splendor, ōris, m. [splendeo], sheen, brightness, brilliance, lustre, splendor.
I Lit.
A In gen. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; syn.: fulgor, nitor): splendor acer adurit saepe oculos, Lucr. 4, 304: splendor clipeo clarior, Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 1: caelum splendore plenum, id. Merc. 5, 2, 39: flammae, Ov. F. 5, 366: auri (with nitor gemmae), Auct. Her. 4, 50, 63: argenti, Hor. S. 1, 4, 28: jussine in splendorem dare bullas has foribus nostris? to be polished , Plaut. As. 2, 4, 20; cf. id. Aul. 4, 1, 16: clarus vestis purpureaï, Lucr. 2, 52; cf.: magnificus Babylonicorum, id. 4, 1029: aquaï, clearness , id. 4, 211: aquarum, Front. Aquaed. 89: minii, Plin. 33, 7, 40, § 121: lapidis phengitae, Suet. Dom. 14 et saep.— Plur. : nitores et splendores auri, Gell. 2, 6, 4: tremuli splendores, Claud. Cons. Prob. et Olyb. 123. —
B In partic., of style of living, etc., splendor , magnificence , sumptuousness (class.; syn. magnificentia): (majores nostri) in publicā dignitate omnia ad gloriam splendoremque revocarunt, Cic. Fl. 12, 28: si quem horum aliquid offendit, si amicorum catervae, si splendor, si nitor, id. Cael. 31, 77: splendor domūs atque victūs, Gell. 1, 14, 1.—
II Trop., lustre , splendor , honor , dignity , excellence , etc. (so most freq. in Cic.): honesti homines et summo splendore praediti, Cic. Clu. 69, 198: summorum hominum splendor, id. de Or. 1, 45, 200: senator populi Romani, splendor ordinis, id. Caecin. 10, 28: equester, id. Rosc. Am. 48, 140; cf. id. Fam. 1, 3, 1; 1, 12, 27: imperii, id. Imp. Pomp. 14, 41: animi et vitae, id. Rep. 2, 42, 69: vitae, Liv. 3, 35, 1: dignitatis, Cic. Sull. 1: M. Catonis splendorem maculare, id. Sest. 28, 60: harum rerum splendor omnis et amplitudo, id. Off. 1, 20, 67: splendore nominis capti, id. Fin. 1, 13, 42: verborum Graecorum, id. Or. 49, 164; cf. id. ib. 31, 110; Plin. Ep. 7, 9, 2; Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 111: actio ejus habebat in voce magnum splendorem, clearness , Cic. Brut. 68, 239; so, vocis, id. ib. 71, 250; Plin. 20, 6, 21, § 47.