flĕo, flēvi, flētum, 2 (contr. forms flēsti, Ov. H. 5, 43; 45: flēmus, Prop. 2, 7, 2; cf. Lachm. ad Lucr. p. 291: flērunt, Verg. G. 4, 461; Stat. S. 2, 1, 175: flēsset, id. ib. 145: flēsse, Ov. M. 6, 404; Liv. 30, 44, 7), v. n. and a. [for flev-o, root φλυ-; Gr. φλύω, to bubble up, etc.; L. fluo, fluvius, etc.; cf. Curt. Gr. Etym. p. 301 sq.].
I Neutr.
A Lit., to weep , cry , shed tears (syn.: ploro, lugeo, lacrimo): maerentes, flentes, lacrimantes, commiserantes, Enn. ap. Diom. p. 442 P. (Ann. 107 ed. Vahl.): fleo, quia dijungimur, Plaut. Mil. 4, 8, 18: quin fles, id. Ps. 1, 1, 73: nimium haec flet, id. Mil. 4, 8, 14: ne fle, mulier! id. Ep. 4, 2, 31: quid fles, Asterie? Hor. C. 3, 7, 1: ille me complexus atque osculans flere prohibebat, Cic. Rep. 6, 14 fin. : haec cum pluribus verbis flens a Caesare peteret, Caes. B. G. 1, 20, 5; cf. id. ib. 7, 26, 3; id. B. C. 1, 76, 1; 3, 98, 2: deceptus quoniam flevit et ipse, deus, Prop. 2, 16 (3, 8), 54: felix qui potuit praesenti flere puellae, before , in the presence of , Prop. 1, 12, 15; cf. Tib. 1, 10, 64: o multa fleturum caput! Hor. Epod. 5, 74: lapides mehercule omnes flere et lamentari coëgisses, Cic. de Or. 1, 57, 245.— Pass. impers. : ad sepulcrum venimus: in ignem posita est: fletur, Ter. And. 129: minus est, quod flendum meo nomine quam quod gaudendum illius est, Quint. 6 praef. § 8; so id. 6, 2, 3; 11, 1, 52.—
B Transf. *
1 Of horses, to neigh : equorum greges comperit ubertim flere, Suet. Caes. 81.—
2 Of things, to drop , trickle (ante- and post-class.): uberibus flent omnia guttis, Lucr. 1, 349: flevit in templis ebur, Sen. Thyest. 702: imber, Prud. Cath. 5, 24.
II Act. , to weep for , bewail , lament , a person or thing; to sing mournfully (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; once in Cic.): He. Ne fle. Er. Egone illum non fleam? egone non defleam Talem adolescentem? Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 36: unicum (filium) mater, Cat. 39, 5: parentes Troĭlon, Hor. C. 2, 9, 17: Gygen, id. ib. 3, 7, 1; amissas amicitias, Cat. 96, 4: * Pisonem eis verbis flens meum casum vexavit, Cic. Sest. 28, 60: filii necem, Tac. A. 6, 10; 2, 71: suam vicem, Curt. 10, 5, 21: servitutem tristem, Phaedr. 1, 2, 6: amissum conjugem, Just. 28, 4, 4: fidem mutatosque deos, Hor. C. 1, 5, 6: moechos arrogantes, id. ib. 1, 25, 10: catellam raptam sibi, id. Ep. 1, 17, 56: amorem testudine, id. Epod. 14, 11: feralia carmina, to sing , Col. poët. 10, 350: virum, Sen. Contr. 2, 11, 1: amissum fratrem, id. ib. 4, 29, 8: adlatum ad se Pompeii caput, id. ib. 10, 32, 1.—In part. perf. : multum fleti ad superos, bewailed , lamented , Verg. A. 6, 481; Stat. Th. 4, 103.—
β With object-clause : agmina septem Flebis in aeterno surda jacere situ, Prop. 1, 7, 18; Val. Fl. 1, 633.
VIII —Hence, flē-tus , a, um, P. a., weeping : mater fleta et lacrimosa, Ap. Met. 7, 27, 6 (but in Lucr. 2, 631 the correct read. is sanguinolenti).