Lewis & Short

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Nerva, ae, m.,

  1. I. a Roman family name of the Licinii, Cocceii, and Silii. So M. Cocceius Nerva, the Roman emperor.
    Hence,
  2. II. Nervĭus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to the emperor Nerva, Nervian: miles, of the Nervian legion, Claud. B. Gild. 421.

nervus, i, m. [root snar-; Old Germ. snara, a snare; Gr. νεῦρον; cf. parvus and παῦρος], a sinew, tendon, nerve.

  1. I. Lit.: his adde nervos, a quibus artus continentur, Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 139: hoc nervos confirmari putant, Caes. B. G. 6, 20: nervus qui platys appellatur, Plin. 26, 8, 58, § 90: hic primum nervos et venas expressit (of Pythagoras the painter), id. 34, 8, 19, § 59: nervorum contractio, Sen. Ep. 66, 40: nervi quos τένοντας Graeci appellant, Cels. 8, 1: condamus alter alterum in nervum bracchialem, let us embrace, Plaut. Poen. 5, 4, 99.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. I. q. membrum virile, Hor. Epod. 12, 19; Juv. 10, 205; 9, 35; pl. nervi, Petr. 131, §§ 4 and 6.
      2. 2. A string of a musical instrument: omnes voces, ut nervi in fidibus, ita sonant, ut, etc., Cic. de Or. 3, 57, 216: cotidiano cantu vocum et nervorum et tibiarum tota vicinitas personat, id. Rosc. Am. 46, 134; Verg. A. 9, 776; Hor. C. 3, 11, 4.
      3. 3. A bowstring: reciproca tendens nervo equino concita tela, Att. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 80 Müll. (Trag. Rel. p. 176 Rib.): nervoque obversus equino Contendit telum, Verg. A. 9, 622: nervo aptare sagittas, id. ib. 10, 131: erumpit nervo pulsante sagitta, id. G. 4, 313; so Val. Fl. 6, 376; 1, 437; Luc. 7, 141.
        1. b. A bow: aliquem fallere nervo, Val. Fl. 3, 182.
      4. 4. The leather with which shields were covered: scuta nervo firmata, Tac. A. 2, 14; Sil. 4, 293.
      5. 5. A thong with which a person was bound, Plaut. Curc. 5, 3, 11; Veg. Mil. 4, 9.
      6. 6. The cords or wires by which a puppet is moved: duceris ut nervis alienis mobile lignum, Hor. S. 2, 7, 82.
      7. 7. A fetter: nervum appellamus etiam ferreum vinculum, quo pedes impediuntur: quamquam Plautus eo etiam cervices vinciri ait: Perfidiose captus edepol nervo cervices probat, Paul. ex Fest. p. 165 Müll.: VINCITO AVT NERVO, AVT COMPEDIBVS, Lex XII. Tab. ap. Gell. 20, 1: in nervo atque compedibus aetatem agunt, Cato ap. Gell. 11, 18, 18; cf. Plaut. As. 3, 2, 5: posuit in nervo pedes meos, Vulg. Job, 33, 11.
        1. b. A prison: in nervum aliquem rapere, Plaut. Capt. 5, 3, 45: in nervo jacebis, id. Curc. 5, 3, 40; cf. id. Capt. 3, 5, 71: vereor ne istaec fortitudo in nervum erumpat denique, will lay you by the heels, bring you into durance, Ter. Phorm. 2, 2, 10; 4, 4, 15: eximere de nervo aliquem, Liv. 6, 15, 9: misit in nervum, Vulg. Jer. 20, 2.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. Nerve, vigor, force, power, strength: digna res est ubi tu nervos intendas tuos, Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 20: onus … dignum, in quo omnes nervos aetatis industriaeque meae contenderem, Cic. Verr. 1, 12, 35: omnibus nervis mihi contendendum est, ut, etc., id. ib. 2, 3, 56, § 130: opibus ac nervis ad perniciem suam uti, Caes. B. G. 1, 20; Cic. Phil. 5, 12, 32: nervi belli pecunia, id. ib. 5, 2, 5: vectigalia nervos esse rei publicae, id. Imp. Pomp. 7, 17: legionum nervos incidere, id. Phil. 12, 3, 8: poëtae molliunt animos, nervos omnes virtutis elidunt, id. Tusc. 2, 11, 27: video, fore nervis opus sapientiāque tuā, id. Fam. 3, 10, 1: loci inhaerentes in nervis causarum, intimately connected with them, id. de Or. 3, 27, 106: nervi conjurationis, the leaders, Liv. 7, 39, 6.
    2. B. In partic., of expression, force, energy: horum oratio neque nervos, neque aculeos oratorios ac forenses habet, Cic. Or. 19, 62; cf. id. de Or. 3, 21, 80: nervi in dicendo, id. ib. 2, 22, 91: sectantem levia nervi Deficiunt, Hor. A. P. 26.