Lewis & Short

alter, tĕra, tĕrum, adj. (the measure of the gen. sing. āltĕrĭŭs as paeon primus is supported in good Latin only by examples from dactylic verse (but see alterĭus in trochaic measure, Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 56), in which īpsĭŭs, īllĭŭs, īstĭŭs, ūnĭŭs, etc., are used as dactyls; on the contr., the regular measure āltĕrīŭs, as ditrochaeus, is sufficiently confirmed by the foll. verses of Enn., Ter., and Ter. Maur.: mox cum alterīus abligurias bona, Enn. ap. Donat. ad Ter. Phorm. 2, 2, 25 (Sat. 29 Vahl.): alterīus sua comparent commoda? ah! Ter. And. 4, 1, 4: nec alterī́us indigéns opís veni, Ter. Maur. p. 2432 P.; and sescupló vel una víncet alterī́us singulum, id. ib. p. 2412 ib.; Prisc. p. 695 ib.; alterius is also commonly used as the gen. of alius, as alīus is little used (v. h. v. fin.).
Dat. sing. f.: alterae, Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 45; Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 30; Caes. B. G. 5, 27; Nep. Eum. 1, 6; Col. 5, 11, 10) [a comp. form of al-ius; cf. Sanscr. antara = alius; Goth. anthar; Lith. antras = secundus; Germ. ander; Gr. ἕτερος; Engl. either, other; also Sanscr. itara = alius], the other of two, one of two, the other, ὁ ἕτερος.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: nam huic alterae patria quae sit, profecto nescio, Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 45: necesse est enim sit alterum de duobus, Cic. Tusc. 1, 41, 97: altera ex duabus legionibus, Caes. B. C. 2, 20: mihi cum viris ambobus est amicitia; cum altero vero magnus usus, Cic. Clu. 42, 117: alter consulum, Liv. 40, 59: alter ex censoribus, id. 40, 52: in alterā parte fluminis legatum reliquit, on the other side, Caes. B. G. 2, 5; id. B. C. 3, 54: si quis te percusserit in dexteram maxillam tuam, praebe illi et alteram, Vulg. Matt. 5, 39; 28, 1.
      Hence: alter ambove, one or both; commonly in the abbreviation: A. A. S. E. V. = alter ambove si eis videretur: utique C. Pansa, A. Hirtius consules alter ambove S. E. V. rationem agri habeant, Cic. Phil. 5 fin. Wernsd.; cf. id. ib. 8, 11; 9, 7 fin.; 14, 14 fin.; cf. Brison. Form. pp. 218 and 219: absente consulum altero ambobusve, Liv. 30, 23: ambo alterve, S. C. ap. Front. Aquaed. 100 fin.
    2. B. Esp.
  1. 1.
    1. a. In distributive clauses: alter … alter, the one … the other (cf. alius, II. A.): ὁ ἕτερος … ὁ ἕτερος: Si duobus praefurniis coques, lacunā nihil opus erit. Cum cinere eruto opus erit, altero praefurnio eruito, in altero ignis erit, Cato, R. R. 38, 9: alteram ille amat sororem, ego alteram, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 68; id. Am. 1, 2, 19; 1, 2, 20; Ter. Ad. 1, 2, 50: quorum alter exercitum perdidit, alter vendidit, Cic. Planc. 35; so id. Rosc. Am. 6, 16: namque alterā ex parte Bellovaci instabant; alteram Camulogenus tenebat, Caes. B. G. 7, 59 Herz.: conjunxit alteram (cortinam) alteri, Vulg. Exod. 36, 10; 36, 22; ib. Joan. 13, 14; ib. Rom. 12, 5.
        1. b. In same sense, unus … alter, one … the other, as in later Gr. εἷς μέν … ἕτερος δέ: vitis insitio una est per ver, altera est cum uva floret; ea optima est, Cato, R. R. 41, 1: Phorm. Una injuria est tecum. Chrem. Lege agito ergo. Phorm. Altera est tecum, Ter. Phorm. 5, 8, 90: uni epistolae respondi; venio ad alteram, Cic. Fam. 2, 17, 6: nomen uni Ada, et nomen alteri Sella, Vulg. Gen. 4, 19; ib. Matt. 6, 24: Erant duae factiones, quarum una populi causam agebat, altera optimatium, Nep. Phoc. 3, 1; Liv. 31, 21: consules coepere duo creari, ut si unus malus esse voluisset, alter eum coërceret, Eutr. 1, 8: Duo homines ascenderunt in templum, unus pharisaeus et alter publicanus, Vulg. Luc. 18, 10 al.
        2. c. Sometimes a subst., or hic, ille, etc., stands in the place of the second alter: Epaminondas … Leonidas: quorum alter, etc … Leonidas autem, etc., Cic. Fin. 2, 30, 97; so Vell. 2, 71, 3: alter gladiator habetur, hic autem, etc., Cic. Rosc. Am. 6, 17: quorum alteri Capitoni cognomen est, iste, qui adest, magnus vocatur, id. ib.: alterum corporis aegritudo, illum, etc., Flor. 4, 7.
          Sometimes
          1. (α) one alter is entirely omitted (cf. alius, II. A.; ἕτερος, L. and S. I. 2.): duae turmae haesere: altera metu dedita hosti, pertinacior (sc. altera), etc., Liv. 29, 33: hujus lateris alter angulus ad orientem solem, inferior ad meridiem spectat, Caes. B. G. 5, 13; or
          2. (β) the form changed: dialecticam adjungunt et physicam, alteram quod habeat rationem . … Physicae quoque etc., Cic. Fin. 3, 21, 72, and 3, 22, 73.
            Sometimes a further distributive word is added: alter adulescens decessit, alter senex, aliquis praeter hos infans, Sen. Ep. 66, 39: alter in vincula ducitur, alter insperatae praeficitur potestati, alius etc., Amm. 14, 11.
        3. d. In plur.: nec ad vivos pertineat, nec ad mortuos; alteri nulli sunt, alteros non attinget, Cic. Tusc. 1, 38, 91: alteri dimicant, alteri victorem timent, id. Fam. 6, 3: binas a te accepi litteras; quarum alteris mihi gratulabare … alteris dicebas etc., in one of which, … in the other, id. ib. 4, 14: quorum alteri adjuvabant, alteri etc., Caes. B. G. 7, 17: duplices similitudines, unae rerum, alterae verborum, Auct. ad Her. 3, 20.
        4. e. The second alter in a different case: alter alterius ova frangit, Cic. N. D. 2, 49: uterque numerus plenus, alter alterā de causā habetur, Macr. Somn. Scip. 2: qui noxii ambo, alter in alterum causam conferant, Liv. 5, 11: alteri alteros aliquantum attriverant, Sall. J. 79, 4; so id. ib. 42, 4; 53, 7 al.
          Also with alteruter: ne alteruter alterum praeoccuparet, Nep. Dion. 4, 1.
          With unus: quom inter nos sorderemus unus alteri, Plaut. Truc. 2, 4, 30: dicunt unus ad alterum, Vulg. Ez. 33, 30: ne unus adversus alterum infletur pro alio, ib. 1 Cor. 4, 6.
          With uterque: uterque suo studio delectatus contempsit alterum, Cic. Off. 1, 1, 4: utrique alteris freti finitimos sub imperium suum coëgere, Sall. J. 18, 12.
          With nemo, nullus, neuter: ut nemo sit alteri similis, Quint. 2, 9, 2: cum tot saeculis nulla referta sit causa, quae esset tota alteri similis, id. 7, prooem. 4: neutrum eorum contra alterum juvare, Caes. B. C. 1, 1, 3: ut neutra alteri officiat, Quint. 1, 1, 3.
          After two substt., the first alter generally refers to the first subst., and the second to the second: Philippum rebus gestis superatum a filio, facilitate video superiorem fuisse. Itaque alter semper magnus, alter saepe turpissimus, Cic. Off. 1, 26; cf. Plaut. Am. 1, 2, 21; Brem. ad Suet. Claud. 20.
          Sometimes the order is reversed: contra nos (summa gratia et eloquentia) raciunt in hoc tempore; quarum alteram (i. e. eloquentiam) vereor, alteram (i. e. gratiam) metuo, Cic. Quinct. 1; so id. Off. 3, 18; 1, 12; cf. Spald. ad Quint. 9, 2, 6.
      1. 2. As a numeral = secundus, the second, the next, ό ἕτερος: primo die, alter dies, tertius dies, deinde reliquis diebus etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 7: proximo, altero, tertio, reliquis consecutis diebus non intermittebas etc., id. Phil. 1, 13 Wernsd.: quadriennio post alterum consulatum, id. Sen. 9: die altero, Vulg. Jos. 10, 32: alteris Te mensis adhibet deum, i. e. at the dessert (= mensā secundā), Hor. C. 4, 5, 31.
        So, alterā die, the next day, τῇ ἄλλῃ ἡμέρᾳ, τῇ ἑτέρᾳ: se alterā die ad conloquium venturum, Caes. B. C. 3, 19; Vulg. Gen. 19, 34; ib. Matt. 27, 62: die altero, ib. Num. 11, 32; ib. Jos. 5, 11 al.
        So in comparative sense: alterā die quam a Brindisio solvit, in Macedoniam trajecit, Liv. 31, 14; Suet. Vit. 3: intermittere diem alterum quemque oportet, every other day, Cels. 3, 23; 3, 13; 4, 12: Olea non continuis annis, sed fere altero quoque fructum adfert, Col. R. R. 5, 8.
        With prepp.: qui (Ptolemaeus) tum regnabat alter post Alexandream conditam, next after, Cic. Off. 2, 23, 82; so, fortunate puer, tu nunc eris alter ab illo, the second or next after him, Verg. E. 5, 49: alter ab undecimo jam tum me ceperat annus, id. ib. 8, 39.
        Hence,
        1. b. Also with tens, hundreds, etc.: accepi tuas litteras, quas mihi Cornificius altero vicesimo die reddidit, on the twenty-second day, Cic. Fam. 12, 25 Manut.: anno trecentesimo altero quam condita Roma erat, in the three hundred and second year, Liv. 3, 33: vicesima et altera laedit, Manil. 4, 466.
        2. c. So of a number collectively: remissarios pedum XII., alteros pedum X., a second ten, Cato, R. R. 19, 2: ad Brutum hos libros alteros quinque mittemus, Cic. Tusc. 5, 41, 121: basia mille, deinde centum, dein mille altera, dein secunda centum, Cat. 5, 7.
          So with the numeral understood: aurea mala decem misi; cras altera (sc. decem) mittam, a second ten, Verg. E. 3, 71.
          Hence,
        3. d. Unus et alter, unus atque alter, unus alterque, the one and the other.
          1. (α) For two (as in Gr. εἷς καὶ ἕτερος): unus et alter dies intercesserat, Cic. Clu. 26: adductus sum tuis unis et alteris litteris, id. Att. 14, 18: et sub eā versus unus et alter erunt, Ov. H. 15, 182; so Suet. Tib. 63; id. Calig. 56; id. Claud. 12 (cf. id. Gram. 24: unum vel alterum, vel, cum plurimos, tres aut quattuor admittere).
          2. (β) More freq. of an indef. number, one and another; and: unusalterve, one or two: Unus et item alter, Ter. And. 1, 1, 50: mora si quem tibi item unum alterumve diem abstulerit, Cic. Fam. 3, 9; so id. Clu. 13, 38; 13, 26: versus paulo concinnior unus et alter, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 74; so id. S. 1, 6, 102; 2, 5, 24; id. A. P. 15: ex illis unus et alter ait, Ov. F. 2, 394; id. Am. 2, 5, 22; Petr. 108; Plin. Pan. 45 Schwarz; cf. id. ib. 52, 2; Suet. Caes. 20; id. Galb. 14 al.: paucis loricae, vix uni alterive cassis aut galea, Tac. G. 6.
        4. e. Alterum tantum, as much more or again, twice as much (cf. Gr. ἕτερον τοσοῦτον or ἕτερα τοσαῦτα): etiamsi alterum tantum perdundum est, perdam potius quam sinam, etc., Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 81; so id. Bacch. 5, 2, 65: altero tanto aut sesqui major, Cic. Or. 56, 188: altero tanto longior, Nep. Eum. 8, 5; so Dig. 28, 2, 13: numero tantum alterum adjecit, Liv. 1, 36; so id. 10, 46; Auct. B. Hisp. 30; Dig. 49, 14, 3 al.
        5. f. Alteri totidem, as many more: de alteris totidem scribere incipiamus, Varr. L. L. 8, 24 Müll.
        6. g. To mark the similarity of one object to another in qualities, etc., a second, another (as in English, a second father, my second self, and the like). So,
          1. (α) With a proper name, used as an appellative (cf. alius, II. G.): Verres, alter Orcus, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 50: alterum se Verrem putabat, id. ib. 5, 33 fin.: Hamilcar, Mars alter, Liv. 21, 10.
          2. (β) With a com. noun: me sicut alterum parentem observat, Cic. Fam. 5, 8: altera patria, Flor. 2, 6, 42 al.
          3. (γ) Alter ego, a second self, of very intimate friends (in the class. per. perh. only in Cic. Ep.; cf. ὁ ἑταῖρος, ἕτερος ἐγώ, Clem. Al. 450): vide quam mihi persuaserim te me esse alterum, Cic. Fam. 7, 5: me alterum se fore dixit, id. Att. 4, 1: quoniam alterum me reliquissem, id. Fam. 2, 15; Aus. praef. 2, 15.
          4. (δ) Alter idem, a second self, like ἕτεροι αὑτοί, Arist. Eth. M. 8, 12, 3 (on account of the singularity of the expression, introduced by tamquam): amicus est tamquam alter idem, Cic. Lael. 21, 82.
      2. 3. The one of two, either of two, without a more precise designation, for alteruter: non uterque sed alter, Cic. Ac. 2, 43, 132: fortasse utrumque, alterum certe, id. Att. 11, 18: melius peribimus quam sine alteris vestrūm vivemus, Liv. 1, 13: nec rogarem, ut mea de vobis altera amica foret, Ov. A. A. 3, 520: ex duobus, quorum alterum petis, etc., Plin. Ep. 1, 7, 3: ex duobus (quorum necesse est alterum verum), etc., Quint. 5, 10, 69: ac si necesse est in alteram errare partem, maluerim etc., id. 10, 1, 26; 1, 4, 24; 9, 3, 6 al.
        Once also with a negative, neither of two: hos, tamquam medios, nec in alterius favorem inclinatos, miserat rex, Liv. 40, 20, 4.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. Another of a class = alius (as opp. to one’s self, to another); subst., another, a neighbor, a fellow-creature, ὁ πέλας (so sometimes ἕτερος, Xen. Cyr. 2, 3, 17); cf. Ochsn. Eclog. 90 and 458 (alter designates the similarity of two objects; alius a difference in the objects contrasted): SI. INIVRIAM. FAXIT. ALTERI., Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Gell. 20, 1: qui alterum incusat probri, eum ipsum se intueri oportet, Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 58; id. Am. prol. 84: mox dum alterius abligurias bona, quid censes dominis esse animi? Enn. ap. Don. ad Ter. Phorm. 2, 2, 25: ut malis gaudeant atque ex incommodis Alterius sua ut comparent commoda, Ter. And. 4, 1, 3: qui alteris exitium paret, etc., Att. ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 17, 39: qui nihil alterius causā facit et metitur suis commodis omnia, Cic. Leg. 1, 14: ut aeque quisque altero delectetur ac se ipso, id. Off. 1, 17, 56; 1, 2, 4: scientem in errorem alterum inducere, id. ib. 3, 13, 55 et saep.: cave ne portus occupet alter, Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 32 Schmid.: nil obstet tibi, dum ne sit te ditior alter, id. S. 1, 1, 40; 1, 5, 33: canis parturiens cum rogāsset alteram, ut etc., Phaedr. 1, 19: nec patientem sessoris alterius (equum) primus ascendit, Suet. Caes. 61; id. Tib. 58: in quo judicas alterum, te ipsum condemnas, Vulg. Rom. 2, 1: nemo quod suum est quaerat, sed quod alterius, ib. 1 Cor. 10, 24; 14, 17: sic in semet ipso tantum gloriam habebit et non in altero, ib. Gal. 6, 4 al.
      Hence, alter with a neg., or neg. question and comp., as an emphatic expression (mostly ante-class.; cf. alius, II. H.): scelestiorem nullum illuxere alterum, Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 22: scelestiorem in terrā nullam esse alteram, id. Cist. 4, 1, 8: qui me alter audacior est homo? id. Am. 1, 1, 1; id. Ep. 1, 1, 24.
    2. B. The other, the opposite: alterius factionis principes, the leaders of the opposite party, Nep. Pelop. 1, 4 (cf. id. ib. 1, 2: adversariae factioni): studiosiorem partis alterius, Suet. Tib. 11.
    3. C. In gen., different: quotiens te speculo videris alterum, Hor. C. 4, 10, 6: abeuntes post carnem alteram (Gr. ἕτερος, q. v. L. and S. III.), Vulg. Jud. 7.
    4. D. In the lang. of augury, euphem. for infaustus, unfavorable, unpropitious, Fest. p. 6 (v. L. and S. Gr. Lex. s. v. ἕτερος, III. 2.).
      Note: The gen. alterius commonly serves as gen. of alius instead of alīus, Cic. Fam. 15, 1, 1; id. Att. 1, 5, 1; 1, 20, 2; Caes. B. G. 1, 36, 1; Sall. C. 52, 8; Liv. 21, 13, 3; 22, 14, 4; 26, 8, 2; 28, 37, 6 al.; Col. 8, 17, 2; 11, 2, 87; 12, 22, 2; Sen. Ep. 72, 10; 102, 3; id. Ben. 4, 3, 1; id. Ot. Sap. 4, 1; id. Brev. Vit. 16, 2; id. Q. N. 2, 34, 1 al.; Quint. 7, 9, 8; 8, 3, 73 al.; Tac. A. 15, 25; id. H. 2, 90; Plin. Ep. 10, 114, 2; Suet. Caes. 61; id. Tib. 58 al.; Gell. 2, 28 al.
      It also stands as correlative to alius: alius inter cenandum solutus est, alterius continuata mors somno est, Sen. Ep. 66, 39: cum inventum sit ex veris (gemmis) generis alterius in aliud falsas traducere, Plin. 37, 12, 75, § 197; Plin. Pan. 2, 6 (Neue, Formenl. II. p. 216).
      Note: ‡ altĕras, adv. [alter], for alias, acc. to Paul. ex. Fest. p. 27 Müll.