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.

paelex (pēlex, and, only in inscriptions, pellex), icis, f. [akin to Sanscr. pallavaka, girl; Gr. παλλακίς, concubine], a kept mistress, concubine of a married man.

  1. I. Lit.: antiqui proprie eam pelicem nominabant, quae uxorem habenti nubebat. Cui generi mulierum etiam poena constituta est a Numā Pompilio hāc lege: paelex aram Junonis ne tangito, etc., Paul. ex Fest. p. 222 Müll.; cf. Gell. 4, 3, 3: libro Memorialium Masurius scribit: pelicem apud antiquos eam habitam, quae, cum uxor non esset, cum aliquo tamen vivebat eamque nunc vero nomine amicam, paulo honestiore concubinam appellari, Dig. 50, 16, 144; Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 39; id. Merc. 4, 1, 24 et saep.
    With gen. of the wronged wife: filiae paelex, Cic. Clu. 70, 199; id. Or. 30, 108: tune eris et matris paelex et adultera patris? Ov. M. 10, 347: illa Jovis magni paelex, metuenda sorori, id. H. 14, 95: fugit (Medea) ulta paelicem, Magni Creontis filiam, Hor. Epod. 5, 63: horrida, Juv. 2, 57.
    Poet., of the cows, as rivals of Pasiphaë, who had become enamoured of a bull, Ov. A. A. 1, 321.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. A kept mistress, concubine, in gen. (post-class.): virginem constupratam servo suo paelicem dederat, Curt. 10, 1, 5: Artaxerxi regi Persarum ex paelicibus centum et quindecim filii fuere, Just. 10, 1, 1; cf.: Granius Flaccus scribit, pelicem quosdam vocare eam, quae uxoris loco sine nuptiis in domo sit. Dig. 50, 16, 144.
    2. B. A male prostitute (postclass.), Paul. ex Fest. p. 222 Müll.: Dolabella eum (Caesarem) pelicem reginae (appellavit), as the favorite of King Nicomedes, Suet. Caes. 49; in apposition, pelices ministri, Mart. 12, 97, 3.
    3. * C. Comically, a substitute: quoties pelex culcita facta mea est (sc. matellae), Mart. 14, 119, 2.