Lewis & Short

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lībella, ae, f. dim. [libra].

  1. I. An as, a small silver coin, the tenth part of a denarius: nummi denarii decuma libella, quod libram pondo aeris valebat, et erat ex argento parva, Varr. L. L. 5, § 174 Müll.: librales, unde etiam nunc libella dicitur et dupondius, appendebantur asses, Plin. 33, 3, 13, § 42; Cato, R. R. 15, 1: sunt enim in sestertio libellae decem, singulae viginti, teruncii quadraginta, Volus. Maec. 66.
    1. B. In gen.
      1. 1. Prov. for a very small sum of money, as with us a farthing, groat, cent: una libella liber possum fieri, Plaut. Cas. 2, 5, 8; cf. id. Capt. 5, 1, 27: tibi libellam argenti numquam credam, id. Ps. 2, 2, 34: quoi neque libellai spes sit usquam gentium, id. ib. 1, 1, 96: quom libella nusquamst, nisi, etc., id. ib. 4, 7, 47: quis Volcatio unam libellam dedisset? Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 10, § 26.
        Hence, ad libellam, i. q. ad assem, to a farthing, to a cent, exactly, Cic. Rosc. Com. 4, 11.
      2. 2. In inheritances: ex libella, i. q. ex asse, sole heir: Curius fecit palam te ex libella, me ex teruncio, Cic. Att. 7, 2, 3.
  2. II. An instrument for detecting any variation from a perfectly horizontal surface, a level, water-level, plummetline: libella aliqua si ex parti claudicat hilum, Lucr. 4, 515: collocare et expolire aliquid ad regulam et libellam, Vitr. 1, 6, 6; cf. Plin. 36, 25, 63, § 188: structuram (parietis) ad normam et libellam fieri, et ad perpendiculum respondere oportet, id. 36, 22, 51, § 172: locus qui est ad libellam aequus, quite, perfectly level, Varr. R. R. 1, 6 fin.

lĭbellus, i, m. dim. [3. liber].

  1. * I. The inner bark of a tree, used for writing-tablets: levis in aridulo malvae descripta libello (carmina), Cinna ap. Isid. Orig. 6, 12.
  2. II. Transf., a little book, pamphlet, esp. a book written in pages, and not in long rolls: epistulae, quas primus videtur ad paginas et formam memorialis libelli convertisse (opp. transversa charta), Suet. Caes. 56.
    1. A. In gen.: scripsi etiam illud quodam in libello, Cic. de Or. 1, 21, 94: in quodam joculari libello, Quint. 8, 6, 73; 2, 13, 15: quoi dono lepidum novum libellum, Cat. 1, 1: horribilis et sacer, id. 14, 12: quicquid hoc libelli est, id. 1, 8: libellis eum (Scipionem) palaestraeque operam dare, to books, Liv. 29, 19 fin.: nostri farrago libelli, Juv. 1, 86.
      Of a single satire, Hor. S. 1, 10, 92.
      1. 2. In plur., poet., a bookseller’s shop: te (quaesivimus) in omnibus libellis, Cat. 55, 4 (dub.; al. labellis); Mart. 5, 20, 8.
    2. B. In partic., a writing of any kind.
      1. 1. A memorandumbook, journal, diary: si quid memoriae causā retulit in libellum, Cic. Phil. 1, 8, 19: in commentariolis et chirographis et libellis, id. ib. 1, 7, 16; Quint. 12, 8, 5; cf. id. 10, 7, 31; 11, 3, 142; 6, 2, 5.
      2. 2. A memorial: non illi in libellis laudationum decreta miserunt, Cic. Clu. 69, 197.
      3. 3. A petition: Atticus libellum composuit: eum mihi dedit, ut darem Caesari, Cic. Att. 16, 16, A, 4: libellum alicui porrigere, Suet. Aug. 53: supplices libelli, Mart. 8, 31, 3: vitem posce libello, Juv. 14, 193: libellos signare, subnotare, to answer petitions: libellos signare, Suet. Aug. 50: subnotare libellos, Plin. Ep. 1, 10, 9; so, ad libellum rescribere, Mos. et Rom. Leg. Coll. 3, 3, 5: libellos agere, to have the charge of answering petitions, Dig. 20, 5, 12: a libellis, the officer charged with receiving petitions: Epaphroditum a libellis capitali poena condemnavit, Suet. Dom. 14; Inscr. Grut. 587, 9: A LIBELLIS ADIVTOR, ib. 587, 7.
      4. 4. A note of invitation, to hear a lecture, see a play, etc., a notice, programme: gladiatorum libellos venditare, Cic. Phil. 2, 38, 97: domum mutuatur et subsellia conducit et libellos dispergit, Tac. Or. 9: munerarius, the programme of a festival, Treb. Claud. 5.
      5. 5. A public notification, announcement, placard, handbill: edere per libellos, Suet. Caes. 41: libellos Sex. Alfenus, procurator P. Quincti, deicit, tears down the auction handbills, Cic. Quint. 6, 27: suspensum amici bonis libellum, Sen. Ben. 4, 12: vestitur tota libellis porticus, Juv. 12, 100.
      6. 6. A letter: (laetitias) in libello hoc opsignato quas tuli pausillulo, Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 16 (cf. epistulam, id. ib. v. 26): libellum ipsius habeo in quo, etc., Cic. Att. 6, 1, 5: ut ex libellis ejus animadverti, Brut. ap. Cic. Fam. 11, 11, 1.
      7. 7. A libel, lampoon, pasquinade (post-Aug.): libellos aut carmina ad infamiam cujuspiam edere, Suet. Aug. 55; id. Caes. 80; id. Vit. 14: sparsos de se in Curia famosos libellos, id. Aug. 55: sive quis ad infamiam alicujus libellum aut carmen scripserit, Gai. Inst. 3, 220: injuriam patimur … famosis libellis, Paul. Sent. 5, 4, 1.
      8. 8. A written accusalion or complaint (post-Aug.): componunt ipsae per se formantque libellos, Juv. 6, 244; Dig. 48, 2, 3.
      9. 9. A lawyer’s brief: quid causidicis praestent magno comites in fasce libelli? Juv. 7, 107.
      10. 10. An attestation, certificate: significent id libello manu sua subscripto, Dig. 39, 4, 4.