paganus

A New Latin Dictionary by Charlton T. Lewis Ph.D. and Charles Short, LL. D.

pāgānus, a, um, adj. [pagus].

I Of or belonging to the country or to a village , rustic : PORTICVS, Inscr. (A. U. C. 659) Orell. 3793: lex, Plin. 28, 2, 5, § 28: foci, Ov. F. 1, 670.—

B Subst.: pāgānus , i, m., a countryman , peasant , villager , rustic : nulli pagani aut montani, Cic. Dom. 28, 74: pagani vel decuriones, Cod. Th. 7, 21, 2.—

II Opposed to military, civil , civic : vel paganum est peculium vel castrense, Cod. Just. 3, 28, 37.—As subst.: pāgānus , i, m., a civilian , a citizen , Tac. H. 3, 24: paganorum turba, Suet. Galb. 19: milites et pagani, Plin. Ep. 10, 18, 2; Juv. 16, 33.—

III Transf., rustic , unlearned : cultus, Plin. Ep. 7, 25, 6; cf. semipaganus.—

B In eccl. Lat. (like gentilis) for heathen , pagan (opp. Jewish or Christian); and subst., a heathen , a pagan : ritus cultusque, Cod. Th. 16, 7, 2: sacerdotales paganae superstitionis, ib. 16, 10, 20; Tert. Cor. Mil. 11: deorum falsorum multorumque cultores paganos vocamus, Aug. Retract. 2, 43; Hier. in Psa. 41: ex locorum agrestium compitis et pagis pagani vocantur, Oros. 1 praef.

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