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|lshtext=<b>scĕlus</b>: ĕris, n. Sanscr. [[root]] skhal, to [[fall]], [[akin]] to khal-, to [[deceive]]; cf. Goth. skal, to [[owe]],<br /><b>I</b> an [[evil]] [[deed]]; a [[wicked]], [[heinous]], or [[impious]] [[action]]; a [[crime]], [[sin]], [[enormity]], [[wickedness]] (the strongest [[general]] [[term]] for a [[morally]] [[bad]] [[act]] or [[quality]]; [[very]] freq. [[both]] in sing. and plur.; cf. [[nefas]]).<br /><b>I</b> Lit.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>1</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Absol.: [[facinus]] est vincire civem Romanum, [[scelus]] verberare, [[prope]] [[parricidium]] necare, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 66, § 170; cf. so (opp. to flagitia and delicta) Tac. G. 12: majus in [[sese]] [[scelus]] concipere nefariis sceleribus coöpertus, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 4, § 9; id. Rosc. Am. 13, 37: detestabile [[scelus]], id. Lael. 8, 27: [[scelus]] [[atque]] [[perfidia]], id. Rosc. Am. 38, 109; so ([[with]] [[perfidia]]) id. Phil. 11, 2, 5; id. Att. 2, 22, 2; 3, 13, 2; Sall. J. 107, 2; Liv. 40, 39 al.; cf. ([[with]] [[audacia]]) Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 66, § 170; ([[with]] [[furor]]) id. ib. 2, 5, 62, § 161; ([[with]] [[avaritia]]) id. ib. 2, 5, 9, § 24; id. Clu. 8, 23: [[documentum]] Persarum sceleris, id. Rep. 3, 9, 15: ex hac parte [[pudor]] pugnat, [[illinc]] [[petulantia]] ... [[hinc]] [[pietas]], [[illinc]] [[scelus]], id. Cat. 2, 11, 25: [[scelus]] est [[igitur]], nocere bestiae, [[quod]] [[scelus]] qui velit, etc., id. Rep. 3, 11, 19: [[quid]] mali aut sceleris fingi aut excogitari potest, [[quod]], etc., id. Cat. 2, 4, 7: nefario scelere [[concepto]], id. Verr. 2, 4, 32, § 72: concipere in se, id. ib. 2, 1, 4, § 9 (v. [[supra]]): [[tantum]] sceleris admittere, id. Att. 9, 10, 3: [[scelus]] nefarium facere, id. de Or. 1, 51, 221; cf. id. Rosc. Am. 9, 25: perficere, id. Clu. 68, 194: [[scelus]] an-helare, id. Cat. 2, 1, 1: moliri, id. Att. 7, 11, 1: edere, id. Phil. 13, 9, 21; cf.: edere in aliquem, id. Sest. 27, 58: suscipere, id. Phil. 11, 1, 2: scelere se alligare, id. Fl. 17, 41: scelere astringi, id. Sest. 50, 108: scelere obstringi, id. Verr. 2, 4, 32, § 71: obrui, Liv. 3, 19 et saep.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>2</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; With gen. obj.: [[scelus]] legatorum [[contra]] jus gentium interfectorum, the [[crime]] of murdering [[their]] deputies, Liv. 4, 32.—Prov.: [[vulgo]] dicitur: Scelera non habere [[consilium]], Quint. 7, 2, 44.—<br /><b>II</b> Transf.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>A</b> Of animals or [[inanimate]] things ([[post]]-Aug.; perh. [[only]] in Plin.), a [[bad]] [[quality]], [[vicious]] [[nature]], a [[vice]], [[fault]]: nec bestiarum [[solum]] ad nocendum scelera sunt, sed [[interim]] aquarum [[quoque]] et locorum, Plin. 25, 3, 6, § 20: maximum salamandrae, id. 29, 4, 23, § 74: Scythae sagittas tingunt viperină sanie ... inremediabile id [[scelus]], id. 11, 53, 115, § 279.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>B</b> Concr., in [[vulgar]] lang. as a [[term]] of [[reproach]], [[rascal]], [[scoundrel]], [[villain]], [[rogue]]; and of women, [[drab]], [[baggage]], etc.: [[minime]] [[miror]], [[navis]] si fracta [[tibi]], Scelus te et [[sceleste]] parta quae vexit bona, Plant. Rud. 2, 6, 22; id. Am. 2, 1, 7; id. Bacch. 5, 1, 9; id. Mil. 3, 2, 14; 3, 2, 27; id. Pers. 4, 9, 6; Ter. And. 2, 1, 17; 4, 1, 42; id. Eun. 5, 4, 19; id. Ad. 5, 1, 6; 5, 1, 12 al.; cf.: [[scelus]] viri, [[you]] [[scoundrel]] of a [[man]], Plaut. Truc. 2, 7, 60.— With a masc. pron.: is me [[scelus]] attondit, etc., Plaut. Bacch. 5, 1, 9: ubi [[illic]] est [[scelus]], [[quid]] me perdidit? Ter. And. 3, 5, 1; cf.: [[scelus]], quemnam hic laudat? id. ib. 5, 2, 3.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>C</b> In Plaut., Ter., and Mart., a [[mishap]] (qs. arising from [[wickedness]]), a [[misfortune]], [[calamity]] (cf. [[sceleratus]], B. 2., and [[scelestus]], II.): perdidi unum filium puerum quadrimum ... Major [[potitus]] hostium est: [[quod]] hoc est [[scelus]]! Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 104: Pa. Quid hoc est sceleris? Ch. Perii, Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 34 Ruhnk.; Mart. 7, 14, 1.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>D</b> A [[natural]] [[catastrophe]]: scelera naturae, i. e. earthquakes, inundations, etc., Plin. 2, 93, 95, § 206.
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