prior

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

prĭor and prĭus (old form also in neutr. prior, Val. Antias and Quadrig. ap. Prisc. p. 767), ōris, adj. comp. [from obsol. prep. pri; v. primus init.], former, previous, prior, freq. to be translated first; cf. superior; Cicero nearly always uses prior, opp. to posterior, in time; superior in sense of former, in gen. relation to the present, when no other time is expressed; v. Krebs, Antibarb. p. 921 sq.

I Lit.: ita priori posterius, posteriori superius non jungitur, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 14, 44: me quaestorem in primis, aedilem priorem, praetorem primum populus Romanus faciebat, id. Pis. 1, 2: qui prior has angustias occupaverit, first , Caes. B. C. 1, 66: prior proelio lacessere, id. ib. 1, 82: etsi utrique primas, priores tamen libenter deferunt Laelio, Cic. Brut. 21, 84: priore loco causam dicere, first , id. Quint. 9, 32: priore aestate, in the former summer , last summer , id. Fam. 1, 9, 24: priore nocte, id. Cat. 1, 4, 8: factum est enim meā culpā, ut priore anno non succederetur, id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 1, § 2: prioribus comitiis, id. Planc. 22, 54: priore anno, the year before , Liv. 3, 9, 7; 3, 10, 14; 4, 56, 5: prioris anni consules, id. 4, 13, 10; 4, 17, 9: Dionysius prior, the elder , Nep. Dion, 1, 3: vinum, of last year , Plin. 14, 19, 24, § 120: priore libro, in the previous book , Col. 4, 22, 9: pedes, the forefeet , Nep. Eum. 5, 5; Plin. 8, 45, 70, § 181: canities homini semper a priori parte capitis, tum deinde ab aversā, the forepart , Plin. 11, 37, 47, § 131.—Pleon.: cum prior Romanus exercitus praevenisset, Liv. 9, 23, 2: prius praecepta res erat, id. 21, 32, 7; cf. id. 9, 23, 2.— Old neutr. prior: hoc senatusconsultum prior factum est, Val. Antias ap. Prisc. p. 767 P.: prior bellum, Quadrig. ib.: foedus prior, id. ib. (cf.: bellum Punicum posterior, Cass. Hem. ib.).—

2 Former , i. e. deceased (late Lat.): inter prieres fratres, Amm. 21, 6, 2.—

B Subst.: prĭōres , um, m., forefathers , ancestors , the ancients (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): abiturus illuc, quo priores abierunt, Phaedr. 4, 18, 16: nomen dixere priores Ortygiam, Verg. A. 3, 693: nec ingeniis investigata priorum, Ov. M. 15, 146; 332: priores tradiderunt, Col. 1, 4, 3: nostri, Plin. Ep. 3, 4: more priorum, Ov. M. 10, 218; Sen. Ep. 52, 2.—

II Trop., better , superior , preferable , more excellent or important (not in Cic. and Caes.): bellante prior, Hor. C. S. 51: color puniceae flore prior rosae, id. C. 4, 10, 4; Ov. H. 18, 69: ut nemo haberetur prior, Liv. 27, 8: aetate et sapientiā, Sall. J. 10, 7: consilio et manu, id. ib. 96, 3: neque prius, neque antiquius quidquam habuit, quam, etc., Vell. 2, 52, 4.—Esp. with potior : potius quanto prius potiusque est Philippum nobis conjungere quam hos, Vell. 36, 7, 6: nulla (res) prior potiorque visa est, id. 8, 29, 2: nihil prius nec potius visum, id. 39, 47, 4: unus Plinius est mihi priores, i. e. worth more than they all , Sent. Augur. ap. Plin. Ep. 4, 27, 4: artium multitudine prior omnibus, eloquentiā nulli secundus, Ap. Flor. 2, p. 346.—Hence, adv. comp. : prĭus .

A Before , sooner , first , previously (class.).

1 Alone: quem fuit aequius, ut prius introieram in vitam, sic prius exire de vitā, Cic. Lael. 4, 15: regem prius Europā, post et Asiā, expellere, Liv. 37, 52, 4: ut vos prius experti estis, nunc Antiochus experitur, id. 36, 17, 8; so, prius ... nunc, Verg. G. 3, 362: prius ... tum, Cato R. R. 135; Liv. 34, 55, 5: prius .... postea, id. 29, 12, 11.—

2 With quam , and often joined in one word, priusquam.

α Before that , before : prius quam lucet, assunt, before dawn , Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 115: prius illi erimus quam tu, id. Ps. 2, 4, 68: prius quam plane aspexit ilico eum esse dixit, id. Rud. 4, 4, 87: nihil prius mihi faciendum putavi, quam ut, etc., Cic. Att. 4, 1, 1: cui prius quam de ceteris rebus respondeo, de amicitiā pauca dicam, before , id. Phil. 2, 1, 3: quod ego, prius quam loqui coepisti, sensi, id. Vatin. 2, 4: neque prius fugere destiterunt, quam ad flumen Rhenum pervenerunt, Caes. B. G. 1, 53: quid potius faciam, prius quam me dormitum conferam, non reperio, Cic. Fam. 9, 26, 1: priusquam aggrediar, etc., id. Balb. 7, 18: prius quam ad portam venias, Ter. Ad. 583.—

β Sooner , rather : Aegyptii quamvis carnificinam prius subierint, quam ibin aut aspidem violent, Cic. Tusc. 5, 27, 78; id. Lig. 12, 34; Caes. B. C. 3, 1.—Sometimes in an inverted order: ad hoc genus hominum duravi, quam prius me ad plures penetravi, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 13; Prop. 2, 14, 11 (3, 10, 10); v. Zumpt, Gram. § 576.—

B In gen., formerly , in former times (poet.), Cat. 51, 13: sed haec prius fuere: nunc, etc., id. 4, 25; Prop. 1, 1, 18.

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