ā̆grārĭus, a, um, adj. [ager], of or pertaining to land; hence,
- I. Adj.: cum operario agrario, Vulg. Eccli. 37, 13.
But in class. Lat. a legal term: Agrariae leges, agrarian laws, relating to the division of public lands among the poorer citizens, first proposed about 268 A. U. C., Liv. 2, 41; 4. 36; 48; 6, 11; Tac. A. 4, 32 al.; v. Smith’s Dict. Antiq., and cf. Nieb. Rom. Hist. 2, 188; 197; 482; 490 al.; with particular appellations from their authors, Flaminii, Sempronia, Thoria, Rulli, Flavii, Philippi, Plotia, Caesaris Julia, etc.
Hence, agrariam rem tentare, to urge a division of public lands, Cic. Off. 2, 22, 78: Triumvir agrarius, superintendent of the division of public lands, Liv. 27, 21: agrariae stationes, in milit. lang., outposts, Amm. 14, 3; Veg. Mil. 1, 3.
In the Pandects: agraria via, a way through the fields, private way, Dig. 43, 8, 2.
- II. Subst.: ā̆grārĭi, ōrum, m., those who urged the agrarian laws, and sought the possession of public land, the partisans of the agrarian laws: Gracchus, qui agrarios concitare conatus est, Cic. Cat. 4, 2; id. Phil. 7, 6; Liv. 3, 1.