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mollĭo, īvi and ii, ītum, 4 (mollibat for molliebat, Att. ap. Non. 347, 16; Ov. M. 6, 21: mollirier for molliri, Ter. Phorm. 4, 3, 27), v. a. [mollis], to make soft, pliant, flexible, or supple, to soften (class.).

  1. I. Lit.: frigoribus durescit umor, et idem vicissim mollitur tepefactus, Cic. N. D. 2, 10, 26: lanam trahendo, by spinning, Ov. M. 2, 411: artus oleo, Liv. 21, 55: dum ferrum molliat ignis, Hor. S. 1, 4, 20: ceram, Ov. M. 8, 198: semina, id. ib. 7, 123: humum foliis, id. ib. 4, 741: glebas, id. ib. 6, 220: ventrem, to relax, purge moderately, Plin. 20, 5, 20, § 43: duritias, id. 28, 17, 70, § 34: agri molliti, softened, loosened, Cic. N. D. 2, 50, 130.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. To soften, moderate, mitigate; to tame, restrain, check; to render easier, lighter, pleasanter, or less disagreeable: Hannibalem juveniliter exsultantem patientiā suā molliebat, Cic. Sen. 4, 10: quā mons mollibat mare, broke the violence of the sea, Att. ap. Non. 347, 16: iras, Liv. 1, 9: impetum, id. 3, 35: indocili numero cum grave mollit opus, Ov. Tr. 4, 1, 6: poenam, id. ib. 3, 5, 53: clivum, to make the ascent of a hill easier, Caes. B. G. 7, 46: clivos, Liv. 21, 37, 3: verba usu, Cic. N. D. 1, 34, 95: translationem, id. de Or. 3, 41, 165: fructus feros colendo, to render milder, Verg. G. 2, 36: caelum, Plin. 2, 47, 47, § 124: lacrimae meorum me interdum molliunt, overcome me, Cic. Att. 10, 9, 2: Deus mollivit cor meum, softened, Vulg. Job, 23, 16.
    2. B. To soften, render effeminate or unmanly: legionem, Cic. Phil. 12, 3, 8: animos, id. Tusc. 2, 11, 27: vocem, to make soft or womanish, Quint. 11, 3, 24: puerum, to unman, Stat. S. 3, 4, 68.

mollis, e, adj. [Gr. μαλακός, ἀμαλός, μῶλυς; cf. βληχρός, perh. Lat. mulier (mollior)], easily movable, pliant, flexible, supple; soft, tender, delicate, gentle, mild, pleasant (class.; syn.: tener, facilis, flexibilis, lentus).

  1. I. Lit.: mollis juncus, Verg. E. 2, 72: comam mollis … hyacinthi, id. G. 4, 137: aurum, flexible, id. A. 10, 818: tiliae, Ov. M. 10, 92: crura, Verg. G. 3, 76: colla, id. A. 11, 622: bracchia, Ov. A. A. 1, 595: cervix, id. F. 4, 185: commissurae, Cic. N. D. 2, 60: molle litus, of soft sand, Caes. B. G. 5, 9: harena, Ov. M. 2, 577: aqua, id. A. A. 1, 476: fraga, id. M. 13, 816: castaneae, Verg. E. 1, 82: mollissima vina ( = mitissima, lenissima), id. G. 1, 341; cf.: molli mero, Hor. C. 1, 7, 19; and: molle Calenum, Juv. 1, 69: alvus, relaxed, open bowels, Cels. 3, 12: cibus, mild, not sharp, id. 4, 4, 4: ovum, soft, id. 4, 4, 5: prata, Verg. G. 2, 384: gramen, Ov. F. 6, 328: humus, id. A. A. 3, 688: lana, id. F. 2, 742: torus, id. Am. 2, 4, 14: arcus, slack, unbent, unstrung, id. H. 4, 92: feretrum, made soft by a layer of leaves, Verg. A. 11, 64: mollissima cera, Cic. de Or. 3, 45, 177: mollia panis, the soft part of bread, the crumb, id. 13, 12, 26, § 82: molles genae, soft, delicate, Ov. H. 10, 44: capilli, id. P. 3, 3, 17: manus, id. Am. 1, 4, 24: latus, id. M. 14, 710: molles Zephyri, soft, gentle, id. A. A. 3, 728; so, hiems, Stat. S. 3, 5, 83: aestas, Verg. G. 1, 312: caelum, Flor. 1, 16, 3; 4, 12, 27: Euphrates mollior undis, gentler, calmer, Verg. A. 8, 726: aditus, easy, Sil. 4, 491; so, iter, Quint. 4, 2, 46: via, id. 1, 6, 22: fastigium, gentle, not steep, Caes. B. C. 2, 10: clivus, Verg. E. 9, 8: modicis et mollibus clivis, Curt. 8, 39, 6: jugum montis, Tac. G. 1: trames, Ov. F. 3, 13.
    Prov.: molli bracchio objurgare aliquem, with a gentle arm, i. e. in a forbearing manner, Cic. Att. 2, 1, 6: in molli carne vermes nascuntur, it is the soft flesh that breeds the worms, Petr. 57.
    Subst.: mollia, ĭum, n., a kind of fishes, mollusks, Plin. 11, 51, 112, § 267.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. Tender, delicate, susceptible: mollibus annis, in tender youth, Ov. H. 1, 111: os molle, easily blushing, id. Tr. 4, 3, 70: mollissima corda, Juv. 15, 131: mollissimae aures, modest, Plin. Pan. 68.
      1. 2. In a bad sense, soft, effeminate, unmanly, weak (syn. effeminatus): philosophus tam mollis, tam languidus, tam enervatus, Cic. de Or. 1, 52, 226: Sabaei, Verg. G. 1, 57: viri molles, i. e. pathici, Liv. 33, 28; Sen. Ep. 87: disciplina, effeminate, Cic. Fin. 1, 11, 37: delicatior … molliorque ratio, id. ib. 5, 5, 12: vita, Ov. Tr. 5, 3, 9: desine mollium querellarum, Hor. C. 2, 9, 17: mollis teneraque vox, Quint. 11, 3, 23: educatio, id. 1, 2, 6: actio, id. 11, 3, 128: Gallorum mens est mollis ac minime resistens ad calamitates perferendas, Caes. B. G. 3, 19: sententiae, Cic. Cat. 1, 12, 30: si taedio laboris longaeque viae, ut est mollis ad talia gens (Gallorum), dilaberentur, Liv. 22, 2, 4: Romanos molliores facere ad paciscendum, id. 42, 62, 6; cf.: sunt qui in rebus contrariis parum sibi constent, voluptatem severissime contemnant, in dolore sint molliores, etc., Cic. Off. 1, 21, 71: molles in aure fenestrae, Juv. 1, 104.
    2. B. Soft, pleasant, mild, easy: orationem mollem teneramque reddidit, soft, pleasant, Cic. Brut. 9, 38: mollis et jucunda senectus, id. Sen. 1, 2: ita eum placidum mollemque reddidi, ut, etc., calm and gentle, id. Caecil. 10, 28: verba, Hor. Epod. 5, 83: mollia jussa, mild, easy, Verg. G. 3, 41: vincuntur molli pectora dura prece, soft, tender, touching, Tib. 3, 4, 76: sic accensum sed molliora referre jussum dimittit, to return a gentler answer, Tac. H. 4, 32 fin.: saepius molliora respondens, id. A. 12, 46: mollis versus, an elegiac or amatory poem, Ov. Tr. 2, 307; Prop. 1, 7, 19 (opp. durus versus, a heroic poem, id. 2, 1, 41): ridere mollia, to smile gently, Ov. A. A. 3, 513: cuncta tamen ad imperatorem in mollius relata, in a milder, more favorable light, Tac. A. 14, 39: pilenta, having a gentle motion, Verg. A. 8, 666; id. G. 2, 389: mollissima fandi tempora, id. A. 4, 293: hora mollior, more favorable, Ov. P. 3, 3, 84: signa, Cic. Brut. 18, 70: duriora Callon, jam minus rigida Calamis, molliora adhuc supra dictis Myron fecit, more agreeable, Quint. 12, 10, 7: mollis animus et ad accipiendam et ad deponendam offensionem, Cic. Att. 1, 17, 2: in inimicitiis auricula infima mollior, id. Q. Fr. 2, 13 (15), 4.
      Subst.: molle, is, n., softness, smoothness: molle atque facetum Vergilio adnuerunt Camenae, Hor. S. 1, 10, 45.
    3. C. Weak, untrustworthy: nihil est tam molle, tam tenerum, tam aut fragile aut flexibile quam voluntas erga nos civium, Cic. Mil. 16, 42.
      Hence, adv.: mollĭter.
      1. 1. Lit., softly, gently, agreeably (class.): molliter sustine me, Plaut. Ps. 5, 2, 7: aves nidos mollissime substernunt, Cic. N. D. 2, 52, 129: recubans, id. de Or. 3, 17, 63: ossa cubent, Ov. Tr. 3, 3, 76: excudent alii spirantia mollius aera, more easily, agreeably, Verg. A. 6, 847: cura molliter semina conlocandi, Plin. 15, 10, 9, § 35: colles ad orientem molliter devexi, gently, gradually, Col. 1, 2, 3 sq.
      2. 2. Trop.: quod ferendum est molliter sapienti, calmly, patiently, Cic. Sen. 2, 5: abnuere, Liv. 30, 3: delicate et molliter vivere, voluptuously, Cic. Off. 1, 30, 106: aegritudinem pati, sensitively, weakly, Sall. J. 82, 2: ne quid per metum, mollius consuleretur, too compliantly, Liv. 30, 7, 3: interpretari mollius aliquid, rather mildly, favorably, Tac. H. 2, 96.