vātes (vātis, Cic. Div. 2, 5, 12 Christ.), is (gen. plur. vatium, id. Leg. 2, 8, 20 al.), comm. [perh. kindr. with Sanscr. vad, dicere, loqui; cf.: vas, vadis, and old Irish, fáith], a foreteller, seer, soothsayer, prophet.
I Lit.: bonus vates poteras esse: nam quae sunt futura dicis, Plaut. Mil. 3, 3, 37: falsus utinam vates sim, Liv. 21, 10, 10; 4, 46, 5; 36, 15, 2; Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 58, 132 (Trag. v. 356 Vahl.); Lucr. 1, 102; Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 20; id. N. D. 1, 20, 55; Liv. 25, 1, 8; 39, 8, 3; 39, 16, 8; Sall. H. 1, 48, 3 Dietsch; Verg. G. 3, 491; 4, 387; 4, 392; id. A. 3, 246; 5, 524; Hor. S. 2, 5, 6 al. — Fem. : tuque, o sanctissima vates, Praescia venturi, Verg. A. 6, 65: vatis sub tecta Sibyllae, id. ib. 6, 211; 3, 187; 6, 636; Sen. Troad. 37.—
II Transf.
A A poet; a poetess (the oldest name for a poet; but it fell into contempt, and was discarded for poëta, until restored to honor by Vergil; v. Munro ad Lucr. 1, 102; Müll. de re Metr. p. 65 sq.): versibu' quos olim Fauni vatesque canebant, Enn. ap. Cic. Brut. 19, 76 (Ann. v. 222 Vahl.); Verg. E. 7, 27; 9, 34; Hor. C. 1, 1, 35; 2, 20, 3; 4, 6, 44; 4, 9, 28; Tac. Or. 9; Quint. 10, 1, 48; 12, 10, 24; Plin. 14, 4, 6, § 56; cf. Varr. L. L. 7, § 36 Müll.— Fem. : sola tuum vates Lesbia vincit opus, i.e. Sappho , Ov. Tr. 3, 7, 20. —
B An oracle , i. e. a teacher , master , authority in any art or profession (post-Aug. and rare): Herophilus medicinae vates mirandā arte, Plin. 11, 37, 88, § 219: Q. Scaevola legum clarissimus et certissimus vates, Val. Max. 8, 12, 1.