Lewis & Short

scisco, scīvi, scītum, 3 (dep. collat. form sciscor, acc. to Prisc. p. 799 P.), v. inch. a. [scio], to seek to know; to search, inquire.

  1. I. Lit. (ante-class. and very rare; cf., on the other hand, the deriv. sciscitor): praefestinamus, quae sit causa, sciscere, Afran. ap. Charis. p. 186 P.: ibo ad eam, ut sciscam, quid velint, Att. ap. Non. 505, 12; cf. Plaut. Am. 5, 1, 17.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. Publicists’ t. t., of the people, after inquiry or examination, to accept, approve, assent to something proposed; hence, to appoint, enact, decree, ordain, = rem cognitam jubere (cf. sancio): nullam illi (majores nostri) vim contionis esse voluerunt: quae scisceret plebes aut quae populus juberet summota contione, distributis partibus … auditis auctoribus, re multos dies promulgatā et cognitā, juberi vetarique voluerunt, Cic. Fl. 7, 15: illa legitima: consules populum jure rogaverunt populusque jure scivit, id. Phil. 1, 10, 26; cf.: rogationes plurimas propter vos populus scivit, Plaut. Curc. 4, 2, 23: rogationem Marciam de Liguribus magno consensu plebes scivit jussitque. Ex eo plebiscito, etc., Liv. 42, 21 fin.: adeo id gratum plebi fuit ut id modo sciscerent juberentque, ut senatus decerneret, qui Romae regnaret, id. 1, 17 fin.: ad sciscendum plebi, id. 6, 35: si Gaditani sciverint nominatim de aliquo cive Romano, ut sit is civis Gaditanus, Cic. Balb. 11, 27; cf.: qui (Athenienses) sciverunt, ut, etc., id. Off. 3, 11, 46.
      Pass.: multa perniciose sciscuntur in populis (with sancire), Cic. Leg. 2, 5, 13; cf.: illud stultissimum, existimare omnia justa esse, quae scita sint in populorum institutis aut legibus, id. ib. 1, 15, 42 (v. also under P. a.).
      Poet., with obj.-clause: munera Martis Aequent imperio et solem concedere nocti Sciscant, Sil. 7, 545.
      1. 2. Transf., in gen. (like decerno), of an individual, to approve, assent to, vote for any thing: qui ulteriorem (Galliam decernit), ostendit, eam se sciscere legem, quam esse legem neget, Cic. Prov. Cons. 15, 36: quod primus scivit legem de publicanis, etc., id. Planc. 14, 35.
    2. B. To learn, ascertain, know: ut illi id factum sciscerent, Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 68: praefestinamus quae sit causa sciscere, quod, etc., Afran. ap. Charis. 2, p. 186 P. (Com. Rel. v. 396 Rib.).
  3. III. Trop., of nature, to decree, establish: confirmat antem illud vel maxime quod ipsa natura, ut ait ille, sciscet et probet, Cic. Fin. 1, 7, 23.
    Hence, scī-tus, a, um, P. a.
    1. A. (Acc. to I.) Mid. (orig., that has informed himself, obtained knowledge, had experience; hence), knowing, shrewd, wise, acute, experienced, skilful, adroit, etc. (of persons; mostly poet.; not in Cic., but cf. 2.; syn.: callidus, versatus): doctu’, fidelis … Scitus, etc., Enn. ap. Gell. 12, 4, 4 (Ann. v. 251 Vahl.): hominem astutum, doctum, scitum et callidum, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 151: mulier scita atque prudens, Gell. 13, 4 fin.: scitus agaso, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 330 Müll. (Ann. v. 217 Vahl.): sycophanta, Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 8: homo, Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 23: convivator, a clever, dexterous host, Liv. 35, 49: scitus bellum (venereum) init, Plaut. Truc. 5, 42: ea mulieris scitae comitas, Gell. 13, 4, 3.
      Comp.: non sum scitior, quae hos rogem, etc., Plaut. Cist. 4, 2, 12.
      Poet. and in post-Aug. prose with gen.: Nessus scitus vadorum, acquainted with, Ov. M. 9, 108: Thalia lyrae, id. F. 5, 54: Sthenelus pugnandi, Quint. 9, 3, 10 Spald. N. cr.
      With obj.-clause (poet.): scitus accendere corda Laudibus, Sil. 17, 293: accendere Martem, id. 15, 594.
        1. b. Of things, fit, suitable, proper, judicious, sensible, witty, etc.: pulcre scripsti: scitum syngraphum! Plaut. As. 4, 1, 57: scito illa quidem (scripsit) sermone et Attico, Cic. N. D. 1, 33, 93; cf. interrogationes, Quint. 5, 7, 28.
          Sup.: oratio optima et scitissima, Plaut. Stich. 1, 3, 30: si quid (dictum) est, quod mihi scitum esse videatur et homini ingenuo dignum atque docto, non aspernor, Cic. Planc. 14, 35; cf. id. Or. 16, 51: oratoris dictum, Tac. A. 6, 20.
          Esp. in the phrase scitum est, it is a witty or acute saying; shrewd, clever: vetus illud Catonis admodum scitum est, qui mirari se aiebat, quod non rideret haruspex, haruspicem cum vidisset, Cic. Div. 2, 24, 51; cf.: scitum est illud Catonis, ut multa: Melius, etc., id. Lael. 24, 90; Scytharum legati, Plin. 14, 22, 28, § 148: scitum est, inter Protogenem et eum (Apellem) quod accidit, a clever thing, id. 35, 10, 36, § 81: hoc Scitum est, periculum ex aliis facere, tibi quod ex usu siet, Ter. Heaut. 1, 2, 36; cf. id. Phorm. 5, 4, 2: scitum est causam conferre in tempus, Cic. de Or. 3, 61, 228.
      1. 2. Transf., beautiful, elegant, fine, etc. (mostly ante- and post-class.; syn.: venustus, bellus): satis scitum filum mulieris, Plaut. Merc. 4, 4, 15; cf. Iphis, Petr. 63, 3: mulierculae formae scitioris, Lampr. Commod. 2 fin. (v. perscitus): vox admodum scita et canora, Gell. 18, 5, 2: haec nox scita’st exercendo scorto, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 132; cf. scitamenta.
    2. B. (Acc. to II. A.) Subst.: scītum, i. n., an ordinance, statute, decree; esp. in connection with plebis (plebei, v. plebs), or, in one word, plebiscitum, an ordinance or decree of the people or of the citizens (opp. to senatusconsultum, a decree of the Senate): scita plebei appellantur ea, quae plebs suo suffragio sine patribus jussit, plebeio magistratu rogante, Fest. p. 293 Müll.; cf. Lael. Felix ap. Gell. 15, 27, 4: quo plebiscito decreta a senatu est quaestio, etc., Cic. Fin. 2, 16, 54: quae (lex) postea plebiscito Canuleio abrogata est, id. Rep. 2, 37, 63: plebiscitis consularem potestatem minuere, id. de Or. 2, 48, 199 et saep. (v. 2. scitus).
      In a lusus verbb. with scitus, A.: Ps. Ecquid is homo scitus est? Ch. Plebiscitum non est scitius, Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 58.
      In the order scitum plebis: de altero aedile scitum plebis est factum rogantibus tribunis, Liv. 31, 50 fin.; 10, 22 fin.: scita plebis injuncta patribus, id. 3, 67; 22, 26; Populi is used instead of plebis when the decrees of other nations are spoken of: cum lex esset Athenis, ne quis populi scitum faceret, ut quisquam coronā donaretur, etc., Cic. Opt. Gen. 7, 19: Athenienses quibusdam temporibus sublato Areopago nihil nisi populi scitis ac decretis agebant, id. Rep. 1, 27, 43; so, in one word, populiscitum, Nep. Alcib. 5, 4; id. Epam. 7, 4; id. Phoc. 2, 2: ut nullum de eā re scitum populi fieret aut litteris mandaretur, Liv. 45, 25. Tacitus is the first who has populi scita for decrees of the Roman people, Tac. A. 3, 58.
      Of Roman popular decrees also simply scita: cum scita ac jussa nostra sua sententia comprobat, Cic. Balb. 18, 42.
      Rarely of other public or official ordinances (cf.: decreta, edicta, jussa): (Numa) omnia publica privataque sacra Pontificis scitis subjecit, Liv. 1, 20: quo minus ferociter aliorum (decemvirorum) scitis adversarentur, id. 3, 33; Plin. 14, 22, 28, § 146: regis, Vulg. Esth. 3, 8.
      1. 2. Transf. (with decretum and placitum) as a transl. of the Gr. δόγμα, a maxim, tenet, dogma, Sen. Ep. 95, 10.
        Adv.: scītē (acc. to A.), shrewdly, cleverly, skilfully, adroitly, nicely, tastefully, elegantly (class.): eho, nimium scite scitus es, Plaut. Cas. 3, 1, 8; cf.: tondetur nimium scite, id. Merc. 3, 1, 28: satis scite et probe, id. Trin. 3, 3, 56; id. Bacch. 2, 3, 69; id. Mil. 4, 2, 74; id. Trin. 3, 3, 53; Ter. Heaut. 4, 4, 7; Cic. Fam. 11, 16, 1 (with commode): (rationes) ita sunt perscriptae scite et litterate, ut, etc., id. Pis. 25, 61; cf.: scite et venuste facta, id. Verr. 2, 2, 35, § 87: illa ex patellis quae evellerat, ita scite in aureis poculis inligabat, etc., id. ib. 2, 4, 24, § 54: non scite (dictum), id. Att. 14, 20, 3; so, dictum, Plin. 36, 22, 48, § 166: scite loqui, Liv. 10, 19: parum scite convivium exornare, Sall. J. 85, 39; cf. Liv. 4, 44 fin.
        Comp.: scitius, Gell. 4, 11, 10.
        Sup.: scitissime, Plaut. Stich. 1, 3, 116; Gell. 10, 11, 6; App. M. 9, p. 212, 16.

scītum, i, n., v. scisco, P. a., A. 1. and B.