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.

1. lēgo, āvi, ātum (archaic perf. legassit for legaverit, Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Cic. Inv. 2, 50, 148), 1, v. a. [lex; and therefore qs. lege creare], a publicist’s and jurid. t. t.

  1. I. A publicist’s t. t.
    1. A. To send with a commission or charge, to send on an embassy, send as ambassador; to depute, despatch: ne hoc quidem senatui relinquebas, ut legati ex ejus ordinis auctoritate legarentur, Cic. Vatin. 15, 35: hominem honestum ac nobilem legarunt ad Apronium, id. Verr. 2, 3, 48, § 114: eos privatae rei causa legari, id. Fam. 3, 8, 4: juste pieque legatus venio, Liv. 1, 32: tres adulescentes in Africam legantur, qui reges adeant, etc., Sall. J. 21, 4: quos Athenienses Romam ad senatum legaverant impetratum, etc., Gell. 7, 14, 8.
      1. 2. Transf. to the commission itself (ante- and post-class.): quae verba legaverint Rhodii ad hostium ducem, what they told him through their deputies, Gell. 15, 31 in lemm.
        1. b. Beyond the official sphere: quin potius, quod legatum est tibi negotium, Id curas? committed, intrusted, Plaut. Cas. 1, 12.
    2. B. To appoint or choose as deputy (as the official assistant, lieutenant, of a general or governor): eum (Messium) Caesari legarat Appius, Cic. Att. 4, 15, 9: ego me a Pompeio legari ita sum passus, ut, etc., id. ib. 4, 2, 6: istum legatum iri non arbitror, id. ib. 10, 1, 4: ne legaretur Gabinius Pompeio expetenti, id. de Imp. Pomp. 19, 57: Dolabella me sibi legavit, chose me for his lieutenant, id. Att. 15, 11, 4: Calpurnius parato exercitu legat sibi homines nobiles, etc., Sall. J. 28.
  2. II. A jurid. t. t.: aliquid, to appoint by a last will or testament, to leave or bequeath as a legacy (class.): Numitori, qui stirpis maximus erat, regnum vetustum Silviae gentis legat, Liv. 1, 3: legavit quidam uxori mundum omne penumque, Lucil. ap. Gell. 4, 1, 3: usumfructum omnium bonorum Caesenniae legat, Cic. Caecin. 4, 11: Fabiae pecunia legata est a viro, id. Top. 3, 14: cui argentum omne legatum est, Quint. 5, 10, 62: in argento legato, id. 7, 2, 11.
    1. B. Aliquid alicui ab aliquo, to leave one a legacy to be paid by the principal heir: uxori testamento legat grandem pecuniam a filio, si qui natus esset: ab secundo herede nihil legat, Cic. Clu. 12, 33: si paterfamilias uxori ancillarum usum fructum legavit a filio, neque a secundo herede legavit, id. Top. 4, 21; Quint. 7, 9, 5.
      Hence,
      1. 1. lēgātus, i, m.
    1. A. (Acc. to lego, I. A.) An ambassador, legate, Cic. Vatin. 15, 35: legatos mittere, id. de Imp. Pomp. 12, 35: ad senatum legatos de aliqua re mittere, id. de Or. 2, 37, 155; cf.: missi magnis de rebus uterque Legati, Hor. S. 1, 5, 29: legatos mittere ad indicendum bellum, Liv. 31, 8; Ov. M. 14, 527.
    2. B. (Acc. to lego, I. B.).
        1. a. An official assistant given to a general or the governor of a province, a deputy, lieutenant, lieutenant-general: quos legatos tute tibi legasti? Cic. Pis. 14, 33: qui M. Aemilio legati fuerunt, id. Clu. 36, 99: Quintus frater meus legatus est Caesaris, id. Fam. 1, 9, 21; id. Off. 3, 20, 79; cf.: Murena summo imperatori legatus L. Lucullo fuit, qua in legatione duxit exercitum, etc., id. Mur. 9, 20; 14, 32: neque se ei legatum defuturum, id. Phil. 11, 7, 17; Val. Max. 5, 5, 1: hiberna cum legato praefectoque tradidisses, Cic. Pis. 35, 86: (Calvisius) duos legatos Uticae reliquerat, id. Phil. 3, 10 fin.: quaestorius, id. Verr. 2, 1, 21, § 56; Caes. B. G. 2, 5 fin.: L. Caesar, cujus pater Caesaris erat legatus, id. B. C. 1, 8, 2: magnitudo et splendor legati, Liv. 38, 58, 9: in magna legatum quaere popina, Juv. 8, 172.
        2. b. Under the emperors, a governor sent to a province by the emperor, Tac. A. 12, 40; id. Agr. 33; Suet. Vesp. 4; Spart. Hadr. 3 et saep.; cf. legatio, I. B. 2., and Orell. ad Tac. Agr. 9.
          1. (β) Legati legionum, commanders, Suet. Tib. 19; id. Vesp. 4; cf.: Caesar singulis legionibus singulos legatos et quaestorem praefecit, Caes. B. G. 1, 52; Tac. A. 2, 36; id. H. 1, 7.
            Also called; legatus praetorius, Tac. Agr. 7.
      1. 2. lēgātum, i, n. (acc. to lego, II.), a bequest, legacy: legatum est delibatio hereditatis, qua testator ex eo, quod universum heredis foret, alicui quid collatum velit, Dig. 30, 116: Hortensii legata cognovi, Cic. Att. 7, 3, 9: reliqua legata varie dedit, Suet. Aug. 101; id. Tib. 48: legatum peto ex testamento, Quint. 4, 2, 6: jus capiendi legata alicui adimere, Suet. Dom. 8: cymbala pulsantis legatum amici, Juv. 9, 62: legatorum genera sunt quattuor, Gai. Inst. 2, 192; cf. sqq.

lex, lēgis, f. [perh. Sanscr. root lag-, lig-, to fasten; Lat. ligo, to bind, oblige; cf. religio], a proposition or motion for a law made to the people by a magistrate, a bill (cf. institutum).

  1. I. Lit.: legem ferre: antiquare, Cic. Off. 2, 21, 73: rogare, id. Phil. 2, 29, 72: leges ac jura ferre, Juv. 2, 72: legem promulgavit pertulitque, ut, etc., Liv. 33, 46: Antonius fixit legem a dictatore comitiis latam, qua, etc., Cic. Att. 14, 12: legem sciscere de aliqua re, id. Planc. 14, 35: populus R. jussit legem de civitate tribuenda, id. Balb. 17, 38: repudiare, id. Lael. 25, 96.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. A bill which has become a law in consequence of its adoption by the people in the comitia, a law (cf.: jus, fas; decretum, edictum, scitum): legem constituere alicui, Cic. Caecin. 14, 40: legem gravem alicui imponere, id. Ac. 2, 8, 23: legem neglegere, evertere, perfringere, id. Cat. 1, 7, 18: neglegere, perrumpere, id. Leg. 1, 15, 42: leges ac jura labefactare, id. Caecin. 25, 70: legem condere, Liv. 3, 34: leges duodecim tabularum, the laws composed by the decemvirs, the foundation of Roman legislation, Liv. 3, 33 sq.: nunc barbaricā lege certumst jus meum omne persequi, i. e. by the Roman law, that of the Twelve Tables, Plaut. Capt. 3, 1, 32.
    2. B. Esp. in phrases.
      1. 1. Lege and legibus, according to law, by law, legally: ejus morte ea ad me lege redierunt bona, Ter. And. 4, 5, 4: Athenas deductus est, ut ibi de eo legibus fieret judicium, Nep. Phoc. 3, 4.
      2. 2. Legis actio, a statutory process: actiones quas in usu veteres habuerunt legis actiones appellabantur, vel ideo quod legibus proditae sunt, … vel ideo quia ipsarum legum verbis accommodatae erant, et ideo inmutabiles proinde atque leges observabantur, Gai. Inst. 4, 11; cf. § 12 sqq.
      3. 3. Hence, in partic.: lege agere, to proceed strictly according to law.
        1. a. Of the lictor, to execute a sentence: Fulvius praeconi imperavit, ut lictorem lege agere juberet, Liv. 26, 15, 9.
        2. b. To bring a legal or statutory action: una injuria est tecum. Chr. Lege agito ergo, Ter. Phorm. 5, 7, 90: lege agito dicebatur ei cujus intentio contemptibilis adversario videbatur, Don. ad Ter. l. l.: lege agito mecum; molestus ne sis, Plaut. Aul. 3, 3, 11: lege egit in hereditatem paternam exheres filius, Cic. de Or. 1, 38, 175; 1, 36, 167; id. Verr. 2, 1, 45, § 115.
      4. 4. Fraudem legi facere, to evade the law: ut ne legi fraudem faciant aleariae, adcuratote ut, etc., the law against dicing, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 9: quod emancupando filium fraudem legi fecisset, Liv. 7, 16, 9; cf. Val. Max. 8, 6, 3; cf. also: facio fraudem senatus consulto, Cic. Att. 4, 12, 1.
    3. C. In gen., a law, precept, regulation, principle, rule, mode, manner: qui disciplinam suam legem vitae putet, Cic. Tusc. 2, 4, 11: communis condicio lexque vitae, id. ib. 4, 29, 62; id. Balb. 7, 18: haec lex in amicitia sauciatur, id. Lael. 12, 40: quaero cur vir bonus has sibi tam gravis leges imposuerit, id. Ac. 2, 8, 23: lex veri rectique, id. ib. 2, 9, 27: aliquam legem vitae accipere, Sen. Ep. 108, 6: ad legem naturae revertamur, id. ib. 25, 4: leges in historia observandae, Cic. Leg. 1, 1, 5: quis nescit primam esse historiae legem, ne quid falsi dicere audeat? id. de Or. 2, 15, 62; id. Fam. 5, 12, 3: vetus est lex amicitiae, ut idem amici semper velint, id. Planc. 2, 5: hanc ad legem formanda est oratio, id. de Or. 3, 49, 190: versibus est certa quaedam et definita lex, id. Or. 58: legibus suis (i. e. philosophiae) parere, id. Tusc. 5, 7, 19: leges Epicuri, id. ib. 5, 37, 108; 4, 4, 7; Sen. Ep. 94, 15; Suet. Ner. 24: vetus lex sermonis, Quint. 1, 5, 29: contra leges loquendi, id. 1, 8, 13: lex et ratio loquendi, Juv. 6, 453: secundum grammaticam legem, Gell. 13, 21, 22: legem esse aiunt disciplinae dialecticae, etc., id. 16, 2, 1: citharae leges, Tac. A. 16, 4: beneficii, Sen. Ben. 2, 10, 4: sic ingens rerum numerus jubet atque operum lex, Juv. 7, 102: scimus hujus opusculi illam esse legem, etc., Plin. Ep. 4, 14, 5: qui titulus sola metri lege constringitur, id. ib. 4, 14, 8.
      Of things: quā sidera lege mearent, by what law, what rule, Ov. M. 15, 71.
      Hence, sine lege, without order, in confusion, confusedly: exspatiantur equi … quaque impetus egit, Hac sine lege ruunt, Ov. M. 2, 204: jacent collo sparsi sine lege capilli, id. H. 15, 73: haec in lege loci commoda Circus habet, quality, nature, id. Am. 3, 2, 20; cf.: sub lege loci sumit mutatque figuras, id. Hal. 32.
    4. D. A contract, agreement, covenant: oleam faciundam hac lege oportet locare, etc., Cato, R. R. 145: in mancipii lege, a contract of sale, Cic. de Or. 1, 39, 178; cf.: Manilianas venalium vendendorum leges ediscere, id. ib. 1, 58, 246: collegii Aesculapii, Inscr. ap. Fabrett. p. 724, n. 443.
    5. E. A condition, stipulation (cf. condicio).
      1. 1. In gen. (mostly ante-class.): ego dabo ei talentum, primus qui in crucem excucurrerit, Set ca lege, ut offigantur bis pedes, Plaut. Most. 2, 1, 13: quia nequit, qua lege licuit velle dixit fieri, id. Stich. 3, 1, 58: estne empta mi haec? Pe. His legibus habeas licet, id. Ep. 3, 4, 39: hac lege tibi adstringo meam fidem, Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 22: legibus dictis, Liv. 9, 5, 3: dicta tibi est lex, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 18: sed vos saevas imponite leges, Juv. 7, 229.
      2. 2. Hence of conditions or terms of peace: pax data Philippo in has leges est, Liv. 33, 30: quibus ante dictum est legibus, pacem fecerunt, id. 30, 43: pacemque his legibus constituerunt, Nep. Tim. 2: se sub leges pacis iniquae Tradere, Verg. A. 4, 618: leges et foedera jungere, id. ib. 12, 822: in leges ire, Stat. S. 1, 1, 27.
  3. F. In eccl. Lat. esp., the law of Moses: nolite putare quoniam veni solvere legem, Vulg. Matt. 5, 17; 11, 13; often called lex Moysi, id. Luc. 2, 22; id. Act. 15, 5; but more freq. lex Domini, id. Luc. 2, 23; id. Psa. 4, 2: lex Dei, id. 2 Esdr. 10, 28 sq.; also cf.: lex Altissimi, id. Eccl. 19, 21: lex tua, id. Psa. 39, 8; 118, 18: lex mea, id. Prov. 3, 1.
    Also of a precept of the Mosaic law: ista est lex animantium, Vulg. Lev. 11, 46: istae sunt leges quas constituit Dominus, id. Num. 30, 17.