vesper, ĕris and ĕri (in class. prose mostly acc. vesperum, and abl. vespere, or adverb. vesperi; the plur. not used), m. (neutr., Varr. L. L. 7, § 50 and 9, § 73 Müll. acc. to Lachm.) [Gr. ἕσπερος, ἑσπέρα], the evening, even, eve, even-tide.
I Lit.: jam diei vesper erat, Sall. J. 52, 3; 106, 2: vesper fit (late Lat. for advesperascit), Vulg. Matt. 14, 15; 16, 2; 26, 20: ad vesperum, Cic. Lael. 3, 12; id. Fin. 2, 28, 92 Madv.; 3, 2, 8; Caes. B. C. 1, 3; id. B. G. 1, 26: sub vesperum, towards evening , id. ib. 2, 33; 5, 58; 7, 60; id. B. C. 1, 42.—Prov.: nescis, quid vesper serus vehat, the title of a satire by Varro, Gell. 13, 11, 1; Macr. S. 1, 7; cf.: denique, quid vesper serus vehat, Verg. G. 1, 461: cum quid vesper ferat, incertum sit, Liv. 45, 8: de vesperi suo vivere, on his own supper , i. e. to be one's own master , Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 5; cf. id. Rud. 1, 2, 91.—
B Esp., abl. adverb., in the evening.
1 Form vespere: primo vespere, Caes. B. C. 2, 43: litteras reddidit a. d. VIII. Id. Mart. vespere, Cic. Att. 11, 12, 1.—
2 Form vesperi: cum ad me in Tusculanum heri vesperi venisset Caesar, Cic. de Or. 2, 3, 13; id. Ac. 1, 1, 1; id. Mil. 20, 54; Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 62; id. Mil. 2, 5, 29; id. Rud. 1, 2, 91; Ter. And. 768: neque tam vesperi revortor, so late , id. Heaut. 67: primā vesperi (sc. horā), Caes. B. C. 1, 20.—
II Transf.
A The evening-star , Plin. 2, 8, 6, § 36; Verg. G. 1, 251: vespero surgente, Hor. C. 2, 9, 10: puro Vespero, id. ib. 3, 19, 26.—
B The West , Occident , Ov. Tr. 1, 2, 28; id. M. 1, 63: vespere ab atro, Verg. A. 5, 19.—Hence, for the inhabitants of the West , Occidentals , Sil. 3, 325.