Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.a touching, contact, touch, in a good or bad sense.

I. In gen.

(α). Contagio, Cato, R. R. 132 fin.: “anima calescit ... contagione pulmonum,” Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 138: “corporis,” id. Div. 1, 30, 63; 2, 43, 92; id. Fat. 3, 5: “ab omni mentione et contagione Romanorum abstinere,” Liv. 40, 20, 6.—

(β). Contagium, Lucr. 3, 346; 3, 740; Plin. 2, 20, 18, § 82; Mart. 11, 47.—

B. Pregn., a union, connection: “contagio naturae valet,” Cic. Fat. 3, 5.—

II. Freq., in a bad sense, a contacl with something physically or morally unclean, a contagion, infection.

A. Lit.

(α). Contagio: nolite ad me adire, ne contagio mea bonis obsit, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 12, 26 (Trag. Rel. v. 405 Vahl.); cf. Cic. de Or. 3, 41, 164: “velut contagione quādam pestiferā insanire,” Liv. 28, 34, 4: “tum praecipue oves contagione vexentur,” Col. 7, 5, 6; so id. 7, 5, 16: “lichenis,” Plin. 26, 1, 3, § “3: vini,” id. 14, 21, 27, § 134 al.—

(β). Contagium: “morbi,” Lucr. 3, 472; 6, 1235; Curt. 9, 10, 1; cf. “pestilentiae,” Plin. 23, 8, 80, § 157: “vicini pecoris,” Verg. E. 1, 51.—Absol.: “agunt contagia late,” Ov. M. 7, 551; Hor. Epod. 16, 61 al.—

B. Trop., an infection, pollution, vicious companionship or intercourse, participation, contamination, etc.

(α). Contagio: “contagione mei patris metuo malum,” Plaut. Am. prol. 31; so with the gen.: “illius sceleris,” Cic. Mur. 37, 78; id. Sull. 2, 6: “criminis,” Liv. 9, 34, 14: “turpitudinis,” Cic. Att. 1, 16, 3: “conscientiae,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 71, § 183: “furoris,” Liv. 28, 24, 10: “cujus facti dictive,” id. 2, 37, 7: “noxae,” id. 9, 1, 6: “imitandi belli,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 3, § 6; cf. “belli,” Flor. 2, 13, 1: “bellorum,” id. 2, 2, 4: “aspectus,” Cic. Clu. 68, 193.—Plur.: “contagiones malorum, quae a Lacedaemoniis profectae manaverunt latius,” Cic. Off. 2, 23, 80.— Absol.: haec (vitia) primo paulatim crescere; post, ubi contagio quasi pestilentia invasit, civitas immutata, etc., * Sall. C. 10 fin.; Liv. 5, 6, 11; 5, 12, 7; 10, 18, 2 al.; Flor. 1, 9, 8.—

(β). Contagium: “aegrae mentis,” Ov. Tr. 3, 8, 25: “scelerum,” Luc. 3, 322: “lucri (connected with scabies),” Hor. Ep. 1, 12, 14: “belli,” Flor. 1, 15, 1: “deditionis,” id. 3, 14, 2: “terrae,” Ov. M. 15, 195.—

(γ). Contamen, Tert. Carm. adv. Marc. 1, 1; 4, 4; Mart. Cap. 1, § 10 Kopp.