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bes, bessis, m. (nom. bessis, Paul. ex Fest. p. 33 Müll.; Prisc. Ponder. p. 1348 P.) [be-is = binae partes assis].

  1. I. Two thirds of a unit (the as); eight unciae, or twelfths (cf. as): bessis octo sunt unciae (8/12 = 2/3), triens quattuor, Paul. ex Fest. l. l.
    1. A. As a coin: fenus ex triente Idib. Quint. factum erat bessibus, i. e. instead of the previous monthly interest of 1/3 %, 2/3 % was now reckoned; thus, acc. to the present mode of calculating, for the year, the interest advanced from 4 % (12X1/3) to 8 % (12X2/3), * Cic. Att. 4, 15, 7.
    2. B. In gen., two thirds of any whole.
      1. 1. Of shares in a partnership: Nerva constituit, ut tu ex triente socius esses, ego ex besse, Dig. 17, 2, 76.
      2. 2. Of a sum of money: exsolvere bessem pretii, Dig. 17, 1, 12.
      3. 3. Of a tract of land: emere bessem fundi, Dig. 16, 21, 2, § 39: bisque novem, Nemeaee, dabis, bessemque (i. e. eight months) sub illis, Manil. 3, 367.
      4. 4. Of a jugerum: partes duae tertiae pedes decem novem milia et ducentos, hoc est bes, in quo sunt scripula CXCII., Col. 5, 1, 11.
      5. 5. Of a measure of capacity: bes sextarii, Scrib. Comp. 126.
      6. 6. Of a pound, = 8 ounces: in binos semodios farinae satis esse bessem fermenti, Plin. 18, 11, 26, § 102; Scrib. Comp. 157.
      7. 7. Of an inheritance: heres ex besse, Plin. Ep. 7, 24, 2.
    3. C. Meton. for eight: quincunces et sex cyathos bessemque bibamus, Caïus ut fiat Julius et Proculus (i. e. so many letters were comprised in these names; cf. 1. bibo, 2. e.), Mart. 11, 36, 7 and 8.
    4. D. Bes alter = (12+8)/12 = 1 2/3, Fest. s. v. triens, p. 363 Müll.
  2. II. In mathematics, where the cardinal number is six (cf. as
    Note:), bes = 4, Gr. δίμοιρος, Vitr. 3, 1, p. 61 Rod. and bes alter = (6+4)/6 = 1 2/3, Gr. ἐπιδίμοιρος, id. ib.

Bēsā, ae, m., = Βησᾶ, an Egyptian divinity, Amm. 19, 12, 3.

Besaro, f., a town in Spain, Plin. 3, 1, 3, § 15.

Besbicus, i, f., a small island in the Propontis, Plin. 2, 88, 90, § 204; 5, 32, 44, § 151.

Besĭdĭae, ārum, f., a town in Bruttium, perh. the present Bisignano, Liv. 30, 19, 10.

bessālis, e, adj. [bes],

  1. I. comprising eight: laterculus, a tile eight inches long, Vitr. 5, 10, 2; 7, 4, 2: scutula, Mart. 8, 71, 7: clausulae, Porphyr. prooem. ad Hor. Epod.
  2. II. Meton. for any thing of small value: comula, Petr. 58, 5.

Bessi, ōrum, m., = Βέσσοι, Strab.; Βησσοί, Herod., a savage and marauding people in the north-eastern part of Thrace, about the Hœmus mountains, and in the vicinity of the Hebrus, Veg. Mil. 2, 11; 4, 24; Plin. 4, 11, 18, § 40; Cic. Pis. 34, 84; Ov. Tr. 3, 10, 5; 4, 1, 67; Suet. Aug. 3; Isid. Orig. 9, 2, 91.
Sing.: Bessus, i, m., Inscr. Orell. 3548; 3552.
Hence, Bessĭcus, a, um, adj., of the Bessi: gens, Cic. Pis. 34, 84.

Bessus, i, m.

  1. I. A Bessian; v. Bessi.
  2. II. Βῆσσος, a viceroy of Bactria, the murderer of Darius Codomannus, Curt. 5, 8, 4; 5, 9, 2; Just. 12, 5, 10.

1. bestĭa, ae, f. [perh. akin to fera and to belua], a beast (as a being without reason; opp. to man; while animal, = aliving being, includes man; bestia includes both fera, the beast as distinguished by fierceness, and belua, as distinguished by its size or ferocity; cf. Doed. Syn. 4, p. 290 sq.).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen. (in the classical per. mostly in prose; esp. freq. in Cic., who uses it in its most extended signif., of every kind of living creature excepting man): disserens, neque in homine inesse animum vel animam nec in bestiā, Cic. Tusc. 1, 10, 21; 5, 13, 38; id. N. D. 2, 11, 31; id. Agr. 2, 4, 9: quod si hoc apparet in bestiis volucribus, nantibus, agrestibus, cicuribus, feris … quanto id magis in homine fit natura, etc., id. Lael. 21, 81; id. N. D. 2, 48, 124.
      So of the serpent, Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 75.
      Of the crocodile and other amphibious animals, Cic. l. l.
      Of the dog, Cic. Rosc. Am. 20, 56.
      Of the elephant (for the more usual belua), Liv. 33, 9, 7.
      Of the ass, Suet. Aug. 96.
      Of a caterpillar, Plaut. Cist. 4, 2, 62.
      Of the ostrich: sequitur natura avium, quarum grandissimi et paene bestiarum generis struthiocameli, Plin. 10, 1, 1, § 1; cf. Dig. 3, 1, 1, § 6; 9, 1, 1, § 10.
      With muta, Cic. Fin. 1, 21, 71; Liv. 7, 4, 6 (cf. mutae pecudes, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 8, 24).
      And for the designation of a wild animal, with fera: vinctum ante se Thyum agebat, ut si feram bestiam captam duceret, Nep. Dat. 3, 2 Dähne; Liv. 26, 13, 12; 26, 27, 12; Auct. Her. 2, 19, 29; Just. Inst. 2, 1, 12 sq.
      1. 2. As a term of reproach (cf. belua and our beast): mala tu es bestia, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 21; id. Poen. 5, 5, 13.
        And, humorously, of the odor of the armpits (cf. ala and caper), Cat. 69, 8.
    2. B. Esp., when the contest with animals became more usual in the public spectacles at Rome (not yet customary A.U.C. 583, B.C. 171, Liv. 44, 9, 4), bestia designated, without the addition of fera, a wild beast destined to fight with gladiators or criminals (v. bestiarius; usually lions, tigers, panthers, etc.).
      Hence, ad bestias mittere aliquem, to send one to fight with wild beasts, Cic. Pis. 36, 89; so, bestiis obioere aliquem, Asin. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 32, 3: condemnare aliquem ad bestias, Suet. Calig. 27; id. Claud. 14: dare aliquem ad bestias, Dig. 48, 8, 11; Gell. 5, 14, 27: ad pugnam bestiarum datus, Gell. l. l. § 10: tradere aliquem ad bestias depugnandas, Dig. l. l.: bestiarum damnatio, the condemnation to fight with wild beasts, ib. 48, 13, 6 al.
      Hence the expl.: bestiarum vocabulum proprie convenit leonibus, pardis et lupis, tigribus et vulpibus, canibus et simiis ac ceteris, quae vel ore vel unguibus saeviunt, exceptis serpentibus, Isid. Orig. 12, 2, 1 (but cf. supra, 1.).
  2. II. Transf., as a constellation, the wotf, Vitr. 9, 4 (7) (called by Cic. Arat. 211 or 455, Quadrupes vasta).

2. Bestĭa, ae, m., a cognomen in the Calpurnian family.

  1. I. The consul L. Calpurnius Bestia, Sall. J. 27, 4 al.; Flor. 3, 1, 7.
  2. II. The tribune of the people L. Bestia, Cic. Brut. 34, 128; id. de Or. 2, 70, 283.
  3. III. Another tribune of the people, L. Bestia, a confederate of Catiline, Sall. C. 17, 3; 43, 1.

bestĭālis, e, adj. [bestia], like a beast (post-class. and rare): villi, Prud. Cath. 7, 153.
Trop., fierce: nationes, Sid. Ep. 4, 1.

bestĭārĭus, a, um, adj. [id. I. B.], of or pertaining to beasts: ludus, a fight with beasts, Sen. Ep. 70, 20; 70, 22.
Usu. as subst.: bestĭārĭus, ii, m., one who fights with wild beasts in the public spectacles, a beast-fighter, θηριομάχης (persons hired, or criminals: the former with weapons, and as victors rewarded; the latter, unarmed, and sometimes bound, Vop. Aur. 37; Tert. Pud. 22): praeclara aedilitas! Unus leo, ducenti bestiarii, Cic. Sest. 64, 135: gladiatoribus et bestiariis obsedere rem publicam, id. Vatin. 17, 40; so id. Q. Fr. 2, 6, 5; Sen. Ben. 2, 19, 1: ludus bestiariorum, Sen. Ep. 70, 17; * Suet. Claud. 34.

bestĭŏla, ae, f. dim. [bestia], a small animal, a little beast, Cic. N.D. 2, 48, 123; id. Tusc. 1, 39, 94; Varr. R. R. 1, 12, 2; Sen. Ep. 70, 17; Plin. 11, 6, 7, § 17; 18, 17, 44, § 156; 22, 25, 81, § 163; Veg. R. R. 3, 15, 10 al.

Bestĭus, ii, m. [bestia], a rough and miserly man, otherwise unknown, Hor. Ep. 1, 15, 37; Pers. 6, 37.