1. lēgo, āvi, ātum (archaic perf. legassit for legaverit, Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Cic. Inv. 2, 50, 148), 1, v. a. [lex; and therefore qs. lege creare], a publicist’s and jurid. t. t.
- I. A publicist’s t. t.
- A. To send with a commission or charge, to send on an embassy, send as ambassador; to depute, despatch: ne hoc quidem senatui relinquebas, ut legati ex ejus ordinis auctoritate legarentur, Cic. Vatin. 15, 35: hominem honestum ac nobilem legarunt ad Apronium, id. Verr. 2, 3, 48, § 114: eos privatae rei causa legari, id. Fam. 3, 8, 4: juste pieque legatus venio, Liv. 1, 32: tres adulescentes in Africam legantur, qui reges adeant, etc., Sall. J. 21, 4: quos Athenienses Romam ad senatum legaverant impetratum, etc., Gell. 7, 14, 8.
- 2. Transf. to the commission itself (ante- and post-class.): quae verba legaverint Rhodii ad hostium ducem, what they told him through their deputies, Gell. 15, 31 in lemm.
- b. Beyond the official sphere: quin potius, quod legatum est tibi negotium, Id curas? committed, intrusted, Plaut. Cas. 1, 12.
- B. To appoint or choose as deputy (as the official assistant, lieutenant, of a general or governor): eum (Messium) Caesari legarat Appius, Cic. Att. 4, 15, 9: ego me a Pompeio legari ita sum passus, ut, etc., id. ib. 4, 2, 6: istum legatum iri non arbitror, id. ib. 10, 1, 4: ne legaretur Gabinius Pompeio expetenti, id. de Imp. Pomp. 19, 57: Dolabella me sibi legavit, chose me for his lieutenant, id. Att. 15, 11, 4: Calpurnius parato exercitu legat sibi homines nobiles, etc., Sall. J. 28.
- II. A jurid. t. t.: aliquid, to appoint by a last will or testament, to leave or bequeath as a legacy (class.): Numitori, qui stirpis maximus erat, regnum vetustum Silviae gentis legat, Liv. 1, 3: legavit quidam uxori mundum omne penumque, Lucil. ap. Gell. 4, 1, 3: usumfructum omnium bonorum Caesenniae legat, Cic. Caecin. 4, 11: Fabiae pecunia legata est a viro, id. Top. 3, 14: cui argentum omne legatum est, Quint. 5, 10, 62: in argento legato, id. 7, 2, 11.
- B. Aliquid alicui ab aliquo, to leave one a legacy to be paid by the principal heir: uxori testamento legat grandem pecuniam a filio, si qui natus esset: ab secundo herede nihil legat, Cic. Clu. 12, 33: si paterfamilias uxori ancillarum usum fructum legavit a filio, neque a secundo herede legavit, id. Top. 4, 21; Quint. 7, 9, 5.
Hence,
- 1. lēgātus, i, m.
- A. (Acc. to lego, I. A.) An ambassador, legate, Cic. Vatin. 15, 35: legatos mittere, id. de Imp. Pomp. 12, 35: ad senatum legatos de aliqua re mittere, id. de Or. 2, 37, 155; cf.: missi magnis de rebus uterque Legati, Hor. S. 1, 5, 29: legatos mittere ad indicendum bellum, Liv. 31, 8; Ov. M. 14, 527.
- B. (Acc. to lego, I. B.).
- a. An official assistant given to a general or the governor of a province, a deputy, lieutenant, lieutenant-general: quos legatos tute tibi legasti? Cic. Pis. 14, 33: qui M. Aemilio legati fuerunt, id. Clu. 36, 99: Quintus frater meus legatus est Caesaris, id. Fam. 1, 9, 21; id. Off. 3, 20, 79; cf.: Murena summo imperatori legatus L. Lucullo fuit, qua in legatione duxit exercitum, etc., id. Mur. 9, 20; 14, 32: neque se ei legatum defuturum, id. Phil. 11, 7, 17; Val. Max. 5, 5, 1: hiberna cum legato praefectoque tradidisses, Cic. Pis. 35, 86: (Calvisius) duos legatos Uticae reliquerat, id. Phil. 3, 10 fin.: quaestorius, id. Verr. 2, 1, 21, § 56; Caes. B. G. 2, 5 fin.: L. Caesar, cujus pater Caesaris erat legatus, id. B. C. 1, 8, 2: magnitudo et splendor legati, Liv. 38, 58, 9: in magna legatum quaere popina, Juv. 8, 172.
- b. Under the emperors, a governor sent to a province by the emperor, Tac. A. 12, 40; id. Agr. 33; Suet. Vesp. 4; Spart. Hadr. 3 et saep.; cf. legatio, I. B. 2., and Orell. ad Tac. Agr. 9.
- (β) Legati legionum, commanders, Suet. Tib. 19; id. Vesp. 4; cf.: Caesar singulis legionibus singulos legatos et quaestorem praefecit, Caes. B. G. 1, 52; Tac. A. 2, 36; id. H. 1, 7.
Also called; legatus praetorius, Tac. Agr. 7.
- 2. lēgātum, i, n. (acc. to lego, II.), a bequest, legacy: legatum est delibatio hereditatis, qua testator ex eo, quod universum heredis foret, alicui quid collatum velit, Dig. 30, 116: Hortensii legata cognovi, Cic. Att. 7, 3, 9: reliqua legata varie dedit, Suet. Aug. 101; id. Tib. 48: legatum peto ex testamento, Quint. 4, 2, 6: jus capiendi legata alicui adimere, Suet. Dom. 8: cymbala pulsantis legatum amici, Juv. 9, 62: legatorum genera sunt quattuor, Gai. Inst. 2, 192; cf. sqq.
2. lĕgo, lēgi, lectum (gen. plur. part. legentum, Ov. Tr. 1. 7, 25), 3, v. a. [Gr. λέγω, λόγος, λογάς, etc.; Lat. legumen, di-leg-ens, neg-leg-o, etc.; cf. Germ. lesen], to bring together, to gather, collect.
- I. Lit.
- A. In gen.: oleam, Cato, R. R. 144: nuces, Cic. de Or. 2, 66, 265: herbas collibus, Ov. M. 14, 347: flores et humi nascentia fraga, Verg. E. 3, 92; cf.: roscida mala, id. ib. 8, 38: flores in calathos, Ov. F. 5, 218: spolia caesorum, Liv. 5, 39: quos (montanos asparagos), Juv. 11, 69.
Of the dead who have been burned: ossa, Ov. H. 10, 150: homini mortuo ossa, Cic. Leg. 2, 24, 60: ossa filii, Sen. de Ira, 2, 33, 6; cf. Quint. 8, 5, 21; Lact. de Mort. Persec. 21, 11: reliquias legerunt primores equestris ordinis, Suet. Aug. 100.
- B. Esp.
- 1. To take out, pick out, extract, remove: quibusdam et radi ossa et legi … quae sine totius pernicie corporis haerere non poterant, Sen. Prov. 1, 3, 2: ossa vivis, id. ad Marc. 22, 3: ossa in capite lecta, id. Ben. 5, 24, 3: ossa e vulneribus, Quint. 6, 1, 30.
- 2. To pluck, strip, gather fruit from (a tree, etc.): oleam qui legerit, Cato, R. R. 144, 1: ficus non erat apta legi, Ov. F. 2, 254.
- 3. Poet.: legere fila, to wind up: extrema Lauso Parcae fila legunt, i. e. spin the last thread of life, Verg. A. 10, 815; cf.: quae dedit ingrato fila legenda viro, Ov. F. 3, 462: stamen, Prop. 4 (5), 4, 40 (42).
- 4. Naut. t. t.: vela legere, to draw together, furl: omnis navita ponto umida vela legit, Verg. G. 1, 373: vela legunt socii, id. A. 3, 532: ipse dabit tenera vela, legetque manu, Ov. H. 15, 215; Val. Fl. 2, 13: prora funem legit Argus ab alta, draws in, takes in, id. 1, 312: ancoras classis legit, is weighing anchor, Sen. Troad. 759.
- 5. To take to one’s self unjustly, to carry off, steal, purloin, plunder, abstract (not in Cic.): omnia viscatis manibus leget, omnia sumet: crede mihi, auferet omnia, Lucil. ap. Non. 332 and 396, 4: majus esse maleficium stuprare ingenuam quam sacrum legere, Auct. Her. 2, 30 fin.: sacra divum, Hor. S. 1, 3, 117: soceros legere et gremiis abducere pactas, Verg. A. 10, 79 Serv. ad loc. (but Forbig. renders legere here as = eligere, sumere; cf. 8. infra).
- 6. Of places, to go, pass, or wander through (poet.): nec me studiosius altera saltus Legit, Ov. M. 5, 579: pars cetera pontum Pone legit, sails through, Verg. A. 2, 207: vada dura lego, id. ib. 3, 706: freta, id. ib. 3, 127: aequora Afra, Ov. F. 4, 289: Ioniumque rapax Icariumque legit, id. ib. 4, 566: vestigia alicujus, to follow one’s footsteps, to track or pursue him: subsequitur pressoque legit vestigia gressu, id. M. 3, 17; cf.: et vestigia retro Observata legit, Verg. A. 9, 392: tortos orbes, to wander through, id. ib. 12, 481.
- 7. To pass or sail by, to skirt, to coast along a shore, land, or place (mostly poet.): Inarimen Prochytenque legit, Ov. M. 14, 89; 15, 705; 709: primi litoris oram, coast along, i. e. not enter into details, Verg. G. 2, 44; id. E. 8, 7: navibus oram Italiae, Liv. 21, 51 fin.: oram Campaniae, Suet. Tib. 11; cf. terram, id. Aug. 16.
- 8. Pregn., to choose from a number, to pick out, single out, select, elect (class.): alia esse oportet forma quem tu pugno legeris, pick out to fight with, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 160: judices, Cic. Phil. 5, 6, 16: omnia, quae leget quaeque reiciet, id. Fin. 4, 15, 40: scribam, to elect, appoint, id. Clu. 45, 126: condiciones nubendi, id. Cael. 15: cives in patres, Liv. 23, 22: viros ad bella, Ov. M. 7, 669: geminasque legit de classe biremes, Verg. A. 8, 79: legit virum vir, each one singles out his man (of the combatants in a battle), id. ib. 11, 632: senatum ad modum pristinum redegit duabus lectionibus: prima ipsorum arbitratu, quo vir virum legit, Suet. Aug. 35; Tac. H. 1, 18: neque ejus legendam filiam (sc. virginem Vestalem) qui domicilium in Italia non haberet, At. Cap. ap. Gell. 1, 12, 8.
- * (β) With inf.: fidissima custos Lecta sacrum justae veneri occultare pudorem, Stat. Th. 1, 530.
- II. Trop.
- * A. To catch up, i. e. overhear a conversation: nunc huc concedam, ut horum sermonem legam, Plaut. Ps. 1, 4, 21 (cf. sublegere, id. Mil. 4, 2. 98).
- B. To catch with the eye, to view, observe, behold, survey, see.
- * 1. In gen.: tumulum capit, unde omnes longo ordine posset Adversos legere, Verg. A. 6, 755 Heyne ad loc.; and cf. Verg. A. 6, 34.
- 2. In partic., to read or peruse a writing: ut eos libros per te ipse legeres, Cic. Top. 1: defensionem causae, id. Verr. 2, 5, 43, § 112: legi apud Clitomachum, A. Albium jocantem dixisse, etc., id. Ac. 2, 45, 137: aliquid studiose intenteque, Plin. Ep. 9, 13, 1: significas legisse te in quadam epistula mea, jussisse Verginium, etc., id. ib. 9, 19, 1: philosophorum consultorumque opiniones, Quint. 12, 11, 17: liber tuus et lectus est et legitur a me diligenter, Cic. Fam. 6, 5, 1: orationem, Quint. 1, 1, 6: aiunt multum legendum esse non multa, Plin. Ep. 7, 9, 15.
With a pers. obj.: antiquos et novos, Quint. 2, 5, 23: antiquos studiosius, id. 3, 6, 62: poëtas, id. 1, 4, 4.
In pass.: Horatius fere solus legi dignus, Quint. 10, 1, 96: si cum judicio legatur Cassius Severus, id. 10, 1, 116: dumque legar, mecum pariter tua fama legetur, Ov. Tr. 5, 14, 5: sepulcra legens, when reading epitaphs, Cic. de Sen. 7, 21: legentium plerisque, Liv. 1 praef. § 4: opus nescio an minimae legentibus futurum voluptati, to my readers, Quint. 3, 1, 2; cf. id. 9, 4, 2; 2, 5, 3: nec Cynicos nec Stoica dogmata, Juv. 13, 121.
Absol.: legendi usus, Lact. 3, 25, 9: memoriam continuus legendi usus instruit, Macr. S. 1, 5, 1.
- b. In partic.
- (α) To read out, read aloud, recite (esp. freq. in post-Aug. authors): convocatis auditoribus volumen legere, etc., Cic. Brut. 51, 191: codicem pro contione, id. Fragm. ap. Quint. 4, 4, 8: audio me male legere, dumtaxat versus, orationes enim commodius, Plin. Ep. 9, 34: obturem impune legentibus aures, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 105: quem vero arripuit tenet occiditque legendo, with recitation, id. A. P. 475: quis dabit historico quantum daret acta legenti, to read him the news, Juv. 7, 104.
- (β) To find in an author or a writing: ut scriptum legimus, Cic. Deiot. 7, 19: legi etiam scriptum, esse avem quandam, etc., id. N. D. 2. 49 init.: ego vero haec scripta legi, id. Planc. 39, 94: praeterea scriptum legimus, Gallos in venatibus tinguere sagittas, Gell. 17, 15, 7. relatum legere, Nep. praef. 1.
Pass.: in aliis codicibus non peccato sed peccatis legitur, Aug. Cont. Jul. Rel. 1, 22; id. Don. Persev. 6 init. al.
- C. A publicist’s t. t.: legere senatum, to read over or call off the names of senators (which was done by the censors; v. lectio, II. A. 2.): censores fideli concordia senatum legerunt, Liv. 40, 51; 9, 29; 9, 30; 9, 46; 43, 15 al.
Hence, lĕgens, entis, Part. as subst. m., a reader (poet. and in post-Aug. prose for lector), Ov. Tr. 1, 7, 25.
Plur., Liv. praef. 4; Quint. 3, 1, 2; Plin. 8, 16, 17, § 44; Tac. A. 4, 33.
Also, lectus, a, um, P. a., chosen, picked out, selected; choice, excellent (class.): argenti lectae numeratae minae, good, i. e. of full weight, Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 50; so, argentum, Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 3: ut neque vir melior neque lectior femina in terris sit, Cic. Inv. 1, 31, 52: lectissimi viri atque ornatissimi, id. Verr. 2, 1, 6, § 15; cf. id. Div. in Caecil. 9, 29: uxor lectissima, id. Inv. 1, 31, 52: (verbis) lectis atque illustribus uti, id. de Or. 3, 37, 150: nihil est aliud … pulcre et oratorie dicere nisi optimis sententiis verbisque lectissimis dicere, id. Or. 68, 227: juvenum lectissime, Stat. S. 5, 1, 247; cf.: viginti lectis equitum comitatus, Verg. A. 9, 48.
Hence, adv.: lectē, choicely, selectly (very rare): ab lego lecte ac lectissime, Varr. L. L. 6, § 36 Müll.
Comp.: lectius, Varr. R. R. 1, 54, 2 (al. lecta).