sĕnātus, ūs (gen. senati, Plaut. Cas. 3, 2, 6; id. Ep. 2, 2, 5; Sisenn. ap. Non. 484, 18; Cic. Div. in Caecil. 5, 19; also cited ap. Charis. p. 116 P.; Sall. C. 30, 3; 36, 5; 53, 1. acc. to Non. 484, 15; Charis. p. 10 P.; Don. Ter. Hec. 356; Prisc. p. 712 P.; id. Fragm. ap. Don. Ter. And. 365; also Cic. Fam. 2, 7, 4, acc. to the pr. man. of the Cod. Medic.; cf. Quint. 1, 6, 27.—Another form of the gen. senatuis, C. Fann. ap. Charis. p. 116 P.; Sisenn. ap. Non. 484, 19; also, as it seems, Varr. ib. 484, 19, yet the passage itself is wanting.—In old orthog. SENATVOS, S. C. de Bacch.; dat. senato, Quint. 1, 6, 27), m. [senex; like γερουσία from γέρων; cf. Cic. Rep. 2, 28, 51; id. Sen. 6, 19],
I the council of the elders , the Senate , the supreme council in Rome, concerning whose origin, constitution, powers, etc., v. senator; cf. Momms. Hist. of Rome, 1, 113 sqq.; 1, 406 sqq. Am. ed.; Becker, Antiq. 2, 1, p. 339 sq.; 2, 2, p. 385 sq.; 2, 3, p. 210 sq.; and the authors there cited: quae (consilium, ratio, sententia) nisi essent in senibus, non summum consilium majores nostri appellassent senatum. Apud Lacedaemonios quidem ii, qui amplissimum magistratum gerunt, ut sunt sic etiam nominantur senes, Cic. Sen. 6, 19: Romuli senatus, qui constabat ex optimatibus, id. Rep. 2, 12, 23: (Majores nostri) senatum rei publicae custodem collo caverunt, id. Sest. 65, 137: senatus rem publicam tenuit, ut pleraque senatūs auctori tate gererentur, id. Rep. 2, 32, 56: ut potentia senatus atque auctoritas minueretur, id. ib. 2, 34, 59: cum potestas in populo, auctoritas in senatu sit, id. Leg. 3, 12, 28: nec per senatum solvi hac lege possumus, id. Rep. 3, 22, 33.—Freq. in the phrase: senatus populusque Romanus (often written S. P. Q. R.), the Senate and people of Rome , i.e. the State , the republic , Cic. Planc. 37, 90; id. Phil. 6, 2, 4; very rarely in reverse order: populus et senatus Romanus, Sall. J. 41, 2: populi Romani senatusque verbis, Liv. 7, 31, 10; 24, 37, 7; Vitr. praef. 1, 1: senatus (senati, senatuis, v. supra) consultum, a decree of the Senate (v. consulo, P. a. III.); senatūs auctoritas, the same (v. auctoritas, 4.): censuit senatus, the Senate resolved; v. censeo, 3. b. (cf. also decerno, I. A., and decretum, s. v. decerno fin. ): senatum convocare, Cic. Sull. 23, 65; id. Cat. 2, 6, 12: senatus est continuo convocatus frequensque convenit, id. Fam. 10, 12, 3; cf.: senatus frequens vocatu Drusi in curiam venit, id. de Or. 3, 1, 2: vocare senatum, Liv. 3, 38: cito cogere, Cic. Fam. 5, 2, 3; Suet. Caes. 16; id. Tib. 23: habere senatum, Cic. Fam. 1, 4, 1; id. Q. Fr. 2, 13, 3; Suet. Aug. 29: agere, id. Caes. 88; id. Aug. 35: eo die non fuit senatus neque postero, no session of the Senate , Cic. Fam. 12, 25, a, 1: eodem die Tyriis (legatis) est senatus datus frequens, i. e. gave audience , id. Q. Fr. 2, 13, 2 sq.; so, dare senatum (legatis), Sall. J. 13, 9; Nep. Hann. 7, 6; Liv. 41, 6 et saep.: senatu dimisso, Cic. Lael. 3, 12: dimittere senatum, id. Verr. 2, 4, 65, § 146: mittere, id. Q. Fr. 2, 1, 1: multa ejus (Catonis) et in senatu et in foro vel provisa prudenter vel acta constanter ferebantur, in the meetings of the Senate , id. Lael. 2, 6; cf.: (Catilina) etiam in senatum venit, id. Cat. 1, 1, 2: ad senatum adduci, in senatu poni, id. Fragm. ap. Quint. 9, 3, 50: ad senatum in Capitolio stare, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 45, 137: in senatu sedere, to sit among the senators , on the senatorial seats (in the theatre), Suet. Claud. 25 fin. ; cf.: in orchestram senatumque descendit, id. Ner. 12: in senatum venire, to become a senator , Cic. Fl. 18, 42: de senatu cooptando, nominating , electing , id. Verr. 2, 2, 49, § 122; Liv. 23, 3: de senatu movere, Cic. Clu. 43, 122: senatu movere, Sall. C. 23, 1 Dietsch; and: senatu emovere, Liv. 45, 15, 8: ex or de senatu eicere, Cic. Sen. 12, 42; id. Clu. 42, 119; 48, 135; Liv. 40, 51; 41, 27; 43, 15 al. (v. 1. lego and eicio): seminarium senatus, i. e. the order of Knights , from which new senators were elected, Liv. 42, 61, 5.—Also of the Senate of other nations: senatus (Gaditanus), Asin. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 32, 2: Aeduorum, Caes. B. G. 1, 31, 6: Venetorum, id. ib. 3, 16 fin. et saep.: Judaeorum, Vulg. 2 Macc. 11, 27.—
II Trop., a council , i. e. consultation (mostly ante-class.): de re argentariā senatum convocare in corde consiliarium, Plaut. Ep. 1, 2, 56: sibi senatum consili in cor convocare, id. Most. 3, 1, 158; 5, 1, 8; id. Mil. 2, 6, 111: deūm, Mart. Cap. 6, § 582.