I.diverse, different, manifold, changing, varying, various (cf.: diversus, distinctus).
I. Lit.
A. Of color, etc., variegated, party-colored, mottled, etc.: “arietis lingua nigra aut varia, vestis,” Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 4: “variā veste exornatus fuit,” Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 16; “so of color: uvae,” Cato, R. R. 33, 4; 33, 73: “lynces,” Verg. G. 3, 264: “serpens,” Ov. M. 6, 114: “anguis,” id. ib. 4, 619: “pica,” Petr. 28 fin.: “flores,” Tib. 1, 7, 45; Ov. M. 10, 123: “plumae,” Hor. A. P. 2: “lapides,” id. S. 2, 4, 83: “columnae,” of variegated marble, id. Ep. 1, 10, 22: “auctumnus purpureo colore,” id. C. 2, 5, 12: “colores,” Ov. M. 1, 270; cf.: “vestra latera loris faciam ut valide varia sint,” i. e. black and blue, Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 12; id. Mil. 2, 2, 61: tergum varium, Pomp. ap. Non. 19, 31 (Com. Rel. v. 139 Rib.): sparsa quoque in vario passim miracula caelo videt, diversified, i. e. with constellations of various forms, Ov. M. 2, 193.—
2. Subst.: vărĭa , ae, f. (i. e. bestia, a mottled animal).
a. A panther, Plin. 8, 17, 23, § 63 sq.—
b. A kind of magpie, Plin. 10, 29, 41, § 78.—
B. In rural lang.: “terra,” wet above and dry beneath, Col. 2, 4, 5: “sulcus,” Cato, R. R. 61, 2; Plin. 18, 19, 49, § 174.—
II. Trop., diverse, different, manifold, changing, varying, changeable, various, etc.: varium poëma, varia oratio, varii mores, varia fortuna; “voluptas etiam varia dici solet,” Cic. Fin. 2, 3, 10: “(qualitates) variae et quasi multiformes,” id. Ac. 1, 7, 26: “et ea, quae videntur acerba, quae multa et varia in hominum vitā fortunāque versantur,” id. Off. 1, 20, 67: “curricula multiplicium variorumque sermonum,” id. Or. 3, 12: “res varia et multiplex,” id. Fl. 3, 6: “multae, copiosae variaeque rationes,” id. de Or. 1, 51, 222; cf.: “varia et diversa genera et bellorum et hostium,” id. Imp. Pomp. 10, 28; cf. id. de Or. 3, 16, 61; 1, 61, 262: “varium jus et dispar condicio,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 19, § 49: “eventus varii fortunae,” Caes. B. G. 2, 22: victoria, wavering, = anceps, Sall. J. 5, 1; Liv. 2, 6, 10; so, “bellum,” Flor. 4, 12, 26. —Of opinions: varias esse opiniones intellego: sunt qui putant, etc., i. e. divergent opinions, differences where there is yet substantial agreement (while diversae opiniones are opposite views), Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 25. —
2. Varium est, with a rel.-clause: “quales sint (dii), varium est,” various opinions prevail, Cic. N. D. 2, 5, 13.—
B. Esp., of persons, etc.
1. Of abilities, versatile: “Plato et varius et multiplex et copiosus fuit,” Cic. Ac. 1, 4, 17; cf.: “antequam scirem quam varium, quam flexibile quam multiplex (ejus ingenium) esset,” Plin. Ep. 1, 16, 1: “Antonius ingenio varius,” Flor. 4, 3, 4.—
2. Of character, fickle, inconstant, changeable, untrustworthy: miror quid sit, quod pater tuus, homo constantissimus, te nobis varium reliquit (beaten black and blue, and fickle-minded,) Cic. Fragm. ap. Quint. 6, 3, 48: “animus audax, subdolus, varius,” Sall. C. 5, 4: “varius incertusque agitabat,” id. J. 74, 1: “voltu et oculis pariter atque animo varius,” agitated, irresolute, id. ib. 113, 3: “Pausanias magnus homo, sed varius in omni genere vitae fuit,” Nep. Paus. 1, 1; cf.: “varium et mutabile semper Femina,” a fickle thing, Verg. A. 4, 569.—Hence, adv.: vărĭē .
A. Lit., with diverse colors, in a variegated manner: “mithrax gemma multicolor, contra solem varie refulgens,” Plin. 37, 10, 63, § 173: “smaragdi Cyprii varie glauci,” id. 37, 5, 18, § 67. —
B. Trop., variously, changeably, diversely, differently, in various ways: “varie moveri,” Cic. Div. 2, 42, 89: “qui (sermones) ab his, qui illum audierunt, perscripti varie et copiose sunt,” id. Ac. 1, 4, 16: “numerus hujus generis late et varie diffusus est,” id. Sest. 45, 97: “varie sum affectus tuis litteris,” id. Fam. 16, 4, 1: “postea decernitur, ac non varie, sed prope cunctis sententiis,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 65, § 145: “ita varie per omnem exercitum laetitia, maeror, luctus atque gaudia agitabantur,” Sall. C. 61, 9: “in Aequis varie bellatum,” Liv. 5, 28, 5: “agere varie, rogando alternis suadendoque coepit,” id. 2, 2, 9: “hiemem aut negotia varie causari,” Tac. A. 1, 47: “sagittarios varie passimque collocare, Auct. B. Afr. 60: disserere,” Tac. A. 1, 11.—With a punning allusion to 1. Varia: Ep. Perpetuon' valuisti? Th. Varie. Ep. Qui varie valent, caprigenum hominum non placet mihi neque pantherinum genus, Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 15.
