auxĭlĭum, ii, n. [augeo], help, aid, assistance, support, succor (syn.: adjumentum, opes, praesidium, subsidium).
- I. In gen.: Fer mi auxilium, Enn. ap. Cic. Ac. 2, 28, 89: quo praesidio fretus, auxiliis quibus? Pac. ap. Non. p. 262, 32: auxilium argentarium, Plaut. Ps. 1,1, 103; id. Ep. 1, 2, 14: non habeo ad auxilium copiam, Ter. And. 2, 1, 20: navita indigus omni vitali auxilio, Lucr. 5, 224: venerunt ad auxilium, Vulg. Jud. 5, 23; ib. Isa. 10, 3 al.
Hence the phrases: auxilium esse alicui, to assist one, Plaut. Curc. 2, 2, 17; and more freq.: auxilio esse alicui, Enn. ap. Non. p. 111, 16; Plaut. Poen. 5, 3, 18; 5, 4, 107; Ter. Heaut. 5, 2, 39; Nep. Milt. 5, 1; id. Att. 11, 1; Hor. S. 1, 4, 141; Ov. M. 12, 90 al.: auxilium ferre alicui, to bring assistance, to aid, succor, Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 5; Ter. And. 1, 1, 115; id. Ad. 2, 1, 1; Lucr. 3, 1064; Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 3; (contra aliquem), id. Cat. 2, 9, 19; Caes. B. G. 1, 13; Hor. Epod. 1, 21; Ov. M. 2, 580; 4, 693; 13, 71; Vulg. Jud. 20, 14; ib. Job, 30, 13 al.; once adferre, Ter. Ad. 3, 2, 2: dare, Verg. A. 2, 691; Vulg. Psa. 59, 13; 107, 13: praebere, ib. Jud. 12, 2; ib. 1 Par. 12, 21: auxilium sibi adjungere, Cic. Rosc. Am. 40, 116: expetere, Ter. And. 2, 1, 19 sq.: unde auxilium petam? id. Phorm. 5, 1, 2: petere ab aliquo, Cic. Or. 41, 141; Ov. M. 7, 507; 5, 178; 14, 461; Vulg. 1 Esdr. 8, 22; ib. Judith, 6, 21 et saep.
In plur.: cum (mare) tumet, auxiliis adsidet ille (navita) suis, Ov. A. A. 3, 260: auxilia portare, Sall. C. 6, 5 Kritz: magna duo auxilia, sources of aid, Liv. 31, 33, 3: ne auxilia liberorum innocentibus deessent, Quint. 7, 1, 56 et saep.
Meton. (abstr. for concr.), a place of succor, refuge (eccl. Lat.): sex (oppida) erunt in fugitivorum auxilia separata, Vulg. Num. 35, 6.
- II. Esp.
- A. In milit. lang. very freq., and commonly in plur.: auxĭlĭa, ōrum, auxiliary troops, auxiliaries (mostly composed of allies and light-armed troops; hence opp. to the legions): auxilium appellatum ab auctu, cum accesserant ei qui adjumento essent alienigenae, Varr. L L. 5, § 90 Müll.; Veg. 2, 2; cf. auxiliares, and Smith, Dict. Antiq.: quibus (copiis) rex Deiotarus imperatoribus nostris auxilia mitteret, Cic. Deiot. 8, 22; so Sall. J 7, 2; Liv. 5, 5, 8 al.: auxiliis in mediam aciem conjectis, Caes. B. G. 3, 24; so, dimittere, Sall. J. 8, 2: ab sociis et nomine Latino accersere, id. ib. 39, 2; cf. id. ib. 84, 2: facere mercede, Tac. A. 6, 33; Vulg. 1 Macc. 9, 52; ib. 2 Macc. 8, 15 et saep.
Opp to the legions: sex legiones et magna equitum ac peditum auxilia, Cic. Part. Or. 6, 1; so Suet. Aug. 23; 49; id. Tib. 16; 30; id. Calig. 43; 44; id. Galb. 10 al.
In sing.: Oroden auctus auxilio Pharasmanes vocare ad pugnam, Tac. A. 6, 34; Ov. M. 11, 387.
Borrowed from miht. lang.: Duodecim deis plus quam in caelo deorumst inmortalium Mihi nunc auxilio adjutores sunt, Plaut. Ep. 5, 2, 10 sq.: Auxilia ac socios jam pacto foedere habebant, Lucr. 5, 1443.
In gen.: auxilia, military force, power: Caesar confisus famā rerum gestarum, infirmis auxiliis proficisci non dubitaverat, Caes. B. C. 3, 106; Flor. 2, 8, 15; Just. 1, 6.
- B. In medic. lang., an antidote, remedy, in the most extended sense of the word: corporis, Cels. 2, 9; so id. 2, 11 fin.; 4, 22; 5, 26, n. 21 al.: adversae valetudinis, id. 1 praef.; Plin. 25, 3, 6, § 20.
- C. Auxilium as a personified existence, like Fides. Salus, etc., in Plaut. Cist. 1, 3, 6.