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2. dēlectus or dīlectus (so often in best MSS., and adopted by Halm in Quint. and Cic., Weissenb. in Liv., Dietsch in Sall., and by Brambach, etc.; but Bait. and Kay. in Cic., Dinter and Nipperdey in Caes., delectus), ūs, m. [1. deligo], a choosing or picking out, a selecting; a selection, choice, distinction (freq. and class.).

  1. I. In gen.: utrimque tibi nunc dilectum para, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 157: mihi quidem etiam lautius videtur, quod eligitur, et ad quod delectus adhibetur, Cic. Fin. 5, 30, 90: earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut, etc. (shortly before: cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio), id. ib. 1, 10, 33: in hoc verborum genere propriorum delectus est quidam habendus, id. de Or. 3, 37, 150; so, verborum, Caes. ap. Cic. Brut. 72, 253; Quint. 12, 9, 6; cf.: rerum verborumque agendus, id. 10, 3, 5: verbis delectum adhibere, Tac. Or. 22: cujus (εὐφωνίας) in eo dilectus est, ut, etc., Quint. 1, 5, 4: judicum, Cic. Phil. 5, 5, 13: omnium rerum delectum atque discrimen pecunia sustulisset, id. Verr. 2, 2, 50; so with discrimen, id. Fin. 4, 25, 69: magnus hominum et dignitatum, id. Rep. 1, 34: dignitatis, id. Clu. 46; id. Off. 1, 14, 45: acceptorum beneficiorum sunt delectus habendi, id. ib. 1, 15, 49: non delectu aliquo aut sapientia ducitur ad judicandum, id. Planc. 4: sine ullo delectu, sine populi Rom. notione, sine judicio senatus, id. Agr. 2, 21 fin.; cf. Ov. M. 10, 325; and on the contrary, cum delectu, making a selection, Plin. 7, 53, 54, § 180; Plin. Ep. 2, 13, 18.
  2. II. Milit. t. t., a levy, a recruiting: per legatos delectum habere, Caes. B. G. 6, 1; so, delectum habere, a standing phrase for recruiting, id. ib. 7, 1; id. B. C. 1, 2; 1, 6; Cic. Phil. 5, 12; Sall. C. 36, 3; Liv. 2, 28; Tac. A. 13, 35 al.; cf. the postAug. agere, Quint. 12, 3, 5; Plin. 7, 29, 30, § 107; Tac. H. 2, 16; Suet. Calig. 43 al.: conficere, Liv. 25, 5: quas (legiones) ex novo delectu confecerat, Caes. B. C. 1, 25: exercitus superbissimo delectu collectus, Cic. Prov. Cons. 2 fin.: provincialis, made in the province, provincial, id. Fam. 15, 1 fin.: in bella, Plin. 6, 19, 22, § 66.
    1. B. Meton. (abstr. pro concreto), the men levied, a levy: e Britannico delectu octo milia sibi adjunxit, Tac. H. 2, 57.

dī-lĭgo, lexi, lectum, 3, v. a. [2. lego]. Prop., to distinguish one by selecting him from others; hence, in gen., to value or esteem highly, to love (v. amo init., and cf. faveo, studeo, foveo, cupio; very freq. and class.).

  1. I. Prop.: nihil est enim virtute amabilius, nihil quod magis alliciat ad diligendum: quippe cum propter virtutem et probitatem etiam eos, quos numquam vidimus, quodam modo diligamus, Cic. Lael. 8, 28; cf. id. ib. 9, 29 sq.; 14, 50; id. Rep. 1, 10 fin.; 1, 12 et saep. (cf. also the passages with diligo which are cited under amo, 1. and 1. colo, II. 2. b.); Caes. B. G. 6, 19 fin.; id. B. C. 1, 61, 3; Suet. Caes. 67; Verg. A. 9, 430; Hor. C. 2, 20, 7 et saep.: satin habes, si feminarum nulla’st, quam aeque diligam? Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 11; cf. id. ib. 3, 3, 18; Verg. A. 1, 344; Hor. C. 2, 5, 17; Suet. Caes. 50; 52; id. Aug. 62 al.: te in germani fratris dilexi loco, Ter. And. 1, 5, 57; cf. Verg. A. 4, 31; Suet. Calig. 24 al.: quem di diligunt, whom the gods favor, denoting a fortunate person, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 7, 18; Ter. And. 5, 6, 9; id. Phorm. 5, 6, 14.
    Prov.: diligitur nemo, nisi cui fortuna secunda est, Ov. P. 2, 3, 23.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. Of inanimate objects: fidem est complexus, observantiamque dilexit, Cic. Balb. 28; cf.: Caesaris consilia in re publica, id. Prov. Cons. 10 fin.: benevolentiam, diligentiam, prudentiam mirifice, id. Att. 12, 34 fin.: aviae memoriam, Suet. Vesp. 2: auream mediocritatem, Hor. C. 2, 10, 6: Cypron, id. ib. 1, 30, 2 et saep.
    2. B. Very rarely, of inanimate subjects, to love, choose, affect: montes amant cedrus, larix, etc. … montes et valles diligit abies, Plin. 16, 18, 30, § 73 sq.
    3. * C. With inf. for amare, to do willingly or habitually, to be fond of doing: pira nasci tali solo maxime diligunt, Pall. Febr. 25, 1.
      Hence,
      1. 1. dī-lĭgens, entis, P. a., prop. esteeming, loving; hence, in respect to an inanimate object, careful, assiduous, attentive, diligent, accurate with regard to it, opp. negligens (very freq. and class.).
    1. A. In gen.
          1. (α) With praepp.: qui in re adventitia atque hereditaria tam diligens, tam attentus esset, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 48; so, in rebus omnibus, id. Lael. 17, 62: in exquirendis temporibus, id. Rep. 2, 14 fin.: in ostentis animadvertendis, id. Div. 1, 42 fin.: in compositione, id. Quint. 10, 1, 79: in philosophia, id. ib. 129: in eloquendo, id. ib. 63: in symmetria, Plin. 34, 8, 19, § 58 al.: ad custodiendum aliquem diligentissimus, Cic. Cat. 1, 8, 19; so, ad reportandum, id. Verr. 2, 4, 3, § 6: ad cetera, Quint. 1, 1, 7: diligentes circa hoc, Plin. 31, 5, 30, § 56: circa aerarium, Eutr. 8, 7.
          2. (β) With gen.: omnis officii diligentissimus, Cic. Cael. 30, 73: veritatis, Nep. Epam. 3: imperii, id. Con. 1, 2: disciplinae, Vell. 1, 6; cf.: litterarum veterum, Gell. 4, 11, 4: compositionis, Quint. 9, 4, 77: aliarum rerum quae vitam instruunt, Sen. Vit. Beat. 3, 3: temperamenti, Plin. Pan. 79, 5: naturae, attentively investigating it, Plin. 13, 4, 7, § 31; so, medicinae, id. 32, 3, 13, § 26 et saep.
          3. * (γ) With dat.: Corinthios video publicis equis assignandis et alendis, orborum et viduarum tributis fuisse quondam diligentes, Cic. Rep. 2, 20, 32.
          4. (δ) Absol.: experientissimus ac diligentissimus orator, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 21: pro cauto ac diligente, Caes. Fragm. ap. Charis. p. 101 P.; for which: ut a diligenti curiosus distat, Quint. 8, 3, 55; cf. id. 1, 4, 24; 2, 15, 10 et saep.
    2. B. Transf., of inanimate subjects: assidua ac diligens scriptura, Cic. de Or. 1, 33, 150; cf.: diligentior notitia, Plin. 6, 22, 24, § 84: stilus, Tac. Or. 39: remedia, Sen. Ep. 95; Plin. 3, 5, 6, § 45; Vell. 1, 4.
    3. C. In partic., with reference to domestic affairs, frugal, thrifty, economical (cf. its opp. negligens = prodigus, and Ruhnk. Rutil. Lup. p. 95, a, ed. Frotsch.): homo frugi ac diligens, qui sua servare vellet, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 18; Plin. Ep. 2, 6, 1; cf. opp. negligens, ib. 4, 13, 8; and c. c. parcus and opp. luxuriosus, Auct. Her. 4, 34: cum te pro illiberali diligentem (appelles), Quint. 9, 3, 65: ex re familiari, cujus diligentissimus erat, Suet. Gramm. 23.
      Hence, dīlĭgenter, adv. (acc. to II. A.), carefully, attentively, diligently: accurate agatur, docte et diligenter, Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 30; id. Men. 5, 6, 3; Ter. Eun. 2, 1, 1; 2, 3, 47 al.; Cic. Phil. 1, 15 fin.; id. Fam. 6, 5; id. Att. 16, 16 A. fin.; Caes. B. G. 2, 5 al.
      Comp., Cic. Rep. 1, 22; id. Brut. 22, 86; Caes. B. G. 3, 16 fin.; id. B. C. 3, 8, 4; Vulg. Act. 22, 30 al.
      Sup., Cic. Lael. 2, 7; id. Rep. 2, 3; Caes. B. G. 2, 28 fin.; id. B. C. 3, 81 al.
      1. 2. dīlectus, a, um, P. a., loved, beloved, dear (rare).
        With dat.: pueri dilecti Superis, Ov. M. 10, 153; so id. ib. 5, 395; 8, 758.
        In sup., Stat. Th. 8, 99; Vulg. Heb. 6, 9.
        Absol.: luce mihi carior dilectior fili, Macr. Somn. Scip. 2, 1 init.; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 3, 74 al.
        Subst.: dīlectus, i, m., = ὁ ἐρώμενος, a favorite, Suet. Aug. 98.