mīlĕs (MEILES, Inscr. Mur. 582; late form, milex, Gromat. Vet. p. 246, 19), ĭtis, comm. [Sanscr root mil-, to unite, combine; cf.: mille, milites, quod trium millium primo legio fiebat, ac singulae tribus Titiensium, Ramnium, Lucerum milia singula militum mittebant, Varr. L. L. 5, § 89 Müll.], a soldier.
I Lit.
A In gen.: miles, qui locum non tenuit, Cic. Clu. 46, 128: legere milites, to levy, raise , Pompei, ap. Cic. Att. 8, 12 a, 3: scribere, to enlist, enroll , Sall. J. 43, 3: deligere, Liv. 29, 1: ordinare, to form into companies , id. ib.: mercede conducere, to hire, take into one's pay , id. ib. 29, 5: dimittere, to dismiss , Cic. Fam. 3, 3, 2: miles tremulus, i. e. Priam , Juv. 10, 267: miles cum die, qui prodictus sit, aberat, neque excusatus erat, infrequens dabatur, Gell. 16, 4, 5.—
B In partic., of foot-soldiers, infantry , in opp. to eques: tripartito milites equitesque in expeditionem inisit, Caes. B. G. 5, 10: v. eques.—Opp. to the general: miles gregarius, or miles alone, a common soldier, private : strenui militis et boni imperatoris officia simul exsequebatur, Sall. C. 60, 4; id. J. 62; Vell. 2, 18, 1 volgus militum, Liv. 22, 30, 7: maritim as, a soldier in sea-service, marine , Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 61.—
II Transf.
A Collect., the soldiery, the army (esp. freq. in the postAug. per.), Liv. 22, 57 fin. ; Verg. A. 2, 495; Vell. 1, 15, 1; 2, 78, 2; Tac. A. 1, 2; 24; 2, 16; Juv. 10, 155; 16, 18 et saep.—
B Under the emperors, an armed servant of the emperor, court-official , Cod. Th. 11, 1, 34; Dig. 4, 6, 10.—
C A chessman, pawn , in the game of chess: discolor ut recto grassetur limite miles, Ov. Tr. 2, 477.—
D Fem. , of a woman who is in childbed for the first time: et rudis ad partūs et nova miles eram, Ov. H. 11, 48.—Of a nymph in the train of Diana: miles erat Phoebes, Ov. M. 2, 415.—
E (Eccl. Lat.) Of a servant of God or of Christ, struggling against sin, etc.: bonus Christi, Vulg. 2 Tim. 2, 3.