argumentum: Difference between revisions

|lshtext=<b>argūmentum</b>: i, n. [[arguo]].<br /> The [[means]] by [[which]] an [[assertion]] or [[assumption]] [[may]] be made [[clear]], proved, an [[argument]], [[evidence]], [[proof]] (and in [[particular]], [[that]] [[which]] rests [[upon]] facts, [[while]] [[ratio]] is [[that]] [[which]] depends [[upon]] [[reasoning]]): [[argumentum]] est [[ratio]], quae rei dubiae facit fidem, Cic. Top. 2, 7: [[quid]] est [[argumentum]]? Probabile [[inventum]] ad faciendam fidem, id. Part. Or. 2: [[argumentum]] est [[ratio]] probationem [[praestans]], quā colligitur aliquid per aliud, et quae, [[quod]] est dubium, per id [[quod]] dubium non est, confirmat, Quint. 5, 10, 11: de eā re signa [[atque]] argumenta paucis verbis eloquar, Plaut. Am. 5, 1, 35; 1, 1, 267; id. Rud. 4, 3, 84; id. Truc. 2, 6, 26 al.: commemorando Argumenta fidem dictis conradere, Lucr. 1, 401; so id. 1, 417: argumenta [[multa]] et firma ad probandum, Cic. Brut. 78, 272: aliquid exemplis [[magis]] [[quam]] argumentis refellere, id. de Or. 1, 19, 88: argumento esse, Liv. 5, 44; 39, 51: litterae ad senatum missae [[argumentum]] fuere, etc., id. 8, 30: In [[argumentum]] fidei retentum [[pallium]] ostendit [[marito]], Vulg. Gen. 39, 16; ib. Act. 1, 3: [[inopia]] fecerat eam (rem parvam) [[argumentum]] [[ingens]] caritatis, Liv. 5, 47: libertatis [[argumentum]], Tac. G. 25: Est [[fides]] [[argumentum]] non apparentium, Vulg. Heb. 11, 22: addit pro argumento, Suet. Calig. 8: [[velut]] [[argumentum]] [[rursus]] conditae urbis, id. ib. 16: levibus [[utrimque]] argumentis, id. Galb. 7 et saep.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>B</b> A [[sign]] by [[which]] [[any]] [[thing]] is [[known]], a [[mark]], token, [[evidence]]: animi laeti Argumenta, signs, indications, Ov. M. 4, 762: voti potentis, id. ib. 8, 745: unguentarii myrrham digerunt [[haud]] [[difficulter]] odoris [[atque]] pinguetudinis argumentis, according to the indications of [[smell]], etc., Plin. 12, 15, 35, § 68: [[caelum]] [[quidem]] [[haud]] [[dubie]] caelati argumenti dicimus, id. 2, 4, 3, § 8: amoris hoc est [[argumentum]], non malignitatis, Petr. 137, 8: argumenta viri, i. e. indicia, Juv. 9, 85 al.—<br /><b>II</b> The [[matter]] [[which]] lies at the [[basis]] of [[any]] written or [[artistic]] [[representation]], contents, [[subject]], [[theme]], [[argument]], [[ὑπόθεσις]]>: Argumentum plura significat. Nam et fabulae ad [[actum]] scaenicarum compositae argumenta dicuntur: et orationum Ciceronis [[velut]] [[thema]] [[ipse]] exponens [[Pedianus]], [[argumentum]], inquit, [[tale]] est: quo apparet omnem ad scribendum destinatam materiam ita appellari, Quint. 5, 10, 9 and 10.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>A</b> Of [[every]] [[kind]] of [[representation]] in [[writing]].<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>1</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lit.: [[argumentum]] est ficta res, quae [[tamen]] fieri potuit, Cic. Inv. 1, 19; id. Att. 15, 4, 3: tabulae novae, [[quid]] habent argumenti, [[nisi]] ut, etc., [[what]] is [[their]] [[drift]]? [[what]] do [[they]] [[mean]]? id. Off. 2, 23, 84: epistulae, id. Att. 10, 13; 9, 10; 1, 19.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>a</b> But esp. freq., the [[subject]]-[[matter]] of a [[poem]] or [[fictitious]] [[writing]], the [[subject]], contents: [[post]] [[argumentum]] hujus eloquar tragoediae, Plaut. Am. prol. 51; cf. id. ib. 96; so id. Trin. 3, 2, 81: [[argumentum]] narrare, Ter. And. prol. 6: fabulae, id. Ad. prol. 22: [[Livius]] [[Andronicus]] ab saturis [[ausus]] est [[primus]] argumento fabulam serere, i. e. a scenic [[representation]] of a [[subject]] in its [[connection]], Liv. 7, 2: [[spectaculum]], quo argumenta inferorum explicarentur, Suet. Calig. 57.—Hence,<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>b</b> [[Meton]]. ([[part]] for the [[whole]]), a [[poem]] in gen.: explicare argumenti exitum, Cic. N. D. 1, 20, 53: hoc argumento se describi sentiat, Phaedr. 4, 8; so id. 4, 16; 5, 3; cf. Enn. ap. Gell. 2, 29 fin.: sumque argumenti [[conditor]] [[ipse]] mei, I am [[myself]] the [[subject]] of my [[poem]], Ov. Tr. 5, 1, 10.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>2</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Trop., [[intrinsic]] [[worth]], [[reality]], [[truth]]: haec tota [[fabella]] ... [[quam]] est [[sine]] argumento, [[without]] [[value]], [[reality]], Cic. Cael. 27: non [[sine]] argumento maledicere, not [[without]] [[some]] [[reason]], id. ib. 3 fin.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>B</b> The [[subject]] of [[artistic]] representations ([[sculpture]], [[painting]], [[embroidery]]. etc.): ex ebore diligentissime perfecta argumenta erant in valvis, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 56: ([[cratera]]) fabricaverat Alcon [[Hyleus]], et longo caelaverat argumento, Ov. M. 13, 684; cf. id. ib. 2, 5 sq.: [[vetus]] in telā deducitur [[argumentum]], id. ib. 6, 69; Verg. A. 7, 791: Parrhasii tabulae, Suet. Tib. 44.— In philos. lang., a [[conclusion]], a [[syllogism]]: Nam concludi non potest [[nisi]] iis, quae ad concludendum sumpta erunt, ita probatis ut falsa ejusdem modi nulla possint esse, Cic. Ac. 2, 14, 44 al.