sōbrĭus (sōbrĕus), a, um (comp. sobrior, Laber. ap. Charis. p. 64; elsewhere not compared), adj. [cf. Gr. σώφρων, σάος; Lat. sanus], not drunk, sober (freq. and class.).
I Lit., opp. vinolentus, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 17, 52; so id. Or. 28, 99; opp. vino madens, Plaut. Truc. 4, 4, 2; opp. madidus, id. Am. 3, 4, 18; cf. Hor. S. 2, 3, 5; Cato Utic. ap. Suet. Caes. 53; and ap. Quint. 8, 2, 9; opp. ebrius, Sen. Ep. 18, 4 (with siccus); Mart. 3, 16, 3; opp. temulentus, Tac. A. 13, 15 et saep.: male sobrius, i. e. ebrius, Tib. 1, 10, 51; Ov. F. 6, 785.—
B Transf., of things (poet. and post-Aug. prose; cf. ebrius): pocula, Tib. 1, 6, 28 (24): lympha mixta mero, id. 2, 1, 46: nox, in which there was no drinking , Prop. 3, 17 (4, 16), 11; cf. convictus, Tac. A. 13, 15: uva, not intoxicating , Plin. 14, 3, 4, § 31: rura, that furnish no wine , Stat. S. 4, 2, 37; cf. Suet. Dom. 7: sobrium vicum Romae dictum putant, vel quod in eo nulla taberna fuerit, vel quod in eo Mercurio lacte, non vino supplicabatur, Fest. pp. 296 and 297 Müll.: non sobria verba, i. e. of a drunken person , Mart. 1, 28, 5: paupertas, Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 411: lares pauperes nostros, sed plane sobrios revisamus, Ap. Met. 5, 10, 29.—
II In gen., sober , moderate , temperate , continent : parcus ac sobrius, Ter. Ad. 95: vigilans ac sollers, sicca, sana, sobria, Afran. ap. Non. 21, 33 (Com. Rel. p. 148 Rib.): homines frugi ac sobrii, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 27, § 67: auream quisquis mediocritatem Diligit ... caret invidendā Sobrius aulā, Hor. C. 2, 10, 8; Vell. 2, 63, 1: non aestimatur voluptas illa Epicuri, quam sobria et sicca sit, Sen. Vit. Beat. 12, 4: corda, Stat. S. 5, 1, 78: vetus illa Romana virtus et sobria, Amm. 15, 4, 3; opp. libidinosus, Lact. 3, 26, 7.—
B Trop., of the mind, sober , even-minded , clever , sensible , prudent , reasonable , cautious (syn.: mentis compos, sanus): satin' sanus es aut sobrius? Ter. Heaut. 707; cf.: satis credis sobriam esse, id. Eun. 703: tu homo non es sobrius, id. And. 778: vigilantes homines, sobrii, industrii, Cic. Cael. 31, 74: diligentes et memores et sobrii oratores, id. de Or. 2, 32, 140; opp. iracundus, Vell. 2, 41, 1: alte sobria ferre pedem, prudently , Ov. Am. 1, 12, 6.—Of things: opera Proba et sapiens et sobria, Plaut. Pers. 4, 5, 2: ingenium siccum ac sobrium, Sen. Ep. 114, 3: violenta et rapida Carneades dicebat, modesta Diogenes et sobria, Gell. 7, 14, 10.—Hence, adv.: sōbrĭē (acc. to II. A. and B.).
1 Moderately , temperately , frugally : vivere (with parce, continenter, severe; opp. diffluere luxuriā), Cic. Off. 1, 30, 106.—
2 Prudently , sensibly , circumspectly , = prudenter: ut hoc sobrie agatur, Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 29: curare aliquid, id. Mil. 3, 1, 215: hanc rem accurare, id. Ps. 4, 1, 29; id. Pers. 4, 1, 1.