mūnus (old orthogr. moenus; moenera militiaï, Lucr. 1, 29), ĕris, n. [root mu-; cf.: moenia, munis, munia, etc.], a service, office, post, employment, function, duty (class.; syn.: officium, ministerium, honos).
I Lit.: munus significat officium, cum dicitur quis munere fungi. Item donum quod officii causā datur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 140 Müll. (cf. infra): munus curare, to discharge an office , Plaut. Truc. 2, 4, 76: octo munus hominum fungi, id. Men. 1, 4, 5: administrare, Ter. Ad. 764: munus atque officium, Cic. Font. 7, 15: rei publicae, a public office , id. de Or. 1, 45, 199: belli, Liv. 24, 35: de jure respondendi sustinere, Cic. Brut. 30, 113: rei publicae explere, id. Prov. Cons. 14, 35: vigiliarum obire, to perform , Liv. 3, 6: officii, the performance of a duty , Cic. Sen. 11, 35: tuum est hoc munus, tuae partes: a te hoc civitas exspectat, duty, office, obligation , id. Fam. 11, 5, 3: principum est resistere levitati multitudinis, id. Mil. 8, 22: vitae, id. Sen. 11, 35: senectutis, id. Leg. 1, 3, 10.—
B Esp., = onus, a duty, burden, tribute : cum hoc munus imponebatur tam grave civitati, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 20, § 51: id quoque munus leve atque commune Mamertinis remisisti, id. ib. 2, 5, 21, § 52: dum ne quis eorum munere vacaret, Liv. 25, 7, 4: non enim detractionem eam munerum militiae, sed apertam defectionem esse, id. 27, 9, 9.—
II Transf.
A A work : majorum vigiliarum munus, Cic. Par. prooem.: solitudinis, a work, book, written in solitude , id. Off. 3, 1, 4.—
B A service, favor : huc ire licet atque illuc munere ditium dominorum, Sall. Orat. Licin.; Cic. Fam. 10, 11, 1.—
2 In partic., the last service, office to the dead, i. e. burial : pro hominis dignitate amplo munere extulit, Nep. Eum. 4, 4 (dub.; al. funere): suprema, Verg. A. 11, 25: supremum mortis, Cat. 101, 3: debita, Val. Fl. 3, 313: fungi inani Munere, Verg. A. 6, 885: cineri haec mittite nostro Munera, id. ib. 4, 624.—
C A present, gift (syn.: donum, praemium): bonum datum deorum concessu atque munere, Cic. Univ. 14: mittere alicui, id. Verr. 2, 4, 27, § 62: mittere aliquid alicui munere, to send one something as a present , Plin. 37, 5, 19, § 74 (al. muneri): quasi totam regionem muneri accepissent, had received as a present , Tac. A. 14, 31: aliquem munere donare, to present one with a gift , Verg. A. 5, 282: dare muneri aliquid alicui, to give one something as a present , Nep. Thras. 4, 2: munera Liberi, i. e. wine , Hor. C. 4, 15, 26: terrae, id. ib. 2, 14, 10: Cereris, bread , Ov. M. 10, 74; cf.: gratae post munus aristae, Juv. 14, 183: quem munere palpat Carus, i. e. a bribe , id. 1, 35.—
2 In partic.
a A public show, spectacle, entertainment, exhibition , esp. a show of gladiators , which was given to the people by the magistrates, and generally by the aediles, as an expression of gratitude for the honorable office to which they had been elected (cf.: ludus, spectaculum): erat munus Scipionis, dignum et eo ipso et illo Q. Metello, cui dabatur, Cic. Sest. 58, 124: munus magnificum dare, id. Q. Fr. 3, 8, 6: praebere, id. Sull. 19, 54: functus est aedilicio maximo munere, i. e. gave a splendid exhibition , id. Off. 2, 16, 55: edere, Suet. Tit. 7: venationes, quae vocantur munera, Lact. 6, 20: munera nunc edunt, Juv. 3, 36; 4, 18.—
b A public building for the use of the people, erected at the expense of an individual : Pompeii munera, the theatre , Vell. 2, 130, 1: aut ubi muneribus nati sua munera mater Addidit (i. e. theatro Marcelli porticum Octaviam), Ov. A. A. 1, 69.—
c Transf., of the structure of the universe : effector vel moderator tanti operis et muneris, Cic. Tusc. 1, 28, 70.