previous next
hostis (also fos- ), is, comm. Sanscr. root ghas-, to eat, consume, destroy; Germ. Gast; cf. also hasta,
I.a stranger, foreigner; afterwards transf., an enemy (cf.: “adversarius, inimicus, perduellis): equidem etiam illud animadverto, quod qui proprio nomine perduellis esset, is hostis vocaretur, lenitate verbi rei tristitiam mitigatam. Hostis enim apud majores nostros is dicebatur, quem nunc peregrinum dicimus ... quamquam id nomen durius effecit jam vetustas: a peregrino enim recessit et proprie in eo qui arma contra ferret remansit,Cic. Off. 1, 12, 37; cf. Varr. L. L. 5, § 3 Müll.: hostis apud antiquos peregrinus dicebatur, et qui nunc hostis perduellio, Paul. ex Fest. p. 102 P.—
II. An enemy in arms or of one's country (opp. inimicus, a private enemy, or one who is inimically disposed).
A. Lit.: “qui (Pompeius) saepius cum hoste conflixit quam quisquam cum inimico concertavit,Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 10, 28; cf.: “omnes nos statuit ille quidem non inimicos sed hostes,id. Phil. 11, 1, 3; “opp. inimicus,Curt. 7, 10 (v. also the foll.): “debent oratori sic esse adversariorum nota consilia, ut hostium imperatori,Quint. 12, 1, 35: “legiones hostium,Plaut. Am. prol. 136: “hostes nefarios prostravit,Cic. Phil. 14, 10, 27: “(bellum) compellere intra hostium moenia,id. Rep. 1, 1: “vita ex hostium telis servata,id. ib. 1, 3: “adventus hostium,id. ib. 2, 3: “ut eam (probitatem) vel in eis quos numquam vidimus, vel, quod majus est, in hoste etiam diligamus,id. Lael. 9, 29: “hostem rapinis prohibere,Caes. B. G. 1, 15, 4: “quando hostis alienigena terrae Italiae bellum intulisset,Liv. 29, 10, 5: “servit Hispanae vetus hostis orae Cantaber sera domitus catena,Hor. C. 3, 8, 21: “terra marique victus hostis,id. Epod. 9, 27 et saep.: “inimicis quoque et hostibus ea indigna videri,Cic. Inv. 1, 54, 105; cf.: “inimicus, hostis esset, tanta contumelia accepta,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 24, § 58: “sibi inimicus atque hostis,id. Fin. 5, 10, 29: “horum omnium communis hostis praedoque,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 6, § 17: “tam dis hominibusque hostis,id. Phil. 2, 26, 64; id. Att. 15, 21, 1: “Cn. Pompeius auctor et dux mei reditus, illius (Clodii) hostis,id. Mil. 15, 39: “acer Bupalo hostis (Hipponax),Hor. Epod. 6, 14: “fas est et ab hoste doceri,Ov. M. 4, 428: “di meliora piis erroremque hostibus illum!Verg. G. 3, 513; cf. Ov. H. 16, 219; id. Am. 2, 10, 16; id. F. 3, 494; id. P. 4, 6, 35: “quam (aquam) hostis hosti commodat,Plaut. Rud. 2, 4, 21.— In fem.: “hostis est uxor, invita quae ad virum nuptum datur,Plaut. Stich. 1, 2, 83: “nupta meretrici hostis est,Ter. Hec. 5, 2, 23: “ut, quo die captam hostem vidisset, eodem matrimonio junctam acciperet,Liv. 30, 14, 2: “cum certa videbitur hostis,Ov. A. A. 2, 461; id. H. 6, 82; Prop. 1, 4, 18: “ille uxorem, tu hostem luges,Curt. 4, 11, 4.—
2. Of an adversary in a suit, in a parody of the law of the Twelve Tables: “si status condictus cum hoste intercedit dies,Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 5; cf. also Gell. 16, 4, 4.
hide Dictionary Entry Lookup
Use this tool to search for dictionary entries in all lexica.
Search for in
hide References (30 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (30):
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 15.21.1
    • Cicero, For Milo, 15.39
    • Cicero, Philippics, 11.1.3
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.2.17
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.2.58
    • Cicero, Philippics, 14.10.27
    • Cicero, Philippics, 2.26.64
    • Plautus, Rudens, 2.4
    • Vergil, Georgics, 3.513
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 4.428
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 1.prol
    • Plautus, Curculio, 1.1
    • Plautus, Stichus, 1.2
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 8.71
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 30, 14.2
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 29, 10.5
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.1
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 5.10
    • Cicero, De Amicitia, 9
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 1.12
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 2, 2.10
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 12, 1.2
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 12, 1.35
    • Gellius, Noctes Atticae, 16.4.4
    • Ovid, Ex Ponto, 4.6
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 4.11.4
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 7.10
    • Ovid, Fasti, 1
    • Ovid, Fasti, 3
    • Cicero, De Inventione, 1.54
hide Display Preferences
Greek Display:
Arabic Display:
View by Default:
Browse Bar: