paganus

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

pāgānus: a, um, adj. pagus.
I Of or belonging to the country or to a village, rustic: PORTICVS, Inscr. (A. U. C. 659) Orell. 3793: lex, Plin. 28, 2, 5, § 28: foci, Ov. F. 1, 670.—
   B Subst.: pāgānus, i, m., a countryman, peasant, villager, rustic: nulli pagani aut montani, Cic. Dom. 28, 74: pagani vel decuriones, Cod. Th. 7, 21, 2.—
II Opposed to military, civil, civic: vel paganum est peculium vel castrense, Cod. Just. 3, 28, 37.—As subst.: pāgānus, i, m., a civilian, a citizen, Tac. H. 3, 24: paganorum turba, Suet. Galb. 19: milites et pagani, Plin. Ep. 10, 18, 2; Juv. 16, 33.—
III Transf., rustic, unlearned: cultus, Plin. Ep. 7, 25, 6; cf. semipaganus.—
   B In eccl. Lat. (like gentilis) for heathen, pagan (opp. Jewish or Christian); and subst., a heathen, a pagan: ritus cultusque, Cod. Th. 16, 7, 2: sacerdotales paganae superstitionis, ib. 16, 10, 20; Ter. Cor. Mil. 11: deorum falsorum multorumque cultores paganos vocamus, Aug. Retract. 2, 43; Hier. in Psa. 41: ex locorum agrestium compitis et pagis pagani vocantur, Oros. 1 praef.