius with the genitives animi, Auct. B. Alex. 56, 2: mentis, Ov. F. 6, 572: consilii, Just. 2, 13: sententiae, Liv. 33, 25 Drak.: salutis, Ov. M. 15, 438: vitae, id. Tr. 3, 3, 25: fati, Luc. 7, 611 al.; cf. Zumpt, Gr. § 437; A. and S. Gr. § 213 R. 1 ( a. ).—
b Wavering in resolution , irresolute , undecided (very rare): dubio atque haesitante Jugurtha incolumes transeunt, Sall. J. 107, 6; cf. hostes (opp. firmi), id. ib. 51 fin. : nutantes ac dubiae civitates, Suet. Caes. 4 fin. : quid faciat dubius, Ov. M. 8, 441.—Poet. transf.: cuspis, Sil. 4, 188.—
2 Pass. , that is doubted of , uncertain , doubtful , dubious , undetermined (so most freq. in all periods and kinds of composition): videsne igitur, quae dubia sint, ea sumi pro certis atque concessis? Cic. Div. 2, 51, 106; cf. id. ib. 2, 50 fin. ; id. Fin. 4, 24, 67; id. de Or. 1, 20, 92; id. Mur. 32, 68; Quint. 3, 4, 8; 7, 8, 6: nihil aegrius est quam res secernere apertas Ab dubiis, Lucr. 4, 468 (cf. verba, vague language , opp. aperta, Quint. 7, 2, 48): jus, opp. certum, id. 12, 3, 6; opp. confessum, id. 7, 7, 7: in regno, ubi ne obscura quidem est aut dubia servitus, Cic. Rep. 1, 31: dubium vel anceps genus causarum, Quint. 4, 1, 40; cf. id. 9, 2, 69: dubii variique casus, Auct. ap. Cic. Clu. 21, 58: et incerta societas, Suet. Aug. 17 et saep.: quia sciebam dubiam esse fortunam scenicam, Ter. Hec. 16: salus (opp. aperta pernicies), Cic. N. D. 3, 27, 69: spes pacis, id. Att. 8, 13: victoria, Caes. B. G. 7, 80, 6; cf.: victoria, praeda, laus, Sall. J. 85, 48: Marte, Vell. 2, 55, 3: spes armorum, id. 2, 71: discrimen pugnae, indecisive , Sil. 5, 519: proelia, Tac. G. 6: auctor, unknown , Ov. M. 12, 61 et saep.: an auspicia repetenda, ne quid dubiis diis agerem? i. e. unassured of their favor , Liv. 8, 32: dubii socii suspensaeque ex fortuna fidei (opp. fideles socii and certi hostes), id. 44, 18; cf. Caes. B. C. 1, 3, 5: Hispaniae, Tac. A. 3, 44; cf.: gens dubiae ad id voluntatis, Liv. 9, 15: lux, i. e. morning twilight , dawn , Ov. M. 11, 596: sidera, Juv. 5, 22; cf. nox, evening twilight , Ov. M. 4, 401: caelum, i. e. over cast , Verg. G. 1, 252: fulgor solis, Sen. Herc. Fur. 670; cf.: et quasi languidus dies, Plin. Ep. 6, 20, 6: dubiāque tegens lanugine malas, i. e. between down and a beard , Ov. M. 9, 398; 13, 754; cf.: dubia lanuginis umbra, Claud. Epith. Pall. et Cel. 42: vina, not sure to ripen , Plin. 18, 31, 74, § 319: consilia, wavering , Tac. Agr. 18 et saep.: hunc annum sequitur annus haud dubiis consulibus (shortly thereafter the contrary: Papirius Semproniusque, quorum de consulatu dubitabatur), Liv. 4, 8; so, haud dubius praetor, id. 39, 39 fin. : haud dubii hostes, open enemies , id. 37, 49: haud dubii Galli (opp. degeneres, mixti, Gallograeci vere), id. 38, 17: cena dubia, see below, II.—
b In the neutr. absol.
α (Non, haud) dubium est, it is ( not , not at all ) doubtful , uncertain , undecided. (αα) Absol. : si quid erit dubium, Plaut. Ep. 5, 1, 40: haud dubium id quidem est, id. Poen. 3, 4, 27; Ter. And. 399; cf. in the interrog.: o! dubiumne id est? Ter. Eun. 129; id. Heaut. 607; id. Phorm. 774; and with the dat.: an dubium id tibi est? Ter. Heaut. 911; Cic. Fam. 4, 15.— (ββ) With de : de Pompeii exitu mihi dubium numquam fuit, Cic. Att. 11, 6, 5; so, de eorum jure, id. de Or. 1, 57: de re, Quint. 7, 3, 4; cf. id. 7, 6, 3.— (γγ) With an interrog. clause : illud dubium (est), ad id, quod summum bonum dicitis, ecquaenam fieri possit accessio, Cic. Fin. 4, 24, 67; cf. Quint. 7, 9, 12: hoc ergo, credo, dubium est, uter nostrum sit verecundior, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 41, 126: hoc enim dubium est, utrum ... an, Quint. 6, 3, 83: Ambiorix copias suas judicione non conduxerit ... an tempore exclusus, dubium est, Caes. B. G. 6, 31, 1: an dubium vobis fuit inesse vis aliqua videretur necne? Cic. Caecin. 11, 31 et saep.—Since the Aug. per. freq. dubium , absol. and adv.: codicilli, dubium ad quem scripti, Quint. 7, 2, 52: quo postquam dubium pius an sceleratus, Orestes venerat, Ov. Tr. 4, 4, 69; Suet. Caes. 58; id. Aug. 28; id. Tib. 10; Flor. 1, 1, 12; 2, 14, 3: Erechtheus, Justitiā dubium validisne potentior armis, Ov. M. 6, 678; cf. id. Pont. 3, 1, 17: neque multo post exstincto Maximo, dubium an quaesita morte, Tac. A. 1, 5; Flor. 1, 1, 8; 4, 2, 91 al.— (δδ) Non dubium est quin uxorem nolit filius, Ter. And. 172; id. Eun. 997; Cic. de Or. 2, 8, 32; id. Att. 13, 45; Quint. 11, 2, 10 et saep.: haud dubium est, quin, Ter. And. 391; 530; id. Ad. 976; and interrog., Quint. 3, 2, 1; 10, 1, 5. — (εε) With acc. and inf.: periisso me una haud dubium est, Ter. Hec. 326; so Liv. 38, 6; Suet. Caes. 52 fin. ; cf. interrog.: an dubium tibi est, eam esse hanc? Plaut. Mil. 2, 5, 9.—Ellipt.: si exploratum tibi sit posse te, etc., non esse cunctandum: si dubium sit, non esse conandum, Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 5.—
β Dubium habere, to regard as uncertain , to doubt : an tu dubium habebis, etiam sancte quom jurem tibi? Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 112: an dubium habetis, num obficere quid vobis possit? etc., Sall. H. Fragm. III. 61, 8 Dietsch; cf.: haec habere dubia, neque, etc., Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 9 fin. —
γ In dubium: in dubium vocare, to call in question , Cic. de Or. 2, 34; cf.: illud me dixisse nemo vocabit in dubium, Asin. Pollio ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 31, 5. Vid. also under 3. b.: venire in dubium, Cic. Quint. 2; id. ib. 21, 67; Liv. 3, 13; cf.: alii non veniunt in dubium de voluntate, i. e. there is no doubt what their wish is , Cic. Att. 11, 15, 2. Vid. also under 3. b.—
δ In dubio, in doubt , in question , undetermined : dum in dubio est animus, Ter. And. 266; cf. Luc. 7, 247: in dubioque fuere utrorum ad regna cadendum esset, etc., Lucr. 3, 836; cf. id. 1085; Quint. 7, 9, 9: aestate potius quam hieme dandum, non est in dubio, Plin. 25, 5, 24, § 59 et saep.: ut in dubio poneret, utrum ... an, etc., Liv. 34, 5. Vid. also 3. b.—
ε Sine dubio, without doubt , doubtless , indisputably , certainly (very freq.; in Cic. more than twenty times; not in Caes. and Sall.): Th. Numquid dubitas quin? etc. Gn. Sine dubio, opinor, Ter. Eun. 1044; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 2, 6; 47, 122; id. Cat. 2, 1; id. Balb. 24, 55; id. Tusc. 2, 7, 18; id. Off. 1, 29, 102; id. N. D. 1, 9, 23; id. Att. 1, 19, 2 et saep. Vid. the passages in Stuerenb. Cic. Off. p. 134 sq. Sometimes, esp. in Quint., with adversative particles: sed, verum, at, etc., no doubt , doubtless ... but , yet , etc.: cum te togatis omnibus sine dubio anteferret ... sed, etc.. Cic. N. D. 1, 21, 58; so with sed, id. de Or. 3, 215; Quint. 1, 6, 38; 5, 10, 53; 6, 3, 64; with sed tamen, id. 12, 6, 7; with tamen, id. 3, 8, 21; 5, 7, 28; 6, 4, 12; with verum, id. 8 prooem. § 33; with at, id. 8, 3, 67; with autem, id. 1, 6, 12 Spald.—
ζ Procul dubio, beyond question , undoubtedly (very rare), Lucr. 3, 638; Liv. 39, 40 fin. ; Plin. 18, 21, 50, § 187; and: dubio procul, Lucr. 1, 812; 2, 261.—
3 Meton., like anceps (4), doubtful , dubious , i. e. precarious , dangerous , critical , difficult (freq. but mostly poet.): res dubias, egenas, inopiosas consili, critical condition , Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 2; so, res, id. Capt. 2, 3, 46; id. Most. 5, 1, 1; Sall. C. 10, 2; 39, 3; id. J. 14, 5; Liv. 2, 50 fin. ; Tac. A. 2, 62; Verg. A. 6, 196; 11, 445 al.; cf. pericla (with advorsae res), Lucr. 3, 55; 1076: tempora (opp. secunda), Hor. C. 4, 9, 36: mons erat ascensu dubius, Prop. 4, 4, 83; cf.: quae (loca) dubia nisu videbantur, Sall. J. 94, 2.—
b In the neutr. absol. (i. q. discrimen, II. B. 2, and periculum): mea quidem hercle certe in dubio vita est, is in danger , Ter. And. 347 Ruhnk.; Sall. C. 52, 6; cf. Ov. Am. 2, 13, 2: sese suas exercitusque fortunas in dubium non devocaturum, Caes. B. G. 6, 7, 6; cf. Cic. Caecin. 27, 76: tua fama et gnatae vita in dubium veniet, Ter. Ad. 340; cf. id. ib. 243; Ov. H. 16, 138 Loers.— Plur. as subst.: hinc Italae gentes in dubiis responsa petunt, Verg. A. 7, 86: mens dubiis percussa pavet, Luc. 6, 596.
II For the syn. varius, manifold , various (only in the foll. passages): o multimodis variūm et dubiūm et prosperūm copem diem, Pac. ap. Non. 84, 23 (Trag. Rel. p. 115, ed. Rib.). And so prob. is to be explained dubia cena, a multifarious , richly provided supper , Ter. Phorm. 342 (for the subjoined explanation of Terence: ubi tu dubites, quid sumas potissimum, is only outwardly adapted to the meaning of dubius); so, dubia cena, Hor. S. 2, 2, 77; and: fercula dubiae cenae, Aus. Mos. 102; Hier. Ep. 22, no. 16.—Hence, adv., in two forms.
α dŭbĭe (acc. to I. B. 1.), doubtfully , dubiously (not in Plaut., Ter., or Caes.): potest accidere, ut aliquod signum dubie datum pro certo sit acceptum, Cic. Div. 1, 55.—Esp. freq. (particularly since the Aug. per.) with negatives: haud (rarely non) dubie, undoubtedly , indisputably , positively , certainly : etsi non dubie mihi nuntiabatur Parthos transisse Euphratem, tamen, etc., Cic. Fam. 15, 1 (nowhere else as an adv. in Cic.): non dubie, Quint. 7, 2, 6; 9, 4, 67; Front. Strat. 2, 3, 16; and with sed (cf. dubius, I. B. 2. b. ε), Quint. 11, 2, 1; so, too, nec dubie, Liv. 2, 23 fin. ; Quint. 2, 14, 2; and with verum, id. 3, 4, 1; with sed, Tac. A. 4, 19 fin. : haud dubie jam victor, Sall. J. 102, 1 (cf. on the contrary in Cic. : sine ulla dubitatione hostis, Phil. 14, 4, 10; cf. Liv. 3, 38; Cic. Cat. 4, 3, 5); so, haud dubie, Liv. 1, 9; 13; 3, 24; 38; 53; 4, 2; 23; 5, 10 fin. ; 33 fin. ; 49 fin. et saep. (about 70 times; see the passages in Stuerenb. Cic. Off. p. 138); Quint. 10, 1, 85; Tac. A. 2, 43; 88; id. H. 1, 7; 46; 72; 3, 86; 4, 27 fin. ; 80; id. G. 28; Suet. Caes. 55; id. Calig. 9; id. Galb. 2; Vulg. Lev. 13, 43.—
β dubio = dubie, Ap. Met. 9, 2, 19.