Lewis & Short

clādes, is (gen. plur. usu. cladium, Liv. 2, 63, 7; 5, 22, 8 et saep.: cladum, Sil. 1, 41; 7, 505; 9, 353; 16, 672; Amm. 29, 1, 14; 32, 2, 1), f. [kindr. with Sanscr. klath, laedere; Gr. κλάω, to break, break in pieces; cf.: per-cello, clava, gladius].

  1. I. Prop., a breaking, beating, dashing to pieces; hence,
    1. A. In gen., destruction, devastation, injury, mischief, harm, misfortune, disaster, loss, detriment, calamity (cf.: calamitas, pernicies; class. and freq.): clades calamitasque, intemperies modo in nostram advenit domum, Plaut. Capt. 4, 4, 3: haec igitur subito clades nova pestilitasque Aut in aquas cadit aut fruges persidit in ipsas, Lucr. 6, 1125: dare late cladem magnasque ruinas, id. 5, 347: etsi cursum ingeni tui, Bruti, premit haec inportuna clades civitatis, Cic. Brut. 97, 332: atque haec vetusta … Luctifica clades nostro infixa est corpori, id. Tusc. 2, 10, 25: et illam meam cladem … maximum esse rei publicae volnus judicastis, id. Sest. 13, 31: cum tibi ad pristinas cladis accessio fuisset Aetoliae repentinus interitus, id. Pis. 37, 91: quod si primo proelio Catilina superior discessisset, profecto magna clades atque calamitas rem publicam oppressisset, Sall. C. 39, 4: captae urbis Romanae clades, Liv. 5, 21, 16: publica, Tac. A. 14, 64: tum urbs tota eorum conruit et Taygeti montis magna pars … abrupta cladem eam insuper ruinā pressit, Plin. 2, 79, 81, § 191: plus populationibus quam proeliis cladium fecit (cf. B. 1. infra), Liv. 8, 2, 8: quidve superbia spurcitia ac petulantia? Quantas Efficiunt clades! Lucr. 5, 48: aliam quamvis cladem inportare pericli, id. 5, 369: agrum omni belli clade pervastat, Liv. 22, 4, 1: colonias belli clade premi, Curt. 9, 7, 22: colonias omni clade vastare, id. 4, 1, 10: majestas populi Romani … vastata cladibus fuerat, Plin. 16, 32, 57, § 132: per sex dies septemque noctes eā clade saevitum est, of the burning of Rome, Suet. Ner. 38: quo tantae cladis pretio, i. e. the burning of the Capitol, Tac. H. 3, 72; id. A. 13, 57: recens, the destruction of the amphitheatre, id. A. 4, 63 sq.: Lugdunensis, the burning of Lyons, id. ib. 16, 13 Nipp. ad loc.
      With gen. obj.: si denique Italia a dilectu, urbs ab armis, sine Milonis clade numquam esset conquietura, without ruining Milo, Cic. Mil. 25, 68: tum privatae per domos clades vulgatae sunt, the losses of particular families at Cannae, Liv. 22, 56, 4.
      Poet.: cladibus, exclamat, Saturnia, pascere nostris, Ov. M. 9, 176: Trojae renascens alite lugubri Fortuna tristi clade iterabitur, Hor. C. 3, 3, 62.
    2. B. Esp.
      1. 1. In war or battle, a disaster, defeat, overthrow, discomfiture, massacre: ni pedites cum equitibus permixti magnam cladem in congressu facerent, Sall. J. 59, 3: exercitatior hostis magnā clade eos castigavit, Liv. 39, 1, 4: iret ut … subitā turbaret clade Latinos, Verg. A. 12, 556: quodsi … supervenisset, ingens clades accipi potuit, Curt. 4, 12, 15; so freq.: accipere cladem, to be defeated, beaten, Liv. 3, 26, 3; 5, 11, 5; 8, 12, 17; 22, 51, 11: apud Chaeroneam accepta, Quint. 9, 2, 62: classe devictā multas ipsi lacrimas, magnam populo Romano cladem attulit, Cic. N.D. 2, 3, 7: postquam is … contractae cladi superesset … fusa est Romana acies, Liv. 25, 19, 16: omnibus pacis modo incurrisse agentibus magna clades inlata, id. 29, 3, 8: non vulnus super vulnus sed multiplex clades, id. 22, 54, 9: paene exitiabilem omnibus cladem intulit, Vell. 2, 112, 4: tantā mole cladis obrui, Liv. 22, 54, 10: terrestri simul navalique clade obruebantur, Curt. 4, 3, 14; Sen. Med. 207: clades illa pugnae Cannensis vastissima, Claud. Quadrig. ap. Gell. 5, 17, 5: binaque castra clade unā deleta, Liv. 30, 6, 6: exercituum, Tac. A. 3, 6; 3, 73; Sall. H. 1, 41, 5 Dietsch: quis cladem illius noctis fando Explicet, Verg. A. 2, 362: Germanica, Tac. H. 4, 12: Variana, id. A. 1, 57: Pharsaliam Philippos et Perusiam ac Mutinam, nota publicarum cladium nomina loquebantur, id. H. 1, 50.
        Poet.: ut barbarorum Claudius agmina … diruit … Primosque et extremos metendo Stravit humum, sine clade victor (i.e. of his own men), Hor. C. 4, 14, 32.
      2. 2. Of the plague: inque ipsos saeva medentes Erumpit clades, Ov. M. 7, 562; cf.: sue abstinent merito cladis, quā ipsos scabies quondam turpaverat, cui id animal obnoxium, Tac. H. 5, 4 Heraeus ad loc.
      3. 3. Of the loss of a limb: Mucius, cui postea Scaevolae a clade dextrae manūs cognomen inditum, Liv. 2, 13, 1.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. Of persons who bring destruction, etc., a destroyer, scourge, pest: geminos, duo fulmina belli, Scipiadas, cladem Libyae, Verg. A. 6, 843: haec clades, of Heliogabalus, Lampr. Heliog. 34, 1: illa, of immodest women as a class, id. Alex. Sev. 34, 4.
    2. B. Of dissolute morals, corruption: fecunda culpae saecula nuptias inquinavere … Hoc fonte derivata clades In patriam populumque fluxit, Hor. C. 3, 6, 19.