priscus

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

priscus: a, um, adj. for prius-cus, like pris-tinus for prius-tinus, and magis for magius, a comparative form,
I of or belonging to former times, of many years ago, old, olden, ancient, primitive, antique. Like the Greek ἀρχαῖος>, it denotes that which existed before our time, while pristinus is applied also to those things which have existed in our day (class.; cf.: vetus, antiquus).
I Lit.: credendum est veteribus et priscis viris, Cic. Univ. 11: prisca illa et antiqua rei publicae forma, Vell. 2, 89, 3: illud erat insitum priscis illis, quos cascos appellat Ennius, Cic. Tusc. 1, 12, 27: nam Joves pluris in priscis Graecorum litteris invenimus, id. N. D. 3, 16, 42: severitas, id. Har. Resp. 13, 27: et illud quod loquitur priscum visum iri putat, id. de Or. 3, 11, 42: priscae sanctimoniae virgo, Tac. A. 3, 69: prisci Latini proprie appellati sunt ii, qui prius quam conderetur Roma, fuerunt, Paul. ex Fest. p. 226 Müll.: priscae Latinae coloniae appellatae sunt, ut distinguerent a novis, quae postea a populo dabantur, Fest. p. 241 Müll.: tempus, Ov. F. 1, 197.— Priscus has the accessory idea of venerable, and from the Augustan period is frequently applied to whatever dates from the earliest times, the golden age of Rome: prisca gens mortalium, Hor. Epod. 2, 2: priscus Inachus, id. C. 2, 3, 21: Pudor, id. C. S. 57: prisco more, Ov. F. 2, 282: prisco ritu, Plin. 12, 1, 2, § 3: priscum illud acumen, Brute, tuum, Juv. 4, 102: fides, Verg. A. 9, 79; Mart. 1, 40, 2.—Subst.: prisci, ōrum, m., the ancients: cum colerent prisci studiosius agros, Ov. F. 3, 779.—
II Transf.
   A Former, previous (poet.): quid si prisca redit Venus? Hor. C. 3, 9, 17: nomen, Ov. M. 14, 850; Spart. Hadr. 5.—
   B Old-fashioned, i. e. strict, severe (poet.): prisci praecepta parentis, Cat. 64, 159: Cato, Hor. C. 3, 21, 11: prisca supercilia, Verg. Cop. 34.—Hence, adv.: priscē, in the old-fashioned manner, strictly, severely (class. but rare): utrum me secum severe, et graviter, et prisce agere malit, an remisse, ac leniter, et urbane, Cic. Cael. 14, 33.