Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

hărēna (better than ărēna, Bramb. s. v. Rib. Prol. Verg. p. 422, and v. infra), ae, f. [Sabin. fas-ena; from Sanscr. root bhas-, to shine, gleam, Corss. Ausspr. 1, 102].

  1. I. Prop., sand (syn.: sabulum, glarea, suburra): harenae tria genera, Plin. 36, 23, 54, § 175: magnus congestus harenae, Lucr. 6, 724; 726: litoris incurvi bibulam pavit aequor harenam, the thirsty sand of the curved shore, id. 2, 376; so, bibula harena, Verg. G. 1, 114 (Rib. and Forbig., but Conington arena): sicca, id. ib. 1, 389: sterilis, id. ib. 1, 70: mollis, Ov. M. 2, 577: opaci omnis harena Tagi, i. e. the gold it was believed to contain, Juv. 3, 55 (cf. Plin. 4, 21, 35, § 115): nivis more incidens, Sen. Q. N. 2, 30, 2.
    Poet.: harena nigra, = limus, slime, mud, Verg. G. 4, 292.
    Plur. (postAug.; its use is said by Gell. 19, 8, 3, to have been ridiculed by Cæsar as a verbi vitium): arenae carae, of the golden sands of Pactolus, Ov. M. 11, 88 Merk.: quem (delphina) postquam bibulis inlisit fluctus harenis, id. H. 18, 201: summae cauda verruntur arenae, id. M. 10, 701 Merk.; so id. ib. 2, 456; 865; 11, 231; 499; 15, 268; 279; Stat. S. 4, 3, 23 Queck; Col. 1 praef. 24; but harenae, Ov. Am. 2, 11, 47; Verg. G. 2, 106; 3, 350; Hor. C. 3, 4, 31 K. and H.: arenarum inculta vastitas, Sen. Q. N. 1 prol. 8; of the bottom of the sea: furit aestus harenis, Verg. A. 1, 107: aestu miscentur harenae, id. ib. 3, 557.
    Prov.
          1. (α) Quid harenae semina mandas? Ov. H. 5, 115; cf. id. Tr. 5, 4, 48.
          2. (β) Ex incomprehensibili pravitate arenae funis effici non potest, Col. 10 praef. § 4.
          3. (γ) Arena sine calce, said by Caligula of Seneca, because his sentences seem like independent maxims, without connection, Suet. Cal. 53.
          4. (δ) Of vast numbers: sicut arena quae est in litore maris, Vulg. Judic. 7, 12; id. Gen. 22, 17.
  2. II. Meton.
    1. A. In gen., sand, sands, a sandy place: ut cum urbis vendiderit, tum arenam aliquam emat, Cic. Agr. 2, 27, 71 B. and K.
    2. B. Esp.
      1. 1. A sandy desert, waste (mostly post-Aug.): cum super Libycas victor penderet arenas, Ov. M. 4, 617; Luc. 2, 417: nigras inter harenas, Prop. 4 (5), 6, 83: Memnonis effigies, disjectas inter et vix pervias arenas, Tac. A. 2, 61.
      2. 2. The shore of the sea, the beach, coast, strand: cum mare permotum ventis ruit intus harenam, Lucr. 6, 726: litoream arenam sulcare, Ov. M. 15, 725: doque leves saltus udaeque inmittor arenae, id. ib. 3, 599: multaque perpessae (carinae) Phrygia potiuntur arena, id. ib. 12, 38: sub noctem potitur classis arena, id. ib. 13, 729.
        So sing., Verg. A. 1, 540; 5, 34; 6, 316; 11, 626 al.
      3. 3. The place of combat in the amphitheatre (strewn with sand), the arena: in amphitheatri arena, Suet. Ner. 53; id. Tit. 8: missus in arenam aper, id. Tib. 72; id. Aug. 43: comminus ursos figebat Numidas Albana nudus harena venator, Juv. 4, 100; 2, 144; 8, 206: juvenes in arenam luxuria projecit, Sen. Ep. 99, 13.
      4. 4. Transf.
          1. (α) A combat in the amphitheatre: in harenam se dare, Dig. 11, 4, 5 fin.: operas arenae promittere, Tac. A. 14, 14: in opera scaenae arenaeque edenda, Suet. Tib. 35: scaenae arenaeque devotus, id. Cal. 30.
          2. (β) The combatants in the arena: cum et juris idem (i. e. testandi libertas) contingat harenae, the gladiators have the right, etc., Juv. 6, 217.
      5. 5. Harena urens, volcanic fire, lava: Aetna ingentem vim arenae urentis effudit, Sen. Q. N. 2, 30, 1.
  3. III. Trop., the place of combat, scene or theatre of any contest (war, a single battle, a dispute, etc.): civilis belli arena, Flor. 4, 2, 18; 4, 7, 6; cf. id. 3, 21, 1; Luc. 6, 63: in harena mea, hoc est apud centumviros, Plin. Ep. 6, 12, 2.