splendĕo, ēre (perf. splendui, Aug. Conf. 10, 27), v. n., to shine, be bright; to gleam, glitter, glisten (mostly poet.; in Cic. only once in the trop. sense; syn.: luceo, fulgeo, niteo).
I Lit.: sparsis hastis longis campus splendet et horret, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 4 (Sat. v. 15 Vahl.): oculi splendent, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 101: splendens stella candida, id. Rud. prol. 3: scenaï simul varios splendere decores, Lucr. 4, 984: claro splendere colore, id. 5, 1258: splendet tremulo sub lumine pontus, Verg. A. 7, 9: labra splendentia, id. ib. 12, 417: sedes fulgenti splendent auro, Cat. 64, 44: splendet focus, Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 7; cf.: paternum Splendet salinum, id. C. 2, 16, 14: (cubiculum) marmore splendet, Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 38: Glycera splendens, Hor. C. 1, 19, 6: jam nec Lacaenae splendet adulterae Famosus hospes, id. ib. 3, 3, 25: quid fuco splendente genas ornare, Tib. 1, 8, 11; Mart. 4, 79, 2: splendebat hilare poculis convivium, Phaedr. 2, 24, 20.—
II Trop., to shine , to be bright or illustrious : virtus lucet in tenebris splendetque per sese semper, * Cic. Sest. 28, 60: splendere alienā invidiā, Liv. 38, 53; cf. id. 22, 34; 10, 24, 11: auctores in equestri ordine splendentes, Plin. 8, 5, 4, § 10.—Hence, P. a. : splendens , entis, brilliant : splendentior igne clipeus, Claud. Gigantom. 77.