mātĕrĭa, ae (gen. materiāi, Lucr. 1, 1051), and mātĕrĭes, ēi (only in nom. and acc. sing., and once gen. plur. materierum, Lact. 2, 12, 1; v. Neue, Formenl. 1, p. 383), f. [from same root with mater, q. v.], stuff, matter, materials of which any thing is composed; so the wood of a tree, vine, etc., timber for building (opp. lignum, wood for fuel); nutritive matter or substance for food (class.).
I Lit.
A In gen.: materia rerum, ex qua et in qua sunt omnia, Cic. N. D. 3, 39, 92; cf. id. Ac. 1, 6, 7: materiam superabat opus, Ov. M. 2, 5: materiae apparatio, Vitr. 2, 8, 7: rudis, i. e. chaos , Luc. 2, 8; cf.: omnis fere materia nondum formata rudis appellatur, Cinc. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 265 Müll.: (arbor) inter corticem et materiem, Col. 5, 11, 4: crispa, Plin. 16, 28, 51, § 119: materiae longitudo, Col. 4, 24, 3: vitis in materiam, frondemque effunditur, id. 4, 21, 2: si nihil valet materies, Cic. de Or. 2, 21, 88: in eam insulam materiam, calcem, caementa, atque arma convexit, id. Mil. 27, 74: caesa, Col. 11, 2, 11; cf. Caes. B. G. 4, 17; 5, 39: cornus non potest videri materies propter exilitatem, sed lignum, Plin. 16, 40, 76, § 206: materiae, lignorum aggestus, Tac. A. 1, 35: videndum est ut materies suppetat scutariis, Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 35: proba materies est, si probum adhibes fabrum, id. Poen. 4, 2, 93: imprimebatur sculptura materiae anuli, sive ex ferro sive ex auro foret, Macr. S. 7, 13, 11. — Plur. : deūm imagines mortalibus materiis in species hominum effingere, Tac. H. 5, 5.—Of food: imbecillissimam materiam esse omnem caulem oleris, Cels. 2, 18, 39 sqq.; cf. of the means of subsistence : consumere omnem materiam, Ov. M. 8, 876; matter , in gen.: materies aliqua mala erat, Aug. Conf. 7, 5, 2.—In abstract, matter, the material universe : Deus ex materia ortus est, aut materia ex Deo, Lact. 2, 8.—
B Esp., matter of suppuration, pus , Cels. 3, 27, 4.—
II Transf., a stock, race, breed : quod ex vetere materia nascitur, plerumque congeneratum parentis senium refert, Col. 7, 3, 15: generosa (equorum), id. 6, 27 init. —
III Trop.
A The matter, subjectmatter, subject, topic, ground, theme of any exertion of the mental powers, as of an art or science, an oration, etc.: materiam artis eam dicimus in qua omnis ars et facultas, quae conficitur ex arte, versatur. Ut si medicinae materiam dicamus morbos ac vulnera, quod in his omnis medicina versetur; item quibus in rebus versatur ars et facultas oratoria, eas res materiam artis rhetoricae nominamus, Cic. Inv. 1, 5, 17: quasi materia, quam tractet, et in qua versetur, subjecta est veritas, id. Off. 1, 5, 16: est enim deformitatis et corporis vitiorum satis bella materies ad jocandum, id. de Or. 2, 59, 239; 1, 11, 49; id. Rosc. Com. 32, 89; id. Div. 2, 4, 12: sermonum, id. Q. Fr 1, 2, 1: materies crescit mihi, my matter (for writing about) increases , id. Att. 2, 12, 3: rei. id. Q. Fr. 2, 1, 1: aequa viribus, a subject suited to your powers , Hor. A. P. 38: infames, Gell. 17, 12, 1: extra materiam juris, the province , Gai. Inst. 2, 191.—
B A cause, occasion, source, opportunity (cf. mater, II.): quid enim odisset Clodium Milo segetem ac materiam suae gloriae? Cic. Mil. 13, 35 (for which shortly before: fons perennis gloriae suae): materies ingentis decoris, Liv. 1, 39, 3: non praebiturum se illi eo die materiam, id. 3, 46, 3: major orationis, id. 35, 12, 10: criminandi, id. 3, 31, 4: omnium malorum, Sall. C. 10: materiam invidiae dare, Cic. Phil. 11, 9, 21: materiam bonitati dare, id. de Or. 2, 84, 342: scelerum, Just. 3, 2, 12: seditionis, id. 11, 5, 3: laudis, Luc. 8, 16: benefaciendi, Plin. Pan. 38: ne quid materiae praeberet Neroni, occasion of jealousy , Suet. Galb. 9: epistolae, quae materiam sermonibus praebuere, Tac. H. 4, 4: praebere materiam causasque jocorum, Juv. 3, 147: materiamque sibi ducis indulgentia quaerit, id. 7, 21.—
C Natural abilities, talents, genius, disposition : fac, fuisse in isto C. Laelii, M. Catonis materiem atque indolem, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 68, § 160: in animis humanis, id. Inv. 1, 2, 2: materiam ingentis publice privatimade decoris omni indulgentia nostra nutriamus, Liv. 1, 39, 3: ad cupiditatem, id. 1, 46; Quint. 2, 4, 7.—Hence, one's nature, natural character : non sum materia digna perire tua, thy unfeeling disposition , Ov. H. 4, 86.—
D A subject, argument, course of thought, topic (post-Aug.): tertium diem esse, quod omni labore materiae ad scribendum destinatae non inveniret exordium, Quint. 10, 3, 14: argumentum plura significat ... omnem ad scribendum destinatam materiam ita appellari, id. 5, 10, 9: video non futurum finem in ista materia ullum, nisi quem ipse mihi fecero, Sen. Ep. 87, 11: pulcritudinem materiae considerare, Plin. Ep. 3, 13, 2; 2, 5, 5: materiam ex titulo cognosces, id. ib. 5, 13, 3 al. (materies animi est, materia arboris; et materies qualitas ingenii, materia fabris apta, Front. II. p. 481 Mai.; but this distinction is not observed by class. writers).