fēlix, īcis (abl. felici, except Cic. Or. 48, 159; and as nom. prop., v. II. B. 2. infra), adj. [from root feo, fevo, to bear, produce, Gr. φύω; cf.: fio, femina; whence fetus, fecundus, femina, fenus], fruit-bearing, fruitful, fertile, productive.
I Lit. (rare; not in Cic.): felices arbores Cato dixit, quae fructum ferunt, infelices quae non ferunt, Paul. ex Fest. p. 92, 10 Müll.; cf. Fronto Ep. ad Amic. 2, 6 ed. Mai.; so, arbor, Liv. 5, 24, 2: arbusta, Lucr. 5, 1378: rami, Verg. G. 2, 81; so, rami feliciores, Hor. Epod. 2, 14: silvae, i. e. of fruitful trees , Verg. G. 4, 329: Massica Baccho, fruitful in vines , id. A. 7, 725; cf. Campania, Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 60: felicior regio, Ov. P. 2, 10, 51; cf.: felix oleae tractus, Claud. Cons. Mall. Theod. 179: venti, Val. Fl. 6, 711.—
B In partic.
1 In the old relig. lang.: felices arbores, all the nobler sorts of trees , whose fruits were offered to the superior deities , in contradistinction to the infelices, which were dedicated to the inferior deities, Macr. S. 2, 16, 2.—
2 Felix , as an adj. propr. in Arabia Felix, the fertile portion of Arabia , opp. Arabia Deserta and Petraea; v. Arabia.—
II Transf.
A Act. , that brings good luck , of good omen , auspicious , favorable , propitious , fortunate , prosperous , felicitous (orig. belonging to the relig. lang.; in the class. per. almost confined to poets; syn.: faustus, fortunatus, beatus, secundus): quae (omina) majores nostri quia valere censebant, idcirco omnibus rebus agendis: QVOD BONVM FAVSTVM FELIX FORTVNATVMQVE ESSET praefabantur, Cic. Div. 1, 45, 102; so, QVOD BONVM FORTVNATVM FELIXQVE SALVTAREQVE SIET POPVLO ROMANO QVIRITIVM, etc., an old formula in Varr. L. L. 6, § 86; cf. also: ut nobis haec habitatio Bona, fausta, felix fortunataque eveniat, Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 3: quod tibi mihique sit felix, sub imperium tuum redeo, Liv. 22, 30, 4: auspicia, Verg. A. 11, 32; cf. omen, Ov. P. 2, 1, 35: o dea ... Sis felix, nostrum leves, quaecumque, laborem, Verg. A. 1, 330; cf.: sis bonus o felixque tuis! id. E. 5, 65: terque novas circum felix eat hostia fruges, id. G. 1, 345: Zephyri, id. A. 3, 120: sententia, Ov. M. 13, 319: industria (corresp. to fertilis cura), Plin. H. N. 14 praef. § 3.—
B Lucky , happy , fortunate (the predom. signif. in prose and poetry): exitus ut classi felix faustusque daretur, Lucr. 1, 100: Polycratem Samium felicem appellabant, Cic. Fin. 5, 30, 92: Caesar Alexandriam se recepit, felix, ut sibi quidem videbatur, id. Phil. 2, 26, 64; cf. id. ib. 2, 24, 59: vir ad casum fortunamque felix, id. Font. 15, 33: ille Graecus ab omni laude felicior, id. Brut. 16, 63: Sulla felicissimus omnium ante civilem victoriam, Sall. J. 95, 4: in te retinendo fuit Asia felicior quam nos in deducendo, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 10, § 30; cf.: quin etiam si minus felices in diligendo fuissemus, id. Lael. 16, 60: vade, o felix nati pietate, Verg. A. 3, 480; cf. id. ib. 6, 785: Praxiteles quoque marmore fericior, i. e. succeeded better as a sculptor , Plin. 34, 8, 19, § 69: felices ter et amplius, Quos irrupta tenet copula, Hor. C. 1, 13, 17: omnes composui. Felices! nunc ego resto, id. S. 1, 9, 28: Latium felix, id. C. S. 66: tempora, Juv. 2, 38: saecula, Ov. Tr. 1, 2, 103; Juv. 3, 312; Quint. 8, 6, 24: cf.: nulla sorte nascendi aetas felicior, id. 12, 11, 22: felicissima facilitas, id. 10, 1, 111: felicissimus sermo, id. 9, 4, 27: ita sim felix, a form of asseveration, Prop. 1, 7, 3: malum, i. q. salubre, salubrious , wholesome , Verg. G. 2, 127 Serv.—Prov.: felicem scivi, non qui quod vellet haberet, sed qui per fatum non data non cuperet, Aus. Idyll. 319, 23 sq.—
β With gen. (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): Vergilius beatus felixque gratiae, Plin. H. N. 14 praef. § 7: o te, Bolane, cerebri Felicem! Hor. S. 1, 9, 12: felices studiique locique, Ov. M. 5, 267: felix uteri, Sil. 4, 359: leti, id. 4, 398: famae, id. 4, 731: felices operum dies, Verg. G. 1, 277.—
γ With inf. (poet.): quo non felicior alter Ungueretela manu ferrumque armare veneno, happier , more successful in , Verg. A. 9, 772; id. G. 1, 284; Sil. 13, 126. —
δ With gerund. dat. (rare): tam felix vobis corrumpendis fuit, successful in , Liv. 3, 17, 2.—Adv.: fēlīcĭter . *
1 (Acc. to I.) Fruitfully , abundantly : hic segetes, illic veniunt felicius uvae, Verg. G. 1, 54.—
2 (Acc. to II.)
a Auspiciously , fortunately , favorably : quod mihi vobisque Quirites, Se fortunatim, feliciter ac bene vortat, Enn. ap. Non. 112, 3 (Ann. v. 112 ed. Vahl.); cf. Plaut. Aul. 4, 10, 58: ut ea res mihi magistratuique meo, populo plebique Romanae bene atque feliciter eveniret, Cic. Mur. 1, 1; Caes. B. G. 4, 25, 3.—In expressing a wish or in calling to a person, Good luck! faciam quod volunt. Feliciter velim, inquam, teque laudo, Cic. Att. 13, 42, 1: feliciter, succlamant, Phaedr. 5, 1, 4; Suet. Claud. 7; id. Dom. 13; Flor. 3, 3 fin. ; Juv. 2, 119; Vulg. Gen. 30, 11 al.—
b Luckily , happily , successfully (most freq.): omnes sapientes semper feliciter, absolute, fortunate vivere, Cic. Fin. 3, 7, 26: res publica et bene et feliciter gesta sit, id. Phil. 5, 15, 40; id. Fam. 7, 28 fin. : navigare, id. Verr. 2, 2, 38, § 95; cf.: qui te feliciter attulit Eurus, Ov. M. 7, 659: feliciter audet, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 166: ob ea feliciter acta, Sall. J. 55, 2.—Prov.: feliciter sapit qui alieno periculo sapit, Plaut. Merc. 4, 4, 40.— Comp. , Ov. Ib. 305.— Sup. : bella cum finitimis felicissime multa gessit, Cic. Rep. 2, 9: re gesta, Hirt. B. G. 8, 37, 1: gerere rem publicam, Caes. B. C. 1, 7, 6: cessit imitatio, Quint. 10, 2, 16: Horatius ... verbis felicissime audax, 10, 1, 96.