fallo, fĕfelli, falsum, 3 (archaic inf. praes. pass. fallier, Pers. 3, 50; perf. pass. fefellitus sum, Petr. Fragm. 61, MSS.), v. a. [Sanscr. sphal, sphul, to waver; Gr. σφάλλω, ἀ-σφαλής], to deceive, trick, dupe, cheat, disappoint (freq. and class.; syn.: decipio, impono, frustror, circumvenio, emungo, fraudo).
I In gen.
α Of living objects: T. Roscius non unum rei pecuniariae socium fefellit, verum novem homines honestissimos ejusdem muneris, etc. ... induxit, decepit, destituit, omni fraude et perfidia fefellit, Cic. Rosc. Am. 40, 116 sq.; so, aliquem dolis, Ter. And. 493; cf. id. Heaut. 470: senem, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 43: referam gratiam, atque eas itidem fallam, ut ab illis fallimur, Ter. Eun. 384: tu illum fructu fallas, Poët. ap. Cic. N. D. 3, 29, 73: id ipsum sui fallendi causa milites ab hostibus factum existimabant, Caes. B. G. 7, 50, 2: tum laqueis captare feras et fallere visco Inventum, Verg. G. 1, 139; cf. Ov. M. 15, 474: is enim sum, nisi me forte fallo, qui, etc., Cic. Phil. 12, 8, 21: num me fefellit, Catilina, non modo res tanta, verum dies? id. Cat. 1, 3, 7: nisi me fallit animus, id. Rosc. Am. 17, 48; cf.: neque eum prima opinio fefellit, Caes. B. C. 3, 67, 3: ne spes eum fallat, Cic. Fam. 1, 3; Caes. B. G. 2, 10, 4: si in hominibus eligendis spes amicitiae nos fefellerit, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 11, § 28: in quo cum eum opinio fefellisset, Nep. Ages. 3, 5: nisi forte me animus fallit, Sall. C. 20, 17: nisi memoria me fallit, fails me , Gell. 20, p. 285 Bip.: nisi me omnia fallunt, Cic. Att. 8, 7, 1; cf.: omnia me fallunt, nisi, etc., Sen. Ep. 95 med. : nisi quid me fallit, Cic. Fam. 5, 20, 6; cf.: si quid nunc me fallit in scribendo, id. ib. 3, 5, 4: dominum sterilis saepe fefellit ager, Ov. A. A. 1, 450: certe hercle hic se ipsus fallit, non ego, Ter. And. 495: tam libenter se fallunt, quam si una fata decipiunt, Sen. Brev. Vit. 11, 1: cum alios falleret, se ipsum tamen non fefellit, Lact. 1, 22, 5.— Pass. in mid. force, to deceive one's self , be deceived , to err , be mistaken : errore quodam fallimur in disputando, Cic. Rep. 3, 35: qua (spe) possumus falli: deus falli qui potuit? id. N. D. 3, 31, 76: memoriā falli, Plin. 10, 42, 59, § 118: jamque dies, nisi fallor, adest, Verg. A. 5, 49; Cic. Att. 4, 17, 1; 16, 6, 2: ni fallor, Ov. F. 4, 623; Lact. 2, 19, 1; cf.: ordinis haec virtus erit et venus, aut ego fallor, Hor. A. P. 42.—With object-clause : dicere non fallar, quo, etc., Luc. 7, 288: quamquam haut falsa sum, nos odiosas haberi, Plaut. Aul. 2, 1, 4; cf.: id quam facile sit mihi, haud sum falsus, id. Men. 5, 2, 3; Ter. And. 647; Sall. J. 85, 20: neque ea res falsum me habuit, did not deceive me , id. ib. 10, 1: ut falsus animi est! Ter. Eun. 274.—
β Of inanim. or abstr. objects: promissum, not to fulfil , Curt. 7, 10, 9: fidem hosti datam fallere, to violate , break , betray , deceive , Cic. Off. 1, 13, 39: quodsi meam spem vis improborum fefellerit atque superaverit, id. Cat. 4, 11, 23; cf. id. de Or. 1, 1, 2: non fallam opinionem tuam, id. Fam. 1, 6 fin. ; cf. Caes. B. C. 3, 86 fin. : imperium, to fail to execute , Plin. 7, 37, 38, § 125: cum lubrica saxa vestigium fallerent, betrayed , Curt. 4, 9.—Poet.: tu faciem illius Falle dolo, imitate deceptively , assume , Verg. A. 1, 684: sua terga nocturno lupo, i. e. to hide , conceal , Prop. 4, 5, 14: casses, retia, to shun , avoid , Ov. H. 20, 45; 190. —
γ Absol. : neque quo pacto fallam ... Scio quicquam, Caecil. ap. Cic. N. D. 3, 29 fin. : cum maxime fallunt, id agunt, ut viri boni esse videantur, Cic. Off. 1, 13, 41: ea (divinatio) fallit fortasse nonnumquam, id. Div. 1, 14, 25: non in sortitione fallere, id. Verr. 2, 2, 53, § 132: in ea re, Nep. Them. 7, 2; Cels. 7, 26, 2: ne falleret bis relata eadem res, Liv. 29, 35, 2: ut, si quid possent, de induciis fallendo impetrarent, Caes. B. G. 4, 13, 5: germinat et numquam fallentis termes olivae, Hor. Epod. 16, 45: plerumque sufflati atque tumidi (oratores) fallunt pro uberibus, Gell. 7, 14, 5.—
B Impers. : fallit (me) I deceive myself , I mistake , am mistaken : sed nos, nisi me fallit, jacebimus, Cic. Att. 14, 12, 2; cf.: nisi me propter benevolentiam forte fallebat, id. Cael. 19, 45; id. Sest. 50, 106: nec eum fefellit, id. Off. 2, 7, 25: vide, ne te fallat, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 25. And cf. under II. B. 2.
II In partic.
A To deceive in swearing , to swear falsely : is jurare cum coepisset, vox eum defecit in illo loco: SI SCIENS FALLO, Cic. Fam. 7, 1, 2; cf.: lapidem silicem tenebant juraturi per Jovem haec verba dicentes: SI SCIENS FALLO, TVM ME DISPITER, etc., Paul. ex Fest. s. v. lapidem, p. 115 Müll.: si sciens fefellisset, Plin. Pan. 64, 3; cf. Liv. 21, 45, 8; Prop. 4, 7, 53: expedit matris cineres opertos Fallere, i. e. to swear falsely by the ashes of your mother , Hor. C. 2, 8, 10.—
B With respect to one's knowledge or sight, for the more usual latēre: to lie concealed from , to escape the notice , elude the observation of a person (so in Cic., Sall., and Caes. for the most part only impers., v. 2. infra).
α With acc.: neque enim hoc te, Crasse, fallit, quam multa sint et quam varia genera dicendi, Cic. de Or. 1, 60, 255: tanto silentio in summum evasere, ut non custodes solum fallerent, sed, etc., Liv. 5, 47, 3: nec fefellit veniens ducem, id. 2, 19, 7; Curt. 7, 6, 4; cf.: quin et Atridas duce te (Mercurio) ... Priamus ... Thessalosque ignes et iniqua Trojae Castra fefellit, Hor. C. 1, 10, 16: quos fallere et effugere est triumphus, id. ib. 4, 4, 52: Spartacum si qua potuit vagantem Fallere testa, id. ib. 3, 14, 20; Suet. Caes. 43: nec te Pythagorae fallant arcana, Hor. Epod. 15, 21; id. Ep. 1, 6, 45: nec quicquam eos, quae terra marique agerentur, fallebat, Liv. 41, 2, 1 Drak.: ut plebem tribunosque falleret judicii rescindendi consilium initum, id. 4, 11, 4: tanta celeritate, ut visum fallant, Plin. 9, 50, 74, § 157: oculos littera fallit, cannot be distinctly read , Ov. A. A. 3, 627.— With acc. and inf.: neutros fefellit hostes appropinquare, Liv. 31, 33, 8 Weissenb. ad loc.—Mid. with gen.: nec satis exaudiebam, nec sermonis fallebar tamen, Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 55.—
β Absol. , to escape notice , be unseen , remain undiscovered : speculator Carthaginiensium, qui per biennium fefellerat, Romae deprehensus, Liv. 22, 33, 1; 25, 9, 2: spes fallendi, resistendive, si non falleret, of remaining unnoticed , id. 21, 57, 5: non fefellere ad Tifernum hostes instructi, id. 10, 14, 6.—So with part. perf. , Liv. 42, 64, 3; 23, 19, 11.—With part. pres. : ne alio itinere hostis falleret ad urbem incedens, i. e. arrive secretly , λανθάνοι προσιών, Liv. 8, 20, 5; cf. id. 5, 47, 9; Verg. A. 7, 350: nec vixit male, qui natus moriensque fefellit, i. e. has remained unnoticed , Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 10: fallere pro aliquo, to pass for , Gell. 7, 14: bonus longe fallente sagitta, Verg. A. 9, 572.—
2 Impers. : fallit (me), it is concealed from me , unknown to me , I do not know , am ignorant of (for the most part only with negatives or in negative interrogations), constr. with subject-clause : non me fefellit: sensi, Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 64: num me fefellit, hosce id struere? Ter. Heaut. 514; cf.: in lege nulla esse ejusmodi capita, te non fallit, Cic. Att. 3, 23, 4: nec me animi fallit, etc., Lucr. 1, 136; 5, 97: quem fallit? who does not know? Plin. 2, 103, 106, § 233: neque vero Caesarem fefellit, quin, etc., Caes. B C. 3, 94, 3.—
C To cause any thing (space, time, etc.) not to be observed or felt , to lighten any thing difficult , or to appease , silence any thing disagreeable , to beguile (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): medias fallunt sermonibus horas Sentirique moram prohibent, Ov. M. 8, 652: jam somno fallere curam, Hor. S. 2, 7, 114: Fallebat curas aegraque corda labor, Ov. Tr. 3, 2, 16; cf. dolores, id. ib. 5, 7, 39: luctum, Val. Fl. 3, 319: molliter austerum studio fallente laborem, Hor. S. 2, 2, 12; Ov. M. 6, 60; Plin. 27, 7, 28, § 49.—Prov.: fallere credentem non est operosa puellam Gloria, Ov. H. 2, 63.
XIII —Hence, falsus , a, um, P. a., deceptive , pretended , feigned , deceitful , spurious , false (syn.: adulterinus, subditus, subditicius, spurius).
A Adj. : testes aut casu veri aut malitia falsi fictique esse possunt, Cic. Div. 2, 11, 27; cf.: falsum est id totum, neque solum fictum, sed etiam imperite absurdeque fictum, id. Rep. 2, 15: ementita et falsa plenaque erroris, id. N. D. 2, 21, 55: pro re certa spem falsam domum retulerunt, id. Rosc. Am. 38, 110; cf.: spe falsa atque fallaci, id. Phil. 12, 2, 7; so, spes, id. Sull. 82, 91: falsa et mendacia visa, id. Div. 2, 62, 127; cf.: falsa et inania visa, id. ib.: falsum et imitatione simulatum, id. de Or. 2, 45, 189; cf. id. Phil. 11, 2, 5: argumentum, id. Inv. 1, 48, 90: qui falsas lites falsis testimoniis Petunt, Plaut. Rud. prol. 13: reperiuntur falsi falsimoniis, id. Bacch. 3, 6, 12: ambitio multos mortales falsos fieri subegit, Sall. C. 10, 5 Kritz.: pater (opp. verus), a supposed father , Ov. M. 9, 24; cf. id. ib. 1, 754: falsi ac festinantes, Tac. A. 1, 7: suspectio, Enn. ap. Non. 511, 5: nuntius, Cic. de Or. 1, 38, 175: rumores, Caes. B. G. 6, 20, 2: poena falsarum et corruptarum litterarum, Cic. Fl. 17, 39; cf.: falsas esse litteras et a scriba vitiatas, Liv. 40, 55, 1: falsarum tabularum rei, Suet. Aug. 19: fama, Cic. Lael. 4, 15: appellatio, Quint. 7, 3, 5: sententiae, id. 8, 5, 7: crimina, Hor. C. 3, 7, 14; terrores, id. Ep. 2, 1, 212: opprobria, i. e. undeserved , id. ib. 1, 16, 38; cf. honor, id. ib. 39: falsi Simoëntis ad undam, i. e. fictitious (simulati), Verg. A. 3, 302; cf.: falsi sequimur vestigia tauri (i. e. Jovis), Val. Fl. 8, 265: vultu simulans Haliagmona, Stat. Th. 7, 739: ita ceteros terruere, ut adesse omnem exercitum trepidi ac falsi nuntiarent, Tac. H. 2, 17: ne illi falsi sunt qui divorsissumas res pariter expectant, deceived , mistaken , Sall. J. 85, 20; cf.: falsus utinam vates sim, Liv. 21, 10, 10; so, vates, id. 4, 46, 5.— Comp. (rare): quanto est abjectior et falsior ista (theologia), Aug. Civ. D. 7, 5 fin. : nihil est hominum inepta persuasione falsius, Petr. 132; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 92, 11 Müll.— Sup. : id autem falsissimum est, Col. 1, 6, 17.—
β With gen.: Felix appellatur Arabia, falsi et ingrati cognominis, Plin. 12, 18, 41, § 82.—
2 False , counterfeit , spurious , = adulterinus (late Lat.): moneta, Cod. Th. 9, 21, 9.—
B As subst.
1 falsus , i, m., a liar , deceiver : Spurinnam ut falsum arguens, a false prophet , Suet. Caes. 81 fin. ; id. Tib. 14.—
2 falsum , i, n., falsehood , fraud : ex falsis verum effici non potest, Cic. Div. 2, 51, 106; cf.: veris falsa remiscet, Hor. A. P. 151: vero distinguere falsum, id. Ep. 1, 10, 29: falsum scripseram, Cic. Att. 7, 14, 2; Quint. 7, 2, 53: ex illa causa falsi, i. e. of fraud , Dig. 48, 10 (De lege Cornelia de falsis), 1; v. the whole title: acclinis falsis animus, Hor. S. 2, 2, 6: nec obstitit falsis Tiberius, Tac. A. 2, 82: simulationum falsa, id. ib. 6, 46 et saep.—Adverb.: telisque non in falsum jactis, i. e. not at random , with effect , Tac. A. 4, 50 fin. : jurare falsum, Ov. Am. 3, 3, 11.—Adv., untruly , erroneously , unfaithfully , wrongly , falsely; in two forms, falso and false .
1 falso : eho mavis vituperari falso, quam vero extolli? Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 21 sq.; cf. id. Trin. 1, 2, 173; so opp. vero, Curt. 5, 2, 2: ei rei dant operam, ut mihi falso maledicatur, Cato ap. Charis. p. 179 P.: falso criminare, Enn. ap. Non. 470, 16: neque me perpetiar probri Falso insimulatam, Plaut. Am. 3, 2, 7; 21; cf.: non possum quemquam insimulare falso, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 41, § 107: falso memoriae proditum, id. de Imp. Pomp. 14, 41: cum Tarquinius ... vivere falso diceretur, id. Rep. 2, 21; cf.: adesse ejus equites falso nuntiabantur, Caes. B. C. 1, 14, 1: cum utrumque falso fingerent, Liv. 42, 2: falso in me conferri, Cic. Fam. 5, 5, 2: aliquem falso occidere, i. e. by mistake , Naev. ap. Charis. p. 179 P.; cf.: ut miseri parentes quos falso lugent, vivere sciant, Liv. 34, 32, 13; and: falso lamentari eas Darium vivum, Curt. 3, 12: falso queritur de natura sua genus humanum, Sall. J. 1: falso plurima volgus amat, Tib. 3, 3, 20 (so perh. also in Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 46, 141, non assentiar saepe falso, instead of false).—Ellipt.: Da. Si quid narrare occepi, continuo dari tibi verba censes. Si. Falso, Ter. And. 504; cf.: atqui in talibus rebus aliud utile interdum, aliud honestum videri solet. Falso: nam, etc., Cic. Off. 3, 18, 74; so Quint. 2, 17, 12; Nep. Alc. 9: quia inter inpotentes et validos falso quiescas, = quia falluntur qui putant quiesci posse, Tac. G. 36.—
2 false (very rare): judicium false factum, Sisenn. ap. Charis. p. 179; Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 78 Fleck. ( Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 46, 141 dub., B. and K., al. falso).— Sup. : quae adversus haec falsissime disputantur, Aug. Conf. 10, 13.