Lewis & Short

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argūmentum, i, n. [arguo].

  1. I.
    1. A. The means by which an assertion or assumption may be made clear, proved, an argument, evidence, proof (and in particular, that which rests upon facts, while ratio is that which depends upon reasoning): argumentum est ratio, quae rei dubiae facit fidem, Cic. Top. 2, 7: quid est argumentum? Probabile inventum ad faciendam fidem, id. Part. Or. 2: argumentum est ratio probationem praestans, quā colligitur aliquid per aliud, et quae, quod est dubium, per id quod dubium non est, confirmat, Quint. 5, 10, 11: de eā re signa atque argumenta paucis verbis eloquar, Plaut. Am. 5, 1, 35; 1, 1, 267; id. Rud. 4, 3, 84; id. Truc. 2, 6, 26 al.: commemorando Argumenta fidem dictis conradere, Lucr. 1, 401; so id. 1, 417: argumenta multa et firma ad probandum, Cic. Brut. 78, 272: aliquid exemplis magis quam argumentis refellere, id. de Or. 1, 19, 88: argumento esse, Liv. 5, 44; 39, 51: litterae ad senatum missae argumentum fuere, etc., id. 8, 30: In argumentum fidei retentum pallium ostendit marito, Vulg. Gen. 39, 16; ib. Act. 1, 3: inopia fecerat eam (rem parvam) argumentum ingens caritatis, Liv. 5, 47: libertatis argumentum, Tac. G. 25: Est fides argumentum non apparentium, Vulg. Heb. 11, 22: addit pro argumento, Suet. Calig. 8: velut argumentum rursus conditae urbis, id. ib. 16: levibus utrimque argumentis, id. Galb. 7 et saep.
    2. B. A sign by which any thing is known, a mark, token, evidence: animi laeti Argumenta, signs, indications, Ov. M. 4, 762: voti potentis, id. ib. 8, 745: unguentarii myrrham digerunt haud difficulter odoris atque pinguetudinis argumentis, according to the indications of smell, etc., Plin. 12, 15, 35, § 68: caelum quidem haud dubie caelati argumenti dicimus, id. 2, 4, 3, § 8: amoris hoc est argumentum, non malignitatis, Petr. 137, 8: argumenta viri, i. e. indicia, Juv. 9, 85 al.
  2. II. The matter which lies at the basis of any written or artistic representation, contents, subject, theme, argument, ὑπόθεσις: Argumentum plura significat. Nam et fabulae ad actum scaenicarum compositae argumenta dicuntur: et orationum Ciceronis velut thema ipse exponens Pedianus, argumentum, inquit, tale est: quo apparet omnem ad scribendum destinatam materiam ita appellari, Quint. 5, 10, 9 and 10.
    1. A. Of every kind of representation in writing.
      1. 1. Lit.: argumentum est ficta res, quae tamen fieri potuit, Cic. Inv. 1, 19; id. Att. 15, 4, 3: tabulae novae, quid habent argumenti, nisi ut, etc., what is their drift? what do they mean? id. Off. 2, 23, 84: epistulae, id. Att. 10, 13; 9, 10; 1, 19.
        1. a. But esp. freq., the subject-matter of a poem or fictitious writing, the subject, contents: post argumentum hujus eloquar tragoediae, Plaut. Am. prol. 51; cf. id. ib. 96; so id. Trin. 3, 2, 81: argumentum narrare, Ter. And. prol. 6: fabulae, id. Ad. prol. 22: Livius Andronicus ab saturis ausus est primus argumento fabulam serere, i. e. a scenic representation of a subject in its connection, Liv. 7, 2: spectaculum, quo argumenta inferorum explicarentur, Suet. Calig. 57.
          Hence,
        2. b. Meton. (part for the whole), a poem in gen.: explicare argumenti exitum, Cic. N. D. 1, 20, 53: hoc argumento se describi sentiat, Phaedr. 4, 8; so id. 4, 16; 5, 3; cf. Enn. ap. Gell. 2, 29 fin.: sumque argumenti conditor ipse mei, I am myself the subject of my poem, Ov. Tr. 5, 1, 10.
      2. 2. Trop., intrinsic worth, reality, truth: haec tota fabella … quam est sine argumento, without value, reality, Cic. Cael. 27: non sine argumento maledicere, not without some reason, id. ib. 3 fin.
    2. B. The subject of artistic representations (sculpture, painting, embroidery. etc.): ex ebore diligentissime perfecta argumenta erant in valvis, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 56: (cratera) fabricaverat Alcon Hyleus, et longo caelaverat argumento, Ov. M. 13, 684; cf. id. ib. 2, 5 sq.: vetus in telā deducitur argumentum, id. ib. 6, 69; Verg. A. 7, 791: Parrhasii tabulae, Suet. Tib. 44.
      In philos. lang., a conclusion, a syllogism: Nam concludi non potest nisi iis, quae ad concludendum sumpta erunt, ita probatis ut falsa ejusdem modi nulla possint esse, Cic. Ac. 2, 14, 44 al.