Lewis & Short

simplex, ĭcis (abl., regul. simplici; simplice, Lucr. 1, 1013), adj. [sim-; cf. Sanscr. sam, Gr. ἅμα, with Lat. sin-guli, semel, sem-per; and plico].

  1. I. In gen., simple, plain, uncompounded, unmixed, = ἁπλοῦς (cf.: sincerus, purus): aut simplex est natura animantis, ut vel terrena sit, vel ignea, etc. … aut concreta est ex pluribus naturis, Cic. N. D. 3, 14, 34: natura (opp. mixta, conexa, etc.), Lucr. 3, 231; Cic. N. D. 2, 11, 29; id. Sen. 21, 78: si unum ac simplex (genus inperii) probandum sit, regium probem, id. Rep. 1, 35, 54; cf. id. ib. 2, 23, 43: finis bonorum, qui simplex esse debet, ex dissimillimis rebus misceri et temperari potest, id. Off. 3, 33, 119: (comoedia) Duplex quae ex argumento facta’st simplici, Ter. Heaut. prol. 6: (auditus) iter simplex et directum (opp. flexuosum), Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 144: simplex est manere, illud (in Hispaniam ire) anceps, free from risk, id. Att. 12, 7, 1: unum est et simplex aurium judicium, free from complication, id. Font. 10, 22 (6, 12): necessitudines, unqualified, absolute, id. Inv. 2, 57, 171; cf.: simplex officium atque una est bonorum omnium causa, id. Sull. 3, 9: nihil simplici in genere omnibus ex partibus perfectum natura expolivit, id. Inv. 2, 1, 3: res aperta ac simplex, id. Caecin. 2, 5: ratio veritatis, id. de Or. 1, 53, 229; Quint. 8, 3, 87: decem regii lembi simplici ordine intrarunt urbem, i. e. one by one, Liv. 44, 12, 6; Tac. H. 5, 23; cf.: simplici directā acie, simplicibus ordinibus, single, Auct. B. Alex. 37, 3 sq.: acies, id. B. Afr. 13, 2: simplex acies media, cornibus duplex, id. ib. 59, 2: simplici caule, Plin. 25, 7, 36, § 74: cum in eo ne simplici quidem genere mortis contenti inimici fuissent, i. e. not with his simple death, but must have torture, Liv. 40, 24, 8: qui necem suam per venenum inimicis promiserat, non gravius quam simplici morte puniit, Suet. Caes. 74: qui proculcari nepotem, quam simplici morte interfici maluit, Just. 44, 4, 4 al.: nec via mortis erat simplex, they died in various ways, Verg. G. 3, 482; cf.: ne simplici quidem morte moriebantur, Sall. ap. Serv. ad Verg. l. l. (H. 3, 25 Dietsch ad loc.): nec modus inserere atque oculos inponere simplex, Verg. G. 2, 73: vulnus, Ov. M. 6, 254: (tibia) tenuis simplexque foramine pauco, Hor. A. P. 203: simplici myrto nihil allabores, id. C. 1, 38, 5: esca, id. S. 2, 2, 73: jus, id. ib. 2, 4, 64: cibus, Plin. 11, 53, 117, § 282: aqua, Ov. Am. 2, 6, 32; Tac. G. 23: arces dejecit plus vice simplici, more than once, Hor. C. 4, 14, 13: verba, uncompounded, Quint. 1, 5, 3: voces, id. 1, 5, 65; but: ornatus verborum duplex, unus simplicium, alius conlocatorum, single, Cic. Or. 24, 80; cf.: quaedam sunt in rebus simplicia, quaedam complicata, id. Fat. 13, 30.
    Comp.: quantitas simplicior, Quint. 11, 3, 15.
    Sup.: ex simplicissimā quāque materiā (opp. multiplex), Quint. 10, 5, 10: res, id. 10, 2, 10.
  2. II. In partic., simple in a moral sense, without dissimulation, open, frank, straightforward, direct, guileless, artless, honest, sincere, ingenuous, etc. (cf. candidus).
    Of persons: cum de viro bono quaeritur, quem apertum et simplicem volumus esse, non sunt in disputando vafri, non veteratores, non malitiosi, Cic. Rep. 3, 16, 26; id. Off. 1, 19, 63: simplicem et communem et consentientem … eligi par est (opp. multiplex ingenium et tortuosum), id. Lael. 18, 65; id. Ac. 2, 35, 112: tuum hominis simplicis pectus vidimus, id. Phil. 2, 43, 111; Liv. 24, 10; Hor. S. 1, 3, 52; 2, 2, 68; id. C. 2, 8, 14; Ov. H. 12, 90; 16, 285: credebant simplices ac religiosi homines, Liv. 24, 10, 6.
    Of things: fidelis et simplex et fautrix suorum regio, Cic. Planc. 9, 22: animal sine fraude dolisque, Innocuum, simplex, Ov. M. 15, 121: animus, Matius ap. Cic. Fam. 11, 28, 8: nihil simplex, nihil sincerum, Cic. Att. 10, 6, 2: virtus, Vell. 2, 129, 1: verba, Suet. Tib. 61: cogitationes, Tac. G. 22.
    Comp.: simplicior quis, too straightforward, too blunt, Hor. S. 1, 3, 63.
    Sup.: simplicissimi omnium habentur iracundi, Sen. Ira, 2, 16, 3: dux, Vell. 2, 116, 4: mens, Petr. 101, 3.
    Hence, adv.: simplĭcĭter (acc. to I.), simply, plainly, straightforwardly, naturally, directly, utterly, without reserve, = ἁπλῶς: quorum (verborum) primum nobis ratio simpliciter videnda est, deinde conjuncte, Cic. de Or. 3, 37, 149: quaedam genera causarum simpliciter ex suā vi considerantur, id. Inv. 2, 33, 102: ipsa inventa exponentur simpliciter sine ullā exornatione, id. ib. 2, 3, 11: locuti sunt simpliciter et splendide, id. de Or. 2, 16, 68: aut simpliciter quaeritur aut comparate, id. Top. 22, 84: si est simpliciter breviterque dicendum, id. Off. 2, 9, 31; so (with breviter) id. Arch. 12, 32: illud nomen simpliciter positum, hoc ad aliquid esse, Quint. 1, 6, 13: frondes Simpliciter positae, scaena sine arte fuit, Ov. A. A. 1, 106; Tac. G. 5; cf. comp.: brevius ac simplicius tradi, Quint. 8, prooem. § 1: ignorare se dixit, quidnam perplexi sua legatio haberet, cum simpliciter ad amicitiam petendam venissent, simply, purely, only, Liv. 34, 57, 6: quidam ludere eum simpliciter, quidam haud dubie insanire, aiebant, merely, only, id. 41, 20, 4: Cyrenaica philosophia, quam ille et ejus posteri simpliciter defenderunt, Cic. de Or. 3, 17, 62: in sententiā simpliciter e re publicā ferendā, id. Red. ad Quir. 10, 24 B. and K.
    Comp.: molluscum simplicius sparsum, Plin. 16, 16, 27, § 68.
      1. 2. (Acc. to II.) Plainly, openly, frankly, artlessly, ingenuously, uprightly, honestly, candidly: simpliciter et candide, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 6, 1: simpliciter scripserat quae sentiebat, Curt. 7, 2, 36: simpliciter et libere (opp. dissimulanter et furtim), Plin. Ep. 1, 13, 2: simpliciter et palam lusit, Suet. Aug. 71: me amice simpliciterque reprehenderent, Plin. Ep. 5, 3, 1: qui se simpliciter credunt amicis, id. ib. 6, 22, 1.
        Comp.: simultates simplicius nutrire (opp. callide), Tac. H. 3, 53 fin.: quo simplicius tibi confitebor, Plin. Ep. 5, 19, 1; Quint. 1, 13, 2; Tac. H. 3, 53.
        Sup.: simplicissime loqui, Tac. H. 1, 15 fin.
      2. 3. In the singular number: dicere, Hier. in Matt. 1, 2 fin.