ŏpĕra, ae, f. [opus], service, pains, exertion, work, labor (opus is used mostly of the mechanical activity of work, as that of animals, slaves, and soldiers; opera supposes a free will and desire to serve).
I Lit.
A In gen.: omnes, quorum operae, non quorum artes emuntur, Cic. Off. 1, 42, 150: sine hominum manu atque operā, id. ib. 2, 4, 14: operam exigere, id. ib. 1, 13, 41: perdere, id. de Or. 1, 28, 126: praebere amicis, id. Brut. 47, 174: in re ponere, id. Clu. 57, 157: curamque in rebus honestis ponere, id. Off. 1, 6, 19: et laborem consumere in aliquā re, to bestow labor and pains on any thing , id. de Or. 1, 55, 234: studiumque in res obscuras conferre, id. Off. 1, 6, 19: tribuere rei publicae, id. Div. 2, 2, 7; sumere, id. Verr. 2, 4, 31, § 69: impendere, id. ib. 2, 2, 30, § 68: polliceri, Sall. C. 28, 1; 40, 6: insumere, Liv. 10, 18: dicare alicui, Ter. Phorm. 62: interponere, to bestow , employ , Cic. Div. in. Caecil. 19, 63: ipse dabat purpuram tantum, amici operas, gave their work thereto , i. e. wrought it , id. Verr. 2, 4, 26, § 59: pleraque sunt hominum operis effecta, id. Off. 2, 3, 12: ibo, atque illam adducam, Quam propter opera est mihi, on whose behalf I am engaged , Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 93: operam navare, Cic. Fam. 15, 12, 2; Liv. 25, 6, 15.—
B In partic., a service , rendering of service : Cn. Pupius, qui est in operis ejus societatis, in the service of the society or company , Cic. Fam. 13, 9, 3: operae forenses, id. Fin. 1, 4, 10: P. Terentius, qui operas in portu et scripturā pro magistro dat, serves as director , id. ib. 13, 65, 11: ferrum istud bonas edet operas, will do good service , Sen. Prov. 2, 10: musis operas reddere, to do service to , to serve , Cic. Fam. 16, 10, 2: dare operas alicui, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 11.—
II Transf.
A Care , attention , exertion bestowed on any thing: deditā operā, seriously , with a purpose , Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 29.—So esp. freq.,
1 Operam dare, to bestow care or pains on , to give attention to any thing.—Constr. with dat., with ut or ne ( = studere).
α With dat.: dant operam simul auspicio augurioque, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107 (Ann. v. 81 Vahl.): dare operam funeri, to attend , Cic. Att. 15, 1, 1: bellis, Sive foro, Ov. R. Am. 165: amori, Ter. Heaut. 110: liberis ( to the begetting of children ), Cic. Fam. 9, 22, 3: memoriae alicujus, to attend to what brings a person to mind , Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 1, 1: tonsori, to get shaved , Suet. Aug. 79: alicui, to attend to one , listen to him , Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 52: sermoni, Cic. Leg. 2, 1, 4: amico, to serve , Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 17: me huic dedisse operam malam, that I have done him an ill turn , id. Capt. 3, 5, 43.—For dat. the acc. with ad occurs: benigne operam detis ad nostrum gregem, Plaut. Cas. prol. 21.—
β With ut and subj.: da operam, ut valeas, Cic. Att. 16, 16, A, 5: omnem operam do, ut cognoscam, Sen. Contr. 4, 24, 15; id. Vit. Beat. 3, 2.—
γ With ne : dent operam consules, ne quid respublica detrimenti capiat, Caes. B. C. 1, 5: ego omnem operam dabo, ne pervenire ad me erubescat, Sen. Polyb. 13, 3: studiose te operam dare, ut ne quid meorum tibi esset ignotum, Cic. Fam. 13, 11, 1.—
δ With subj. alone: dabo operam, quoad exercitus huc summittatis, etc., Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 21, 6.—
ε With inf.: id scire, Ter. Hec. 553.—
2 In abl.: operā meā, tuā, etc., through my ( thy , etc.) means , agency , fault : fateor Abiisse eum abs te, meā operā atque astutiā, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 21: quid mihi nisi malum vostra opera'st? id. Ps. 1, 2, 50: non meā operā, neque pol culpā evenit, Ter. Hec. 228: meā operā, Q. Fabi, Tarentum recepisti, Cic. Sen. 4, 11.—
3 Unā or eādem operā, in the same manner , at the same time (ante-class.): unā operā mihi sunt sodales, quā iste, Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 31: eādem operā a praetore sumam syngrapham, id. ib. 2, 3, 89.—
4 Operā, by experience (ante-class.): nam te omnes saevom commemorant ... ego contra operā expertus, Plaut. Trin. 4, 1, 7: id operā expertus sum esse ita, id. Bacch. 3, 2, 3: magis non factum possum velle quam operā experiar persequi, id. Capt. 2, 3, 65.—
5 Operae pretium, v. pretium, II. B.—
B Leisure , spare time for any thing (class., but in the phrase operae est, only ante-class. and Livian): operae ubi mihi erit, ad te venero, as soon as I can spare the time , Plaut. Truc. 4, 4, 30: si operae illi esset, if he had time , Liv. 5, 15; 4, 8; 44, 36: dicam, si tibi videam esse operam, aut otium, Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 15: operae non est, id. ib. 5, 2, 77: quos tu operam gravare mihi, id. Rud. 2, 4, 21: de versibus, quos tibi a me scribi vis, deest mihi quidem opera, I have not time or leisure , Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 4, 4.—
C In concr.
1 A day's work or labor (usu. in plur.): quaternis operis singula jugera confodere, Varr. R. R. 1, 18: puerilis una opera, Col. 11, 2, 44: bubulcorum operae quatuor, id. 2, 13: operae (filiorum) locari possunt, Paul. Sent. 5, 1, 1.—
2 A day-laborer , journeyman; also, in gen., a laborer , workman (usu. in plur.): ipse dominus dives operis et laboris expers, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 16: plures operas conducere, Col. 3, 21: nona, a ninth laborer (on his farm), Hor. S. 2, 7, 118; Suet. Oct. 3.—Hence, transf., in a bad sense: operae, hired aiders , abettors , tools , etc. (of political or theatrical parties): mercenariae (corresp. to multitudo conducta), Cic. Phil. 1, 9, 22; cf.: erat mihi contentio cum operis conductis et ad diripiendam urbem concitatis, id. Sest. 17, 38: Claudianae, id. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 2; cf. id. Att. 4, 3, 3: theatrales, parties for the purpose of applauding , theatrical factions , Tac. A. 1, 16: VETERES A SCENA, Inscr. Grut. 467, 7.—
3 That which is wrought or produced , a work : operae aranearum, i. e. spiders’ webs , Plaut. As. 2, 4, 19: exstabit opera peregrinationis hujus, Cic. Att. 15, 13, 6.