Lewis & Short

supplex (subpl-), ĭcis (abl. supplĭci, but also -ĭce freq. in dactyl. and anap. verse, Hor. C. 3, 14, 8; Tib. 1, 2, 14; Ov. M. 2, 396 al.;

  1. I. and always when used subst., Verg. A. 3, 667; Ov. M. 8, 261; Curt. 5, 3, 14; or to denote a temporary attitude or relation, not a permanent characteristic, Cic. Scaur. 2, 35; Luc. 8, 287; 8, 346; cf. Neue, Formenl. 2, 46; gen. plur. supplicium, Liv. 24, 30; 29, 16; 35, 34), adj. [sup-plico, bending the knees, kneeling down; hence], humbly begging or entreating; humble, submissive, beseeching, suppliant, supplicant (class.; syn.: humilis, submissus).
          1. (α) Absol.: supplex te ad pedes abiciebas, Cic. Phil. 2, 34, 86; cf. id. Lig. 5, 13: ad alios se reges supplicem contulisse, id. Imp. Pomp. 8, 21: et genua amplectens effatur talia supplex, Verg. A. 10, 523: vobis supplex manus tendit patria communis, Cic. Cat. 4, 9, 18; cf. infra II.: se supplicem pro aliquo profiteri, id. Pis. 32, 80: supplex ad aliquem venire, id. Att. 16, 16, C, § 10: ad opem judicum supplices confugere, id. Font. 15, 33 (11, 23): do manus Supplex, Hor. Epod. 17, 2: supplex populi suffragia capto, id. Ep. 2, 2, 103: tibi quo die Portus Alexandrea supplex patefecit, id. C. 4, 14, 35: supplex rogabo, Stat. Achill. 1, 50.
          2. (β) With dat.: ut tibi fierem supplex, Plaut. Ps. 5, 2, 20: judicibus supplex, Cic. Tusc. 1, 29, 71; id. de Or. 1, 53, 229: ego me plurimis pro te supplicem abjeci, id. Mil. 36, 100; Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 101; id. Cist. 1, 1, 34; id. Pers. 2, 3, 18; id. Stich. 2, 1, 18; Ter. Phorm. 5, 6, 47; Cic. Planc. 8, 21; Ov. H. 12, 185 al.: cum Alcibiades Socrati supplex esset, ut, etc., Cic. Tusc. 3, 32, 77.
          3. (γ) As subst.: supplex, ĭcis, m., a suppliant, humble petitioner: in miseros ac supplices misericordiā uti, Caes. B. G. 2, 28: et nos jacentis ad pedes supplicum voce prohibebis? Cic. Lig. 5, 13: tu supplice digno dignior, Val. Fl. 7, 290: paternus, Sen. Troad. 315; so with a pron. possess. or gen.: vester est supplex, judices, Cic. Mur. 40, 86; so, vester, id. Clu. 70, 200: tuus, Hor. C. 3, 10, 16: supplex vestrae misericordiae, Cic. Cael. 32, 79: dei, Nep. Paus. 4, 5; id. Ages. 4, 8: tui numinis, Sen. Agam. 343: domus inimicae, Quint. Decl. 9, 1.
  2. II. Transf., of things: manus supplices, Cic. Font. 21, 48 (17, 38): manu supplice, Ov. M. 11, 279: dextra, Val. Fl. 4, 11: vitta, Hor. C. 3, 14, 8: dona, Verg. A. 3, 439: libelli, Mart. 8, 31, 3: vota, Verg. A. 8, 61: verba, Cic. Att. 12, 32, 1: vox, Sall. C. 31, 7; Ov. M. 2, 396; Liv. 30, 12; Curt. 4, 6, 28: voce supplex, Tac. A. 1, 57: oliva, Val. Fl. 3, 424: querelae, Tib. 1, 4, 72: lacrimae, Prop. 1, 16, 4: causa, Quint. 11, 1, 3.
    Hence, adv.: sup-plĭcĭter, humbly, submissively, suppliantly: suppliciter demisseque respondere, Cic. Fl. 10, 21; id. de Or. 1, 20, 90; Caes. B. G. 1, 27; Suet. Aug. 13; id. Tib. 10; Verg. A. 1, 481; 12, 220; Hor. S. 1, 8, 32; Ov. F. 2, 438; id. P. 1, 10, 44.