custos
Οὐ γὰρ ἀργίας ὤνιον ἡ ὑγίεια καὶ ἀπραξίας, ἅ γε δὴ μέγιστα κακῶν ταῖς νόσοις πρόσεστι, καὶ οὐδὲν διαφέρει τοῦ τὰ ὄμματα τῷ μὴ διαβλέπειν καὶ τὴν φωνὴν τῷ μὴ φθέγγεσθαι φυλάττοντος ὁ τὴν ὑγίειαν ἀχρηστίᾳ καὶ ἡσυχίᾳ σῴζειν οἰόμενος → For health is not to be purchased by idleness and inactivity, which are the greatest evils attendant on sickness, and the man who thinks to conserve his health by uselessness and ease does not differ from him who guards his eyes by not seeing, and his voice by not speaking
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
custos: ōdis, comm. root sku-, to cover, hide, etc.; cf. scutum, κεύθω, Germ. Haut, Haus, Corss. Ausspr. I. p. 353,
I a guard, watch, preserver, keeper, overseer, protector, defender, attendant, etc., protectress, etc., in a friendly or hostile sense (freq. and class.).
I In gen.
A Of living beings.
1 In gen.: antiqua erilis fida custos corporis, Enn. Med. ap. Non. p. 39, 2 (Trag. Rel. v. 289 Vahl.); cf. in masc.: corporis, a body-guard, Liv. 24, 7, 4; so plur., Nep. Dat. 9, 3; Suet. Calig. 55 al.: Commium cum equitatu custodis loco relinquit, Caes. B. G. 6, 6 fin.: cum vigillis custodibusque nostris colloqui, id. B. C. 1, 22 init.: portae, Cic. Cat. 2, 12, 27: fani, id. Verr. 2, 4, 43, § 94. custos defensorque provinciae, id. ib. 2, 5, 6, § 12: pontis, Nep. Milt. 3, 1: patrimonii, Quint. 4, 2, 73: hortorum, Suet. Calig. 59: gregis, Verg. E. 10, 36: pecuniae regiae, Curt. 5, 1, 20: ipse pecuniae quam regni melior custos, Liv 44, 26, 12: rei publicae custos senatus, Cic. Sest. 65, 137: templorum, id. Dom. 55, 141: custos ac vindex cupiditatum, id. Agr. 2, 9, 24: salutis suae, Quint. 5, 11, 8; Curt. 3, 6, 1; Tac. A. 3, 14 et saep.: his discipulis privos custodes dabo, Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 76; so of teachers of youth, id. ib. 4, 3, 19; Ter. Phorm. 2, 1, 57; Hor. S. 1, 4, 118; id. A. P. 161; 239: virtutis (ego) verae custos rigidusque satelles, id. Ep. 1, 1, 17.—Freq. of the gods, etc.: dei custodes et conservatores hujus urbis, Cic. Sest. 24, 53; cf.: custodi Jovi, Suet. Dom. 5: montium custos Diana, Hor. C. 3, 22, 1: rerum Caesar, id. ib. 4, 15, 17: multae tibi tum officient res, Custodes, etc., i. e. attendants of women, eunuchs, etc., id. S. 1, 2, 98 Heind.—Of dogs, Verg. G. 3, 406; Col. 7, 12; so of Cerberus, Verg. A. 6, 424 al., and of the constellation Bootes, Ἀρκτοφύλαξ, Vitr. 9, 4, 1: armorum, the officer in charge of the arms in an army or fleet, Dig. 49, 16, 14, § 1; Inscr. Orell. 3630 al.—
2 In civil affairs, t. t., a man who took charge of the vessel into which voting tablets were put (in order to prevent false suffrages), Varr. R. R. 3, 5, 18; Cic. Agr. 2, 9, 22; id. Red. Sen. 7, 17.—
B Of inanimate subjects.
1 Of abstract subjects: natura Ipsaque corporis est custos et causa salutis, Lucr. 3, 324: haec custos dignitatis (fortitudo), Cic. Tusc. 2, 14, 33: sapientia custos et procuratrix totius hominis, id. Fin. 4, 7, 17; id. Off. 2, 7, 23: leges diligentissimae pudoris custodes, Quint. 8, 5, 19 al.—
2 Of receptacles, safes, e. g. of a quiver: eburnea Telorum custos, Ov. M. 8, 320; of an incense-box: turis, id. ib. 13, 703; and in husbandry, the stump of an amputated vine-branch, i. q. resex, pollex, praesidiarius or subsidiarius palmes, Col. 4, 21, 3.—
II In a hostile sense.
A In gen., a watch, spy: Dumnorigi custodes ponit, ut, quae agat, quibuscum loquatur, scire possit, Caes. B. G. 1, 20 fin.: custodem, inquit, Tullio me apponite. Quid, mihi quam multis custodibus opus erit, etc., Cic. Div. in Caecil. 16, 51; id. Verr. 2, 5, 25, § 63; Caes. B. G. 1, 20 fin.: num nam hic relictu's custos, Nequis, etc., Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 55; cf. v. 59; Curt. 5, 11, 2; Suet. Tib. 12 al.—
B Esp., a jailer, keeper: carceris, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 57; Nep. Eum. 11, 1; id. Alcib. 4, 4: quem ex Mauritania rex proditionis insimulatum cum custodibus miserat, Sall. H. 2, 25 Dietsch: te sub custode tenebo, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 77; Tac. A. 2, 68; 3, 28; 4, 60 al.
