con-flŭo, xi, 3 (confluxet = confluxisset, Lucr. 1, 987), v. n., to flow or run together (class. in prose and poetry).
- I. Prop.: materies umoris, Lucr. 6, 637: in imum, id. 5, 498: copia materiai Undique confluxet ad imum, id. 1, 987: confluat aër, id. 1, 389 al.: Fibrenus divisus aequaliter in duas partes cito in unum confluit, Cic. Leg. 2, 3, 6: ibi Isara Rhodanusque amnes … confluunt in unum, Liv. 21, 31, 4: qui (portus) cum diversos inter se aditus habeant, in exitu conjunguntur et confluunt, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 52, § 117: vasti amnes e diverso in Phasin confluunt, Plin. 6, 4, 4, § 13: qualis et in curvum pontus confluxerit orbem, Tib. 4, 1, 20: Panticapen confluere infra Olbiam cum Borysthene, Plin. 4, 12, 26, § 83: a confluente Rhodano castra movi, i. e. where it unites with the Saōne, Lepidus ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 34, 1: aqua in rivum confluit, Dig. 8, 3, 20, § 1.
Hence,
- B. conflŭens, entis, or conflŭentes, ium, subst. m., the place where two rivers unite, the confluence: cum ad confluentem Mosae et Rheni pervenissent, Caes. B. G. 4, 15.
In sing., Plin. 6, 26, 30, § 122: a confluente supra dicto, id. 3, 26, 29, § 149; Just. 32, 3, 8: ubi Anienem transiit, ad confluentes collocat castra, at the confluence of the Anio with the Tiber, Liv. 1, 27, 4; 4, 17, 2; id. Epit. 137; Plin. 6, 26, 31, § 126; Tac. H. 2, 40 al.
Hence, κατ’ ἐξοχήν, Conflŭentes, ium, the town of Coblentz, situated at the confluence of the Moselle with the Rhine, Suet. Calig. 8; Flor. 4, 6, 3; Amm. 16, 3, 1.
- II. Trop., of other objects, esp. of a great multitude, to flock or crowd together, to come together in multitudes: multi confluxerunt et Athenas et in hanc urbem, Cic. Brut. 74, 258: perfugarum magnus ad eum cotidie numerus confluebat, Caes. B. G. 7, 44: ut ad ejus triremem vulgus conflueret, Nep. Alcib. 6, 1: ad spectacula, Suet. Caes. 39: Neapolin, id. Ner. 20: plures ad haec studia, Cic. Tusc. 2, 2, 6: undique ad eum auxiliis confluentibus, Vell. 2, 55, 2; 2, 80, 4.
Absol.: multitudo confluens, Suet. Caes. 16: turba undique confluentis fluctuantisque populi, Gell. 10, 6, 2: ut nos dicamur duo Omnium dignissimi quo cruciatus confluant, Plaut. As. 2, 2, 48; cf. id. Ep. 4, 1, 3.
- b. With abstr. subjects: maeror, Lucr. 6, 1260: ad ipsos laus, honos, dignitas confluit, Cic. Inv. 1, 4, 5: ut ad nos pleraeque (causae) confluant, etc., id. Planc. 34, 84; Ov. M. 9, 741; Suet. Tib. 10.