Lewis & Short

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2. līber, ĕri (gen. plur. liberūm, Att. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 9; Turp. ap. Non. 495, 26; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 15, § 40; 2, 1, 30, § 77; Tac. A. 2, 38; 3, 25 saep.; cf. Cic. Or. 46, 155; but also: liberorum, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 30, § 76; 2, 5, 42, § 109), m. [1. liber], a child.

  1. I. Sing. (post-class. and rare): si quis maximam portionem libero relinquat, Cod. Just. 3, 28, 33; 5, 9, 8 fin.; Quint. Decl. 2, 8.
  2. II. Plur., children (freq.; but in class. Lat. only of children with reference to their parents: pueri = children in general, as younger than adulescentes; cf. Krebs, Antibarb. p. 657 sq.).
    1. A. Lit.: liberorum genus, Enn. ap. Cic. Or. 46, 155 (Trag. v. 347 Vahl.): liberorum sibi quaesendum gratia, id. ap. Fest. p. 258 Müll. (Trag. v. 161 Vahl.): cum conjugibus et liberis, Cic. Att. 8, 2, 3: eum ex C. Fadii filiā liberos habuisse, id. ib. 16, 11, 1: liberos procreare, id. Tusc. 5, 37, 109: suscipere liberos, id. Verr. 2, 3, 69, § 161: per liberos te precor, Hor. Epod. 5, 5: dulces, id. ib. 2, 40: parvuli, Quint. 2, 15, 8; opp. parentes, id. 11, 1, 82; 3, 7, 18; 26; 6, 1, 18; 6, 5 al.: mater quae liberos, quasi oculos (amisit), orba est, Sulp. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 182 Müll.: jus trium liberorum, under the emperors, a privilege enjoyed by those who had three legitimate children (it consisted in the permission to fill a public office before one’s twenty-fifth year, and in freedom from personal burdens); this privilege was sometimes also bestowed on those who had fewer than three children, or even none at all; also of one child: non est sine liberis, cui vel unus filius unave filia est, Dig. 50, 16, 148; Plaut. Aul. 4, 10, 6; Ter. Hec. 2, 1, 15; id. Heaut. 1, 1, 99; id. And. 5, 3, 20; Cic. Phil. 1, 1, 2; id. de Imp. Pomp. 12, 33; id. Verr. 2, 1, 15, § 40; ib. 30, § 76 Zumpt; cf. also Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 5: neque ejus legendam filiam (virginem Vestalem) … qui liberos tres haberet, Gell. 1, 12, 8: uxores duxerant, ex quibus plerique liberos habebant, Caes. B. C. 3, 110, 2.
      Of grandchildren and great-grandchildren: liberorum appellatione nepotes et pronepotes ceterique qui ex his descendunt, continentur, Dig. 50, 16, 220; cf.: liberi usque ad trinepotem, ultra hos posteriores vocantur, ib. 38, 10, 10, § 7: habitus sis in liberum loco, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 15, § 40.
      1. 2. Esp.
          1. (α) Of sons (opp. daughters): procreavit liberos septem totidemque filias, Hyg. Fab. 9.
          2. (β) Of children in gen. = pueri: praecepta Chrysippi de liberorum educatione, Quint. 1, 11, 17; cf.: Catus aut de liberis educandis, the title of a book by Varro, v. Gell. 4, 19, 2; Macr. S. 3, 6, 5.
    2. B. Transf., of animals, young: liberis orbas oves, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 38.
      Comically: quaerunt litterae hae sibi liberos: alia aliam scandit, Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 23.

3. Līber, ĕri (Sabine collat. form, loebasius, acc. to Serv. Verg. G. 1, 7; cf. 1. liber, and libertas init.), m. [Gr. λείβω, to pour; λοιβή, a drink-offering; Lat. libare], an old Italian deity, who presided over planting and fructification; afterwards identified with the Greek Bacchus: hunc dico Liberum Semelā natum, non eum, quem nostri majores auguste sancteque Liberum cum Cerere et Libera consecraverunt. Sed quod ex nobis natos liberos appellamus, idcirco Cerere nati nominati sunt Liber et Libera: quod in Libera servant, in Libero non item, Cic. N. D. 2, 24, 62; cf. Serv. Verg. G. 1, 5; Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 19: tertio (invocabo) Cererem et Liberum, quod horum fructus maxime necessarii ad victum: ab his enim cibus et potio venit e fundo, Varr. R. R. 1, 1, 5: Liber et alma Ceres, Verg. G. 1, 7: ex aede Liberi, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 57, § 128; in a pun with 1. liber, Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 46; cf. id. Curc. 1, 2, 21; id. Stich. 5, 4, 17; so in a pun with liber, free: quiaque adeo me complevi flore Liberi, Magis libera uti lingua collibitum est mihi, Plaut. Cist. 1, 2, 8; cf.: salve, anime mi, lepos Liberi, ut veteris ego sum cupida, etc., id. Curc. 1, 2, 3.
Connected with pater: sic factum, ut Libero patri repertori vitis hirci immolarentur, Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 19: Romulus et Liber pater, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 5: per vestigia Liberi patris, Plin. 4, 10, 17, § 39: patre favente Libero fetis palmitibus, Col. 3, 21, 3: Libero patri in monte res divina celebratur, Macr. S. 1, 18, 4.

  1. B. Meton., wine: illud, quod erat a deo donatum, nomine ipsius dei nuncupabant: ut cum fruges Cererem appellamus, vinum autem Liberum: ex quo illud Terentii (Eun. 4, 5, 6): sine Cerere et Libero friget Venus, Cic. N. D. 2, 23, 60: Liberum et Cererem pro vino et pane, Quint. 8, 6, 24; cf. also Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 4 supra: sed pressum Calibus ducere Liberum Si gestis, etc., Hor. C. 4, 12, 14: condita cum verax aperit praecordia Liber, id. S. 1, 4, 89.