Lewis & Short

pūblĭcus (in inscrr. also POBLICVS and POPLICVS), a, um, adj. [contr. from populicus, from populus], of or belonging to the people, State, or community; that is done for the sake or at the expense of the State; public, common.

  1. I. Lit.: multi suam rem bene gessere et publicam patriā procul, the business of the State, Enn. ap. Cic. Fam. 7, 6, 1 (Trag. v. 295 Vahl.): publica magnificentia (opp. privata luxuria), Cic. Mur. 36, 76: sacrificia publica ac privata, Caes. B. G. 6, 12: injuriae, done to the State, id. ib. 1, 12: litterae testimonium, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 31, § 74: memoria publica recensionis tabulis publicis impressa, id. Mil. 27, 73: pecunia, id. Agr. 2, 30, 82: publicum funus, at the public expense, Plin. Ep. 2, 1 init.: defunctum senatus publico funere honoravit, Suet. Vit. 3: causa, an affair of State, Liv. 2, 56; also, a criminal process, Cic. Rosc. Am. 21, 59: in causis judiciisque publicis, id. Div. in Caecil. 1, 1: largitiones, Sall. C. 37, 7: res publica, the commonwealth, the State; v. publicus ludus, Hor. C. 4, 2, 42: in publica commoda peccare, id. Ep. 2, 1, 3: incisa notis marmora publicis, id. C. 4, 8, 13.
    1. B. Subst.
      1. 1. pūblĭcūs, i, m.
        1. a. A public officer, public functionary, magistrate: si quis aut privatus aut publicus, etc., Caes. B. G. 6, 12: metuit publicos, the police, Plaut. Truc. 2, 7, 6.
        2. b. A public slave or servant, an attendant upon a college of augurs, etc., Inscr. Orell. 24, 68 sq.; 2470; 2853 al.
      2. 2. publĭcum, i, n.
        1. a. Possessions of the State, public territory, communal property: publicum Campanum, Cic. Agr. 2, 30, 82.
        2. b. The public purse, the public coffers or treasury, public income, revenue, etc.: solitus non modo in publico (in public, openly; v. under II. b.), sed etiam de publico convivari, at public cost, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 44, § 105: bona alicujus vendere et in publicum redigere, into the public treasury, for public use, Liv. 4, 15 fin.: in publicum emere, id. 39, 44; 26, 27: mille et ducenta talenta praedae in publicum retulit, Nep. Timoth. 1, 2: publicis male redemptis, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 11, § 33: conducere publica, to farm the public revenues, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 77: habere publicum, to be a farmer of the public revenues, Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 41: frui publico, Cic. Prov. Cons. 5, 12; Dig. 39, 4, 1, § 1: publicum quadragesimae in Asiā egit, Suet. Vesp. 1: publicum agitare, Sen. Ep. 119, 5: pessimo publico facere, to the injury of the State, Liv. 2, 1, 1.
          1. (β) Transf.: qui hoc salutationum publicum exercet, who receives pay (like a porter) for admitting to an audience, Sen. Const. 14, 4.
        3. c. The archives of the State, public records: ut scriptum in publico in litteris exstat, Varr. R. R. 2, 11, 10.
        4. d. The commonwealth, State, community, city: consulere in publicum, to deliberate for the public weal, Plin. Ep. 9, 13, 21.
  2. II. Transf., common, general, public (as adj. rare, and mostly poet.): publica lex hominum, Pers. 5, 98: juvenum Publica cura, Hor. C. 2, 8, 7: usus, id. Ep. 2, 1, 92: favor, the favor of all, Ov. P. 4, 14, 56: lux publica mundi, the sun, id. M. 2, 35: verba, common, usual, id. Am. 3, 7, 12; id. A. A. 1, 144; Sen. Ep. 3, 1; 59, 1: moneta, current, Vulg. Gen. 23, 16.
    Hence,
      1. 2. Substt.
        1. * a. publica, ae, f., a public woman, Sen. Ep. 88, 37.
        2. b. pu-blicum, i, n., a public place, publicity (freq. and class.): NEVE IN POPLICOD NEVE IN PREIVATOD, S. C. de Bacchan.: IN. POPLICO, Tab. Bantin. lin. 3: in publico esse non audet, includit se domi, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 35, § 92: summa in publico copia, id. Tusc. 5, 35, 102: epistulam in publico proponere, publicly, id. Att. 8, 9, 2: prodire in publicum, to go out in public, id. Verr. 2, 1, 31, § 80: egredi, Tac. H. 4, 49: carere publico, not to go out in public, to remain at home, Cic. Mil. 7, 18: abstinere publico, Tac. A. 3, 3; Suet. Claud. 36: lectica per publicum vehi, id. Ner. 9: oratio, quam nuper in publicum dedi, published, Plin. Ep. 8, 3, 2.
    1. B. General, in a bad sense, i. e. common, ordinary, bad (very rare): structura carminis, Ov. P. 4, 13, 4: vatem, cui non sit publica vena, Juv. 7, 53: sermo non publici saporis, Petr. 3.
      Hence, adv.: pu-blĭcē (poplice).
    1. A. On account, at the cost, in behalf, or in charge of the State: haud scio mali quid ortum ex hoc sit publice, Ter. Ad. 3, 3, 89: AES. ARGENTVM. AVRVMVE. PVPLICE. SIGNANTO, to provide with the public stamp, Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 6: VT BONA EIVS POPLICE POSSIDEANTVR FACITO, for the State, in charge of the State, Tab. Bantin. lin. 9: sunt illustriora, quae publice fiunt, Cic. Rep. 3, 12, 21: disciplina puerilis publice exposita, on the part of the State, by the State, id. ib. 4, 3, 3: publice interfici, by order of the State, id. Brut. 62, 224: legationis princeps publice dixit, in the name of the State, id. Verr. 2, 3, 44, § 105: publice maximam putant esse laudem, quam latissime a suis finibus vacare agros, in a national point of view, Caes. B. G. 4, 3: frumentum, quod Aedui essent publice polliciti, for the State, in the name of the State, id. ib. 1, 16: gratiam atque amicitiam publice privatimque petere, on behalf of the public, and as individuals, id. ib. 5, 55 fin.; id. B. C. 2, 16: ea privatim et publice rapere, Sall. C. 11, 6: potius publice quam privatim amicitiam populi Ron ani colere, id. J. 8, 2; id. C. 49, 3: Minucius eandem publice curationem agens, quam Maelius privatim agendam susceperat, Liv. 4, 13: neque publice neque privatim, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 6, § 16: ut filiae ejus publice alerentur, at the public expense, Nep. Arist. 3, 3: in urbe, celeberrimo loco elatus publice, id. Dion, 10, 3; cf. Liv. 5, 55; Plin. 33, 1, 4, § 11.
    2. B. Generally, all together, universally: exulatum publice ire, Liv. 5, 53 fin.; Dig. 39, 2, 24: Labeo consulentibus de jure publice responsitavit, all without exception, Gell. 13, 10, 1.
    3. C. Before the people, openly, publicly, = palam (only post-class.): publice disserere, Gell. 17, 21, 1: virtutem Claudii publice praedicare, Treb. Pol. Claud. 17: rumor publice crebuerat, App. M. 10, p. 247, 16; id. Mag. p. 276, 35; id. M. 2, p. 118, 10.