Lewis & Short

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măgister, tri (old orthog., ‡ magester, like ‡ leber, ‡ Menerva, for liber, Minerva, acc. to Quint. 1, 4, 17), m. [a double comparative in form, from magis, and comparative ending -ter; cf.: minister, sinister], a master, chief, head, superior, director, president, leader, commander, conductor, etc.: quibus praecipua cura rerum incumbit, et qui magis quam ceteri diligentiam et sollicitudinem rebus, quibus praesunt, debent, hi magistri appellantur, Dig. 50, 16, 57.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen., the dictator in the earliest times was called magister populi, the chief of the people: in Magistro populi faciendo, qui vulgo dictator appellatur … qui primus Magister a populo creatus est, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. optima lex, p. 198 Müll.: (sapiens) rectius appellabitur rex quam Tarquinius, qui nec se nec suos regere potuit: rectius magister populi (is enim dictator est) quam Sulla, qui trium pestiferorum vitiorum, luxuriae, avaritiae, crudelitatis magister fuit, Cic. Fin. 3, 22, 75; cf. also below the passage, Varr. L. L. 5, § 82 Müll.; Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 9: dictator quidem ab eo appellatur, quia dicitur: sed in nostris libris (sc. auguralibus) vides eum magistrum populi appellari, id. Rep. 1, 40, 63 Creuz.; cf., with reference to this passage, Sen. Ep. 108, 31: Larcum moderatorem et magistrum consulibus appositum, Liv. 2, 18, 5.
      Magister equitum, the chief of the cavalry, appointed by the dictator: magister equitum, quod summa potestas hujus in equites et accensos, ut est summa populi dictator, a quo is quoque magister populi appellatus, Varr. L. L. 5, § 82 Müll.: dictator magistrum equitum dicit L. Tarquitium, Liv. 3, 27; 7, 21 fin.; 23, 11: fumosi equitum magistri, in a family tree, Juv. 8, 8.
      So, magister peditum (analogous to magister equitum), chief of the infantry, Amm. 21, 12, 16.
      The censor is called magister morum, master of morals, Cic. Fam. 3, 13, 2: magister sacrorum, the chief priest, Liv. 39, 18 fin.; v. Drak. ad loc.; so, PVBLICVS SACRORVM (or SACERDOTVM), Inscr. Orell. 2351: FRATRVM ARVALIVM, ib. 2426: SALIORVM, ib. 2247; 2419: LARVM AVGVSTI, ib. 1661 et saep.: curiae, the overseer of a curia, Plaut. Aul. 1, 2, 29: vici, the overseer of a quarter or ward, Suet. Aug. 30: chori canentium, a head-chorister, leader of a choir, Col. 12, 2: officiorum and operarum, a superintendent, bailiff, id. 1, 18: scripturae and in scripturā, a director of a company of farmers-general, Cic. Att. 5, 15, 3; id. Verr. 2, 2, 70, § 169; cf.: P. Terentius operas in portu et scripturā Asiae pro magistro dedit, i. e. has performed the functions of a magister, was vice-director, id. Att. 11, 10, 1: quaesivi, qui per eos annos magistri illius societatis fuissent, id. Verr. 2, 2, 74, § 182: P. Rupilius, qui est magister in ea societate, id. Fam. 13, 9, 2: maximarum societatum auctor, plurimarum magister, id. Planc. 13, 32: pecoris, a chief herdsman, Varr. R. R. 2, 10; cf. Verg. G. 3, 445: elephanti, conductor, Sil. 4, 616: auctionis, the director, superintendent, conductor of an auction, Cic. Quint. 15, 50; cf.: is quem putabant magistrum fore, si bona venirent, id. Att. 1, 1, 3; 6, 1, 15; an officer charged with distributing money among the people, Plaut. Aul. 2, 2, 3.
      Law t. t., an agent or assignee to dispose of a debtor’s goods: praetor jubet convenire creditores, et ex eo numero magistrum creari, id est eum per quem bona veneant, Gai. Inst. 3, 79: convivii, the master or president of a feast, Varr. L. L. 5, § 122 Müll.; App. Mag. p. 336, 11: navis, the master or captain of a ship, Dig. 14, 1, 1; Gai. Inst. 4, 71; so without navis, Juv. 12, 79: gubernatores et magistri navium, Liv. 29, 25, 7; 45, 42, 3; the steersman, pilot: ipse gubernaclo rector subit, ipse magister, Verg. A. 5, 176; 1, 115; 6, 353; Val. Fl. 1, 18; 1, 382; Luc. 2, 696; Sil. 4, 719: samnitium, i. e. of the gladiators, a fencing-master, Cic. de Or. 3, 23, 86: magistri tabernae, innkeepers, Paul. Sent. 2, 8, 3.
      In inscrr. are found also: fani, horreorum, collegii, memoriae, munerum, Augustalis, admissionum, epistolarum, libellorum, etc.; likewise: a bibliothecā, ab marmoribus, etc.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. A teacher, instructor, Cic. Phil. 2, 4, 8: pueri apud magistros exercentur, id. de Or. 1, 57, 244: artium lberalium magistri, id. Inv. 1, 25, 35; cf.: virtutis magistri, id. Mur. 31, 65; id. N. D. 1, 26, 72: rarum ac memorabile magni Gutturis exemplum conducendusque magister, Juv. 2, 114.
        Transf., of inanim. things: magister mihi exercitor animus nunc est, Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 4; id. Curc. 2, 2, 8: stilus optimus dicendi effector ac magister, Cic. de Or. 1, 33, 150; Pers. prol. 10: timor, non diuturnus magister officii, Cic. Phil. 2, 36, 90.
      2. 2. An educator of children, a tutor, pedagogue: senes me filiis relinquunt quasi magistrum, Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 21: docendis publice juvenibus magister, Gell. 19, 9, 2.
      3. 3. A master, owner, keeper: trepidumque magistrum In cavea magno fremitu leo tollet alumnus, Juv. 14, 246.
      4. 4. A master of his art, professor: a tonsore magistro Pecteris, Juv. 6, 26.
  2. II. Trop., an adviser, instigator, author of any thing (very rare): si quis magistrum cepit ad eam rem improbum, Ter. And. 1, 2, 21: magister ad despoliandum Dianae templum, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 21, § 54.
    As adj.: rituque magistro Plurima Niliacis tradant mendacia biblis, Sedul. 1, 15.