măgister, tri (old orthog., ‡ magester, like ‡ leber, ‡ Menerva, for liber, Minerva, acc. to Quint. 1, 4, 17), m. [a double comparative in form, from magis, and comparative ending -ter; cf.: minister, sinister], a master, chief, head, superior, director, president, leader, commander, conductor, etc.: quibus praecipua cura rerum incumbit, et qui magis quam ceteri diligentiam et sollicitudinem rebus, quibus praesunt, debent, hi magistri appellantur, Dig. 50, 16, 57.
I Lit.
A In gen., the dictator in the earliest times was called magister populi, the chief of the people : in Magistro populi faciendo, qui vulgo dictator appellatur ... qui primus Magister a populo creatus est, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. optima lex, p. 198 Müll.: (sapiens) rectius appellabitur rex quam Tarquinius, qui nec se nec suos regere potuit: rectius magister populi (is enim dictator est) quam Sulla, qui trium pestiferorum vitiorum, luxuriae, avaritiae, crudelitatis magister fuit, Cic. Fin. 3, 22, 75; cf. also below the passage, Varr. L. L. 5, § 82 Müll.; Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 9: dictator quidem ab eo appellatur, quia dicitur: sed in nostris libris (sc. auguralibus) vides eum magistrum populi appellari, id. Rep. 1, 40, 63 Creuz.; cf., with reference to this passage, Sen. Ep. 108, 31: Larcum moderatorem et magistrum consulibus appositum, Liv. 2, 18, 5.—Magister equitum, the chief of the cavalry , appointed by the dictator: magister equitum, quod summa potestas hujus in equites et accensos, ut est summa populi dictator, a quo is quoque magister populi appellatus, Varr. L. L. 5, § 82 Müll.: dictator magistrum equitum dicit L. Tarquitium, Liv. 3, 27; 7, 21 fin. ; 23, 11: fumosi equitum magistri, in a family tree , Juv. 8, 8.—So, magister peditum (analogous to magister equitum), chief of the infantry , Amm. 21, 12, 16. —The censor is called magister morum, master of morals , Cic. Fam. 3, 13, 2: magister sacrorum, the chief priest , Liv. 39, 18 fin. ; v. Drak. ad loc.; so, PVBLICVS SACRORVM (or SACERDOTVM), Inscr. Orell. 2351: FRATRVM ARVALIVM, ib. 2426: SALIORVM, ib. 2247; 2419: LARVM AVGVSTI, ib. 1661 et saep.: curiae, the overseer of a curia , Plaut. Aul. 1, 2, 29: vici, the overseer of a quarter or ward , Suet. Aug. 30: chori canentium, a head-chorister, leader of a choir , Col. 12, 2: officiorum and operarum, a superintendent, bailiff , id. 1, 18: scripturae and in scripturā, a director of a company of farmers-general , Cic. Att. 5, 15, 3; id. Verr. 2, 2, 70, § 169; cf.: P. Terentius operas in portu et scripturā Asiae pro magistro dedit, i. e. has performed the functions of a magister, was vice-director , id. Att. 11, 10, 1: quaesivi, qui per eos annos magistri illius societatis fuissent, id. Verr. 2, 2, 74, § 182: P. Rupilius, qui est magister in ea societate, id. Fam. 13, 9, 2: maximarum societatum auctor, plurimarum magister, id. Planc. 13, 32: pecoris, a chief herdsman , Varr. R. R. 2, 10; cf. Verg. G. 3, 445: elephanti, conductor , Sil. 4, 616: auctionis, the director, superintendent, conductor of an auction , Cic. Quint. 15, 50; cf.: is quem putabant magistrum fore, si bona venirent, id. Att. 1, 1, 3; 6, 1, 15; an officer charged with distributing money among the people , Plaut. Aul. 2, 2, 3.—Law t. t., an agent or assignee to dispose of a debtor's goods: praetor jubet convenire creditores, et ex eo numero magistrum creari, id est eum per quem bona veneant, Gai. Inst. 3, 79: convivii, the master or president of a feast , Varr. L. L. 5, § 122 Müll.; Ap. Mag. p. 336, 11: navis, the master or captain of a ship , Dig. 14, 1, 1; Gai. Inst. 4, 71; so without navis, Juv. 12, 79: gubernatores et magistri navium, Liv. 29, 25, 7; 45, 42, 3; the steersman, pilot : ipse gubernaclo rector subit, ipse magister, Verg. A. 5, 176; 1, 115; 6, 353; Val. Fl. 1, 18; 1, 382; Luc. 2, 696; Sil. 4, 719: samnitium, i. e. of the gladiators, a fencing-master , Cic. de Or. 3, 23, 86: magistri tabernae, innkeepers , Paul. Sent. 2, 8, 3.—In inscrr. are found also: fani, horreorum, collegii, memoriae, munerum, Augustalis, admissionum, epistolarum, libellorum, etc.; likewise: a bibliothecā, ab marmoribus, etc.—
B In partic.
1 A teacher, instructor , Cic. Phil. 2, 4, 8: pueri apud magistros exercentur, id. de Or. 1, 57, 244: artium lberalium magistri, id. Inv. 1, 25, 35; cf.: virtutis magistri, id. Mur. 31, 65; id. N. D. 1, 26, 72: rarum ac memorabile magni Gutturis exemplum conducendusque magister, Juv. 2, 114.—Transf., of inanim. things: magister mihi exercitor animus nunc est, Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 4; id. Curc. 2, 2, 8: stilus optimus dicendi effector ac magister, Cic. de Or. 1, 33, 150; Pers. prol. 10: timor, non diuturnus magister officii, Cic. Phil. 2, 36, 90.—
2 An educator of children, a tutor, pedagogue : senes me filiis relinquunt quasi magistrum, Ter. Phorm. 71: docendis publice juvenibus magister, Gell. 19, 9, 2. —
3 A master, owner, keeper : trepidumque magistrum In cavea magno fremitu leo tollet alumnus, Juv. 14, 246.—
4 A master of his art, professor : a tonsore magistro Pecteris, Juv. 6, 26.—
II Trop., an adviser, instigator, author of any thing (very rare): si quis magistrum cepit ad eam rem improbum, Ter. And. 192: magister ad despoliandum Dianae templum, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 21, § 54.—As adj.: rituque magistro Plurima Niliacis tradant mendacia biblis, Sedul. 1, 15.