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vărĭo, āvi, ātum, 1, v.a. and n. [varius].

  1. I. Act., to diversify, variegate, change (class.).
    1. A. Lit.: (principia) omne genus gignunt variantque colores, Lucr. 2, 759: maculis ortum (sol), Verg. G. 1, 441: caeruleis corpora guttis, Ov. M. 4, 578: tempora cani, id. ib. 12, 465: capillos (gemma), id. Am. 1, 2, 41: ubi caeruleum variabunt sidera caelum, id. F. 3, 449: variare virgis et loris, to beat of all colors, black and blue, Plaut. Poen. prol. 26: putrida pectora palmis, Cat. 64, 352: vestes picto auro, Val. Fl. 3, 11: variante se uvā, becoming colored, turning, Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 189; for which mid.: simulatque uva variari coeperit, Col. Arb. 12, 1.
      In part. perf.: vestis priscis hominum variata figuris, variegated, embroidered, Cat. 64, 50: pluribus ille (anguis) notis variatam pingitur alvum, Luc. 9, 713: arcus vix ullā variatus luce colorem, id. 4, 79: eluere calculos nigros paulum candore variatos, Plin. 34, 16, 47, § 157.
      Poet.: formas variatus in omnes, changed, metamorphosed, Ov. M. 12, 559.
    2. B. Trop., to cause to change, make different or various; to alter, change, vary, interchange, cause to alternate, etc.: vocem variare et mutare, Cic. Or. 18, 59; so, aliquid (with mutare), Gell. 14, 1, 9: orationem variare et distinguere, Cic. de Or. 2, 9, 36: ergo ille variabit (vocem) et mutabit, id. Or. 18, 59: voluptatem (with distinguere), id. Fin. 1, 11, 38: qui variare cupit rem prodigialiter unam, Hor. A. P. 29: in oratione multa summittere, variare, disponere, Quint. 2, 12, 10; cf. id. 2, 13, 8; 11, 3, 152: cum timor atque ira in vicem sententias variassent, Liv. 2, 57, 2: vices, Verg. A. 9, 164: bellum variante fortunā eventum ferre, with varying success, Liv. 23, 5, 8: et variebant secundae adversaeque res non fortunam magis quam animos hominum, id. 25, 1, 6: fremitus variantis multitudinis fuit partim adsensu partim indignatione, id. 35, 31, 13: ex vernā intemperie variante calores frigoraque, id. 22, 2, 10: laborem otio, otium labore, Plin. Ep. 8, 8, 4: variatis hominum sententiis, i. e. various, at variance, Cic. Mil. 3, 8: quae de Marcelli morte variant auctores, report differently, vary, Liv. 27, 27, 12; cf.: certe variata memoria actae rei, id. 21, 28, 5.
      Impers. pass.: sitne ea (beata vita) in potestate sapientis, an, etc. … in eo nonnumquam variari inter eos et dubitari videtur, Cic. Fin. 5, 5, 12: senatus consuli coeptus; ibi cum sententiis variaretur, were of different opinions, Liv. 22, 60, 3; cf.: variatum deinde proeliis, fought with varying success, Vell. 2, 51, 3: nisi de familiae condicione variatum esset, i. e. differently reported, Suet. Vit. 1.
  2. II. Neutr., to be diversified, variegated; to change, alter, waver, vary, etc.
    1. A. Lit.: prima mihi variat liventibus uva racemis, becomes variegated, colored, Prop. 4 (5), 2, 13: bacae, Col. 12, 52, 9: variant ostrea coloribus, are different, Plin. 32, 6, 21, § 60: universitas (arietum) tergoris maculis, Col. 7, 3, 2: inter se multum variare figurae Non possunt, Lucr. 2, 484; cf. id. 4, 648: variantes edere formas, id. 5, 722; cf.: volucres variantibu’ formis, id. 5, 825: non ita Carpathiae variant Aquilonibus undae, fluctuate, Prop. 2, 5, 11.
    2. B. Trop., to be various or different; to change, vary; absol.: variante fortunā, Liv. 23, 5, 8: inpatiens variantis caeli, Plin. 14, 2, 4, § 28: sic abeunt redeuntque mei variantque timores, Ov. Tr. 2, 153: dissidet et variat sententia, id. M. 15, 648: ita fama variat, ut, etc., Liv. 27, 27, 14.
      With abl.: haec de tanto viro, quamquam et opinionibus et monumentis litterarum variarent, proponenda erant, Liv. 38, 57, 8: si (lex) nec causis nec personis variet, id. 3, 45, 2.
      Impers.: ibi si variaret, if there were a difference of opinion, Liv. 1, 43, 11; cf.: nec variatum comitiis est, id. 7, 22, 10.
      With adverb. acc.: si nunc quoque fortuna aliquid variaverit, Liv. 23, 13, 4.
      Of differences in the text of an author (late Lat.): ipsi codices Graeci variant, Aug. in Psa. 118, 7: nulla in eo variat codicum auctoritas, id. C. Faust. 11, 4.
      Hence, P. a.: vărĭans, antis, varied, manifold: (terra) fudit aërias volucres variantibus formis, Lucr. 5, 822: variantis edere formas, id. 5, 720: astra, Manil. 2, 466.

1. vărĭus, a, um, adj., diverse, different, manifold, changing, varying, various (cf.: diversus, distinctus).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. Of color, etc., variegated, party-colored, mottled, etc.: arietis lingua nigra aut varia, vestis, Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 4: variā veste exornatus fuit, Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 16; so of color: uvae, Cato, R. R. 33, 4; 33, 73: lynces, Verg. G. 3, 264: serpens, Ov. M. 6, 114: anguis, id. ib. 4, 619: pica, Petr. 28 fin.: flores, Tib. 1, 7, 45; Ov. M. 10, 123: plumae, Hor. A. P. 2: lapides, id. S. 2, 4, 83: columnae, of variegated marble, id. Ep. 1, 10, 22: auctumnus purpureo colore, id. C. 2, 5, 12: colores, Ov. M. 1, 270; cf.: vestra latera loris faciam ut valide varia sint, i. e. black and blue, Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 12; id. Mil. 2, 2, 61: tergum varium, Pomp. ap. Non. 19, 31 (Com. Rel. v. 139 Rib.): sparsa quoque in vario passim miracula caelo videt, diversified, i. e. with constellations of various forms, Ov. M. 2, 193.
      1. 2. Subst.: vărĭa, ae, f. (i. e. bestia, a mottled animal).
        1. a. A panther, Plin. 8, 17, 23, § 63 sq.
        2. b. A kind of magpie, Plin. 10, 29, 41, § 78.
    2. B. In rural lang.: terra, wet above and dry beneath, Col. 2, 4, 5: sulcus, Cato, R. R. 61, 2; Plin. 18, 19, 49, § 174.
  2. II. Trop., diverse, different, manifold, changing, varying, changeable, various, etc.: varium poëma, varia oratio, varii mores, varia fortuna; voluptas etiam varia dici solet, Cic. Fin. 2, 3, 10: (qualitates) variae et quasi multiformes, id. Ac. 1, 7, 26: et ea, quae videntur acerba, quae multa et varia in hominum vitā fortunāque versantur, id. Off. 1, 20, 67: curricula multiplicium variorumque sermonum, id. Or. 3, 12: res varia et multiplex, id. Fl. 3, 6: multae, copiosae variaeque rationes, id. de Or. 1, 51, 222; cf.: varia et diversa genera et bellorum et hostium, id. Imp. Pomp. 10, 28; cf. id. de Or. 3, 16, 61; 1, 61, 262: varium jus et dispar condicio, id. Verr. 2, 5, 19, § 49: eventus varii fortunae, Caes. B. G. 2, 22: victoria, wavering, = anceps, Sall. J. 5, 1; Liv. 2, 6, 10; so, bellum, Flor. 4, 12, 26.
    Of opinions: varias esse opiniones intellego: sunt qui putant, etc., i. e. divergent opinions, differences where there is yet substantial agreement (while diversae opiniones are opposite views), Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 25.
      1. 2. Varium est, with a rel.-clause: quales sint (dii), varium est, various opinions prevail, Cic. N. D. 2, 5, 13.
    1. B. Esp., of persons, etc.
      1. 1. Of abilities, versatile: Plato et varius et multiplex et copiosus fuit, Cic. Ac. 1, 4, 17; cf.: antequam scirem quam varium, quam flexibile quam multiplex (ejus ingenium) esset, Plin. Ep. 1, 16, 1: Antonius ingenio varius, Flor. 4, 3, 4.
      2. 2. Of character, fickle, inconstant, changeable, untrustworthy: miror quid sit, quod pater tuus, homo constantissimus, te nobis varium reliquit (beaten black and blue, and fickle-minded,) Cic. Fragm. ap. Quint. 6, 3, 48: animus audax, subdolus, varius, Sall. C. 5, 4: varius incertusque agitabat, id. J. 74, 1: voltu et oculis pariter atque animo varius, agitated, irresolute, id. ib. 113, 3: Pausanias magnus homo, sed varius in omni genere vitae fuit, Nep. Paus. 1, 1; cf.: varium et mutabile semper Femina, a fickle thing, Verg. A. 4, 569.
        Hence, adv.: vărĭē.
    1. A. Lit., with diverse colors, in a variegated manner: mithrax gemma multicolor, contra solem varie refulgens, Plin. 37, 10, 63, § 173: smaragdi Cyprii varie glauci, id. 37, 5, 18, § 67.
    2. B. Trop., variously, changeably, diversely, differently, in various ways: varie moveri, Cic. Div. 2, 42, 89: qui (sermones) ab his, qui illum audierunt, perscripti varie et copiose sunt, id. Ac. 1, 4, 16: numerus hujus generis late et varie diffusus est, id. Sest. 45, 97: varie sum affectus tuis litteris, id. Fam. 16, 4, 1: postea decernitur, ac non varie, sed prope cunctis sententiis, id. Verr. 2, 4, 65, § 145: ita varie per omnem exercitum laetitia, maeror, luctus atque gaudia agitabantur, Sall. C. 61, 9: in Aequis varie bellatum, Liv. 5, 28, 5: agere varie, rogando alternis suadendoque coepit, id. 2, 2, 9: hiemem aut negotia varie causari, Tac. A. 1, 47: sagittarios varie passimque collocare, Auct. B. Afr. 60: disserere, Tac. A. 1, 11.
      With a punning allusion to 1. Varia: Ep. Perpetuon’ valuisti? Th. Varie. Ep. Qui varie valent, caprigenum hominum non placet mihi neque pantherinum genus, Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 15.

2. Vărĭus, a, the name of a Roman gens; esp.,

  1. I. Q. Varius of Sucro, in Spain, called Hybrida, a tribune of the people A.U.C. 663, Cic. de Or. 1, 25, 117; id. Brut. 49, 182; 62, 221; Val. Max. 4, 3, 7.
  2. II. L. Varius, a tragic poet, contemporary with Virgil and Horace, Verg. E. 9, 35; Hor. S. 1, 10, 44; Quint. 10, 1, 98; Mart. 8, 18, 7.