Lewis & Short

2. foedus, ĕris (for foedus, Ennius wrote fidus, acc. to Varr. L. L. 5, § 86 Müll. Archaic form of the gen. plur. foedesum, acc. to Varr. L. L. 7, § 27; v. the letter R), n. [from the root FID; Sanscr. bandh, ligare; v. fido], a league, treaty, compact (cf.: sponsio, pactio).

  1. I. Polit.: FOEDERVM, PACIS, BELLI, INDVCIARVM ORATORES FETIALES IVDICESVE SVNTO, Cic. Leg. 2, 9, 21; cf. id. Rep. 1, 32: esse autem tria genera foederum, quibus inter se paciscerentur amicitias civitates regesque, Liv. 34, 57, 7: pacem foedusque facere, Cic. de Sen. 6, 16; cf.: oratrices pacis et foederis, id. Rep. 2, 8: Ambiorigem sibi societate et foedere adjungunt, Caes. B. G. 6, 2, 2: ne societates, ne foedera nova acciperemus, Sall. J. 14, 18: societatem foedere confirmare, Cic. Phil. 2, 35, 89: quibus (foederibus) etiam cum hoste devincitur fides, id. Off. 3, 31, 111: amicitiam et foedus petere, Sall J. 104, 4: foedus facere cum aliquibus, Cic. Inv. 2, 30, 91; so, foedus facere, id. Rep. 3, 18; Caes. B. C. 3, 108, 3; Sall. J. 38, 9 al.: ferire, icere, pangere, percutere, v. h. vv.: de foedere decedere, Cato ap. Gell. 10, 1, 10: foedera negligere, violare, rumpere, Cic. Balb. 5, 13; cf.: sociorum nominisque Latini jura negligere ac foedera, id. Rep. 3, 29: rumpere, Auct. Her. 4, 14, 20; Liv. 9, 1; 21, 10: violare, Cic. Rep. 1, 19; Liv. 28, 44, 7: rescindere, Vell. 2, 90, 3: solvere, Verg. A. 10, 91: turbare, id. ib. 12, 633: contra foedus facere, Cic. Balb. 4, 10; Gell. 10, 1, 10: foedus aequum dare, Liv. 23, 5, 9 (for which: ex aequo venire in amicitiam, id. 7, 30, 2); cf.: foedere iniquo alligari, id. 35, 46, 10: ex foedere, according to agreement, id. 1, 23, 7; 8, 39, 13.
  2. II. Transf., beyond the polit. sphere, in gen., a compact, covenant, agreement, stipulation, bargain: foedus fecerunt cum tribuno plebis palam, ut ab eo provincias acciperent, quas ipsi vellent, etc., Cic. Sest. 10, 24; cf.: foedus frangere, id. Pis. 12, 28: inter se facere, id. Fin. 2, 26, 83: amorum turpissimorum foedera ferire, id. Cael. 14, 34: amicitiae, Ov. Tr. 3, 6, 1: hospitii, Just. 7, 3: thalami, i. e. marriage contract, marriage, Ov. M. 7, 403; so, vitae, Stat. Th. 2, 112: communia studii, Ov. P. 4, 13, 43.
    1. B. Poet., of inanim. and abstr. things, a law: continuo has leges aeternaque foedera certis Inposuit natura locis, Verg. G. 1, 60: omnes Foedere naturae certo discrimina servant, Lucr. 5, 924; 5, 57; 6, 906: foedere certo et premere et laxas dare habenas, Verg. A. 1, 62: neve potentis naturae pollue foedus, Ov. M. 10, 353: caeli foedera, Col. Poët. 10, 219.