Lewis & Short

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arbĭter, tri, m. [ar = ad (v. ad init.) and bito = eo], orig., one that goes to something in order to see or hear it; hence, a spectator, beholder, hearer, an eye-witness, a witness (class. through all periods; used several times by Plaut., but only twice by Ter.; syn.: testis, speculator, conscius).

  1. I. In gen.: aequi et justi hic eritis omnes arbitri, Plaut. Am. prol. 16: mi quidem jam arbitri vicini sunt, meae quid fiat domi, Ita per impluvium introspectant, id. Mil. 2, 2, 3: ne arbitri dicta nostra arbitrari (i. e. speculari, v. arbitror) queant, id. Capt. 2, 1, 28; so id. ib. 2, 1, 34; id. Cas. 1, 1, 2; 1, 1, 55; id. Mil. 4, 4, 1; id. Merc. 5, 4, 46; id. Poen. 1, 1, 50; 3, 3, 50; id. Trin. 1, 2, 109: aut desine aut cedo quemvis arbitrum, Ter. Ad. 1, 2, 43: quis est decisionis arbiter? Cic. Fl. 36: ab arbitris remoto loco, id. Verr. 2, 5, 31: remotis arbitris, after the removal of, id. Off. 3, 31, 112: omnibus arbitris procul amotis, Sall. C. 20, 1 Corte: arbitros eicit, Liv. 1, 41: remotis arbitris, id. 2, 4: sine arbitro, id. 27, 28: absque arbitris, Vulg. Gen. 39, 11: loca abdita et ab arbitris libera, Cic. Att. 15, 16 B; Just. 21, 4: secretorum omnium arbiter, i. e. conscius, Curt. 3, 12, 9: procul est, ait, arbiter omnis, Ov. M. 2, 458 (cf. id. ib. 4, 63: conscius omnis abest).
  2. II. Esp.
    1. A. In judic. lang., t. t., prop., he that is appointed to inquire into a cause (cf. adire hiberna, Tac. H. 1, 52, and intervenio) and settle it; hence, an umpire, arbiter, a judge, in an actio bonae fidei (i. e. who decides acc. to equity, while the judex decides acc. to laws), Sen. Ben. 3, 7 (cf. Zimmern, Rechtsgesch. 3 B, § 8; 3 B, § 42; 3 B, § 60 sq., and the jurists there cited).
      So in the fragments of the Twelve Tables: JVDICI. ARBITROVE. REOVE. DIES. DIFFISVS. ESTO., ap. Paul. ex Fest. s. v. reus, p. 227 Müll.: PraeTOR. ARBITROS. TRES. DATO. ap. Fest. s. v. vindiciae, p. 376 Müll., and the ancient judicial formula: P. J. A. V. P. V. D., i. e. PRAETOREM JVDICEM ARBITRVMVE POSTVLO VTI DET, Val. Prob. p. 1539 P.: ibo ad arbitrum, Plaut. Rud. 4, 3, 101; so id. ib. 4, 3, 104: Vicini nostri hic ambigunt de finibus: Me cepere arbitrum, Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 90 (arbiter dabatur his, qui de finibus regendis ambigerent, Don.); so, arbiter Nolanis de finibus a senatu datus, Cic. Off. 1, 10, 33.
      Of the Hebrew judges: subjacebit damno, quantum arbitri judicaverint, Vulg. Exod. 21, 22.
      Hence, trop.: Taurus immensus ipse et innumerarum gentium arbiter, that sets boundaries to numerous tribes, Plin. 5, 27, 27, § 97: arbitrum familiae herciscundae postulavit, Cic. Caecin. 7: arbitrum illum adegit (i. e. ad arbitrum illum egit; cf. adigo), id. Off. 3, 16, 66: quis in hanc rem fuit arbiter? id. Rosc. Com. 4, 12.
      In the time of Cicero, when, acc. to the Lex Aebutia, the decisions were given in definite formulae of the praetor, the formal distinction between judex and arbiter disappeared, Cic. Mur. 12 fin.
    2. B. Transf. from the sphere of judicial proceedings, a judge, an arbitrator, umpire, in gen.: arbiter inter antiquam Academiam et Zenonem. Cic. Leg. 1, 20, 53: Judicet Dominus, arbiter hujus diei, inter etc., Vulg. Jud. 11, 27.
      So of Paris: arbiter formae, Ov. H. 16, 69: pugnae, the judge, umpire of the contest, ὁ βραβευτής, Hor. C. 3, 20, 11: favor arbiter coronae, which adjudged the prize of victory, Mart. 7, 72, 10.
    3. C. He that rules over, governs, or manages something, a lord, ruler, master (mostly poet. or in post-Aug. prose; syn.: rex, dominus): arbiter imperii (Augustus), Ov. Tr. 5, 2, 47: armorum (Mars), id. F. 3, 73: bibendi, Hor. C. 2, 7, 25 (cf. id. ib. 1, 4, 18: nec regna vini sortiere talis, and in Gr. βασιλεὺς τοῦ συμποσίου): quo (sc. Noto) non arbiter Hadriae Major, who rules over the sea, id. ib. 1, 3, 15: arbiter Eurystheus irae Junonis iniquae, i. e. the executor, fulfiller of her wrath, Ov. H. 9, 45 al.
      In prose, Tac. A. 1, 26: regni, id. ib. 13, 14, where Halm reads arbitrium: rerum, id. ib. 2, 73: di potentium populorum arbitri, id. ib. 15, 24: (JOVI) RERVM RECTORI FATORVMQVE ARBITRO, Inscr. Orell. 1269 et saep.

arbī̆trĭum (in good MSS. and inscrr. sometimes arbī̆tērĭum), ii, n. [from arbiter, as adulterium from adulter]. In gen., a coming near, a being present, presence; hence meton. for persons present (only in post-Aug. poets): locus ab omni liber arbitrio. Sen. Hippol. 602, and id. Herc. Oet. 485: divina rerum cura sine arbitrio est, Auct. Aetnae, 195.

  • II. Esp.
    1. A.
      1. 1. The judgment, decision of an arbitrator (cf. arbiter, II.: arbitrium dicitur sententia, quae ab arbitro statuitur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 13 Müll.): aliud est judicium, aliud arbitrium. Judicium est pecuniae certae: arbitrium incertae, Cic. Rosc. Com. 4: Q. Scaevola summam vim dicebat esse in omnibus iis arbitriis, in quibus adderetur ex fide bonā, id. Off. 3, 17, 70; so, arbitrium rei uxoriae, id. ib. 3, 15; id. Top. 17, 66; cf. Dig. 24, 3, 66 fin.; 46, 3, 82 fin.; Cic. Rosc. Com. 9: arbitrium pro socio condemnari solerent, id. Quinct. 4, 13 B. and K. (here some consider arbitrium as a gloss, others read arbitrio, ad arbitrium, ad arbitrum, and the like; v. Orell. ad h. l.).
        1. 2. Transf. from the sphere of judic. proceedings, judgment, opinion, decision: arbitrium vestrum, vestra existimatio Valebit, Ter. Heaut. prol. 25: cum de te splendida Minos Fecerit arbitria, Hor. C. 4, 7, 21: de aliquo arbitria agere, Liv. 24, 45: arbitria belli pacisque agere, id. 44, 15; cf. Tac. A. 12, 60: agere arbitria victoriae, Curt. 6, 1 fin.; cf. Gron. Observ. 4, c. 11, p. 427, and Liv. 31, 11; 32, 37.
          Trop.: res ab opinionis arbitrio sejunctae, matters, in which nothing is decided according to mere opinion, Cic. de Or. 1, 23, 108: si volet usus, Quem penes arbitrium est et jus et norma loquendi, Hor. A. P. 72; Sen. Clem. 2, 7: arbitrio consilioque uti auris, to determine by the ear, Gell. 13, 20, 3.
      2. B. Mastery, dominion, authority, power, will, free-will: dedunt se In ditionem atque in arbitrium cuncti Thebano poplo, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 103 (Fleck., arbitratum): esse in pectore nostro quiddam, Cujus ad arbitrium quoque copia materiaiï Cogitur interdum flecti per membra, per artus, and at whose bidding the accumulated materials must yield obedience in every joint and limb, * Lucr. 2, 281: cujus (Jovis) nutu et arbitrio caelum, terra mariaque reguntur, Cic. Rosc. Am. 45, 131: ad alicujus arbitrium et nutum totum se fingere et adcommodare, id. Or. 8, 24; id. Verr. 1, 10, 30; 2, 5, 63 fin.; so Vulg. Lev. 13, 3; 13, 44: aliquid facere arbitrio suo, Cic. Phil. 6, 2: Mentes ad suum arbitrium movere, id. de Or. 2, 16, 70; so id. Par. 5, 1 fin.: quam (pecuniam) sponte et arbitrio cordis sui inferunt, Vulg. 4 Reg. 12, 4: vixit ad aliorum arbitrium, non ad suum, Cic. Mur. 9; so Hor. C. 3, 6, 40; 3, 2, 20; Tac. H. 1, 46; Suet. Caes. 9; 20; id. Aug. 28; id. Tit. 8; id. Galb. 14: in arbitrium vestrum diem constituistis ei, Vulg. Judith, 8, 13: orationem tibi misi: ejus custodiendae et proferendae arbitrium tuum, Cic. Att. 15, 13: munificentiam eorum in se ipsorum arbitrii debere esse, Liv. 37, 52: in arbitrio viri erit, ut faciat sive non faciat, Vulg. Num. 30, 14: tamquam congruere operationem eam serpentium humani sit arbitrī, Plin. 29, 3, 12, § 53; Suet. Tib. 18; id. Claud. 2: mox rei Romanae arbitrium (i. e. imperium, dominion, power) tribus ferme et viginti (annis) obtinuit, Tac. A. 6, 51; so, arbitrium orbis terrarum, Suet. Caes. 7; Nep. Con. 4, 1: huic deus optandi gratum, sed inutile fecit Muneris arbitrium, Ov. M. 11, 101: liberum mortis arbitrium, Suet. Dom. 8; 11; cf. Tac. A. 15, 60.
      3. C. Arbitria funeris, the expenses of a funeral (fixed by an arbiter), Cic. Dom. 37; id. Pis. 9 fin.; id. Red. in Sen. 7; cf. Dig. 11, 7, 12, § 6.