I.“archaic, MEILIA,” Inscr. Orell. 3308; abl. sing. milli, Lucil. ap. Gell. 1, 16, and ap. Macr. S. 1, 5), num. adj. Sanscr. root mil-, combine, associate; Gr. ὅμιλος; cf. miles, a thousand, thousands.
I. Lit.
A. In gen., sometimes in sing. subst, with gen.; in plur, only subst. with gen.: equites mille viā breviore praemissi, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 9, 3: “mille et quingentis passibus abesse,” Caes. B. G. 1, 22.—With gen.: “mille drachumarum Olympicūm,” Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 23: “spondeo et mille auri Philippum dotis,” id. ib. 5, 2, 34; cf.: “mille nummūm,” Cic. Phil. 6, 5, 15; id. ap. Gell. 1, 16, 5: “mille denariūm,” Gell. 1, 16, 9: “mille quingentos aeris in censum adferre,” Cic. Rep. 2, 22, 40: ibi occiditur mille hominum, Quadrig. ap. Gell. 1, 16, 1: “hominum mille versabatur,” Cic. Mil. 20, 53.—So with verb in sing., Cic. Att. 4, 16, 14; Plaut. Truc. 2, 6, 4; Ter. Heaut. 3, 3, 40: “mille equitum,” Caes. B. C. 3, 84; Liv. 21, 61: “mille militum,” Nep. Milt. 5, 1: plus mille et centum annorum est, Varr. ap. Gell. 1, 16, 3: “mille annorum,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 87: passuum, Cato ap. Gell. l. l.; Caes. B. G. 1, 25, 5 al.; cf. Zumpt, Gr. § 116.—In plur. with gen.: “Thracum mille aut duo milia occidere,” Cic. Phil. 14, 5, 12: “sexcenta milia mundorum,” id. N. D. 1, 34, 96.—Without gen.: “censa sunt civium capita centum quadraginta tria milia septingenta quatuor,” Liv. 35, 9: “sagittarios tria milia numero habebat,” Caes. B. C. 3, 4: “tot milia, gentes Arma ferunt Italae,” Verg. A. 9, 132: “decem milia talenta,” Hier. in Evang. Matt. 18, 24: “quatuor milia, funditores et sagittarii,” Liv. 37, 40, 9; cf. id. 37, 40, 11; 38, 38, 13; 37, 58, 4: “tritici modios CXX milia polliceri,” Caes. B. C. 2, 18, 4; 3, 4, 3: “Graecis peditibus mercede conductis, triginta milibus, praepositus,” Curt. 3, 9, 2; 9, 3, 21; 5, 1, 41; Liv. 34, 52, 7.—Distributively: “in milia aeris asses singulos,” on every thousand, Liv. 29, 15.—
B. In partic.: mille passus, mille passuum, or simply mille, a thousand paces, i. e. a Roman mile, which is estimated at 1618 English yards, or 142 yards less than the English statute mile: milli passum dixit (sc. Lucilius) pro mille passibus ... aperteque ostendit mille et vocabulum esse et singulari numero dici, Gell. 1, 16, 13; Cic. Att. 4, 16, 4: “ultra quadringenta milia,” id. ib. 3, 4.—Prov.: mille passuum mora, a mile's delay, i. e. a long delay, Plaut. Truc. 2, 3, 13; cf.: “mille passuum commoratu's cantharum,” id. Men. 1, 2, 64.—
II. Transf., like the Gr. μυρία, a thousand, for innumerable, infinite (mostly poet.): “mille pro uno Kaesones exstitisse,” Liv. 3, 14, 4; 2, 28, 4: “mille trahens varios adverso sole colores,” Verg. A. 4, 701: “tentat mille modis,” Hor. C. 3, 7, 12: “mille pericula saevae urbis,” Juv. 3, 8; 12, 46: “quomodo persequatur unus mille,” Vulg. Deut. 32, 30. —Plur.: “ante milia annorum,” Plin. 14 praef. 1, § 3: milia tumulorum, Prud. cont. Symm. 1, 516: “erat numerus eorum milia milium,” Vulg. Apoc. 5, 11; so, “mille alia, alia mille,” innumerable others, Quint. 2, 15, 23; Sen. Ep. 24, 14.
