veles
ξένος ὢν ἀκολούθει τοῖς ἐπιχωρίοις νόμοις → as a foreigner, follow the laws of that country | when in Rome, do as the Romans do
Latin > English
veles velitis N M :: light-armed foot-soldier; guerrilla forces (pl.), irregular bands; skirmishers
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
vēlĕs: ĭtis, m. volare, velox, flying troops,
I a kind of light-armed soldier, who attacked the enemy out of the line of battle, a skirmisher.
I Lit., usually in the plur.: velites, Liv 26, 4, 4 sq.; 21, 55, 11; 23, 29, 3; 38, 21, 13; 30, 33, 3; Varr ap. Non. 552, 30; Ov Ib. 48 (Merkel, militis); Val. Max. 2, 3, 3.—Sing., Lucil. ap. Fest. s. v sub vitem, p. 308; Titin. ap. Non. 552, 26.—*
II Transf.: me autem a te, ut scurram velitem, malis oneratum esse, non moleste tuli, as the clown of the troop, Cic. Fam. 9, 20, 1.
Latin > French (Gaffiot 2016)
vēlĕs,¹⁶ ĭtis, m., ordint au pl., vēlĭtēs, um, vélites [soldats armés à la légère, qui escarmouchaient] : Liv. 26, 4, 4 ; 30, 33, 3, etc. || [fig.] scurra veles Cic. Fam. 9, 20, le bouffon escarmoucheur [qui provoque les assauts de plaisanteries] = le clown de la troupe.
Latin > German (Georges)
vēles, itis, m., gew. Plur. vēlitēs (zu velox), eine Gattung junger, leichtbewaffneter Soldaten, die außerhalb der Schlachtreihe den Feind durch schnelle Angriffe beunruhigten u. sich dann wieder zurückzogen, Plänkler, Liv. 26, 4, 9; 38, 21, 13 u.a. – Sing. Titin. com. 9. Lucil. 290 u. 1349 (b. Paul. ex Fest. 308, 13); u. übtr., scurra veles, der andere durch seine Angriffe neckt, ein neckischer Spaßmacher, Cic. ep. 9, 20 in.
