I.a number.
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “illi octo cursus septem efficiunt distinctos intervallis sonos: qui numerus rerum omnium fere nodus est,” Cic. Rep. 6, 18, 18; cf. Macr. Somn. Scip. 1, 6: “duo hi numeri,” Cic. Rep. 6, 12, 12: “consummare perfectissimum numerum, quem novem novies multiplicata componunt,” Sen. Ep. 58: “numerumque referri Jussit,” that their number should be counted, Verg. E. 6, 85; cf.: numerus argenteorum facilior usui est, the counting, reckoning. Tac. G. 5 fin.: sed neque quam multae species, nec nomina quae sint Est numerus; “neque enim numero conprendere refert,” cannot be counted, Verg. G. 2, 104: “eorumque nummorum vis et potestas non in numero erat, sed in pondere,” Gai. Inst. 1, 122.—
B. In partic.
1. A certain collective quantity, a body, number of persons or things: tunc deinceps proximi cujusque collegii ... in sortem coicerentur, quoad is numerus effectus esset, quem ad numerum in provincias mitti oporteret, S. C. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 8, 8: “haec in Aeduorum finibus recensebantur numerusque inibatur,” Caes. B. G. 7, 76; Liv. 38, 22: “eum clavum, quia rarae per ea tempora litterae erant, notam numeri annorum fuisse ferunt,” Liv. 7, 3: “Pompilius ad pristinum numerum duo augures addidit,” Cic. Rep. 2, 14, 26: “haec enim sunt tria numero,” in number, altogether, id. de Or. 2, 28, 121: “classis mille numero navium,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 18, § 48: “oppida sua omnia, numero ad duodecim, incendunt,” Caes. B. G. 1, 5: “ad duorum milium numero ex Pompeianis cecidisse reperiebamus,” id. B. C. 3, 53: reliqui omnes, numero quadraginta, interfecti, Sall J. 53, 4; cf. id. ib. 93, 8: “cum magnus piratarum numerus deesset,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 28, § 72: “ad eorum numerum,” to the full number of them, id. ib. 2, 5, 28, § 73; id. Q. Fr. 2, 13; Caes. B. G. 5, 20: “si naves suum numerum haberent,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 51, § 133: “supra numerum,” superfluous, Suet. Ner. 15; id. Claud. 25: “magnus numerus frumenti,” a great quantity, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 72, § 176; cf. id. Planc. 26, 64; Caes. B. C. 2, 18: “vini,” Cic. Phil. 2, 28, 66; so without an adj., like the Engl. number, for a great number: “est (in eādem provinciā) numerus civium Romanorum atque hominum honestissimorum,” id. Font. 5, 13 (1, 3): “plures numero tuti,” Tac. A. 14, 49 fin.: “sed illos Defendit numerus,” Juv. 2, 46; cf. Verg. E. 7, 52: “latet in numero virtus,” Sil. 1, 323.—
2. In plur.: numeri, the mathematics, astronomy: “ut a sacerdotibus barbaris numeros et caelestia acciperet,” Cic. Fin. 5, 29, 87: “Thales hoc etiam numeris inquirit et astris,” Sid. 15, 79: “numerisque sequentibus astra,” Stat. Th. 4, 411. —Rarely in sing., Claud. Cons. Mall. 130.—
3. In milit. lang., a division of the army, a troop, band (post-Aug.): “sparsi per provinciam numeri,” Tac. Agr. 18; cf.: “plena urbs exercitu insolito: multi ad hoc numeri e Germaniā ac Britanniā,” id. H. 1, 6: “nondum distributi in numeros erant,” Plin. Ep. 10, 29 (38), 2: “revocare ad officium numeros,” Suet. Vesp. 6: “militares numeri,” cohorts, Amm. 14, 7, 19: “in numeris esse,” to be enrolled, Dig. 29, 1, 43; cf. ib. 29, 1, 38; Claud. Epith. Pall. et Celer. 86; Inscr. Grut. 1096. —
4. Like the Gr. ἀριθμός, a mere number, opp. to quality, worth: “nos numerus sumus et fruges consumere nati,” we are mere numbers, ciphers, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 27; cf. Juv. 2, 46 supra.—
5. In gram., a number (singular, plural, dual), Varr. L. L. 9, § 65 sq. Müll.; Quint. 1, 4, 27; 1, 5, 42; 47; 1, 6, 25 et saep. —
C. Transf., poet., dice (marked with numbers): “seu ludet numerosque manu jactabit eburnos,” Ov. A. A. 2, 203: “et modo tres jactet numeros,” id. ib. 3, 355; cf. Suet. Tib. 14, 2.—
II. Trop., number, rank, place, position, estimation, relation, class, category (cf.: “nomen, locus, in loco, in vicem): me adscribe talem (i. e. talium) in numerum,” Cic. Phil. 2, 13, 33: “in illo antiquorum hominum numero reponi,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 90, § 210: “in deorum numero haberi,” id. N. D. 3, 19, 48: “reponere,” id. ib. 3, 3, 21: “referre,” id. ib. 3, 1, 12: “numero beatorum aliquem eximere,” Hor. C, 2, 2, 18: “si quo in numero illud, quod per similitudinem affertur, et quo in loco illud, cujus causā affertur, haberi conveniat, ostendetur,” Cic. Inv. 2, 50, 151; Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 54, § 134: “ex hoc numero hunc esse,” id. Arch. 7, 16: “parentis numero alicui esse,” id. Div. in Caecil. 19, 61 sq.: “in hostium numero habere aliquem,” Caes. B. G. 1, 28: “ducere in numero hostium,” id. ib. 6, 32: “hujus originis apud veteres numerus erat exilis,” Amm. 23, 6, 35: in numero esse, to be of the number of, to be reckoned among, to be any thing, Lucr. 5, 180: “Q. Aelius Tubero fuit illo tempore nullo in oratorum numero,” Cic. Brut. 31, 117: “sine actione summus orator esse in numero nullo potest,” id. de Or. 3, 56, 213: “quo sunt in numero Curiosolites, etc.,” Caes. B. G. 7, 75, 4; 3, 7, 2; Nep. Att. 1, 4: “quo in numero ego sum,” Cic. Fam. 13, 23, 1; Caes. B. C. 2, 44, 3; 3, 53, 2: “qui in eo numero fuisset,” Cic. Phil. 2, 11, 25; id. Fl. 4, 9; id. Fam. 7, 6, 1: “quo in numero hi quoque fuerunt,” Liv. 39, 36 fin.— Without in: “ut civium numero simus,” Liv. 4, 4, 12; 7, 30, 19; 30, 42, 9; 4, 56, 11; “36, 35, 9: aliquem hostium numero habere,” Caes. B. G. 6, 6, 3; id. B. C. 3, 82, 3; id. B. G. 6, 21, 2: “qui hostium numero non sunt,” Cic. Phil. 13, 5, 11; id. Brut. 20, 78: “aliquo numero esse,” to be of some repute, id. Fam. 1, 10; Caes. B. G. 6, 13, 1; cf. Cic. Or. 62, 208; id. de Or. 3, 9, 33: “Bambalio quidam, homo nullo numero,” of no account, Cic. Phil. 3, 6, 16: “numerum aliquem obtinere,” id. Brut. 47, 175.—
B. A part of a whole, member, category: “omnes numeros virtutis continet,” Cic. Fin. 3, 7, 24: “varium et elegans omni fere numero poëma,” id. Ac. 1, 3, 9: “mundus perfectus expletusque omnibus suis numeris atque partibus,” id. N. D. 2, 13, 37: “animalia imperfecta suisque Trunca vident numeris,” Ov. M. 1, 427; 7, 126: “quid omnibus numeris praestantius?” Quint. 10, 1, 91: “liber numeris omnibus absolutus,” Plin. Ep. 9, 38; cf. of the days of the month: luna alternis mensibus XXX. implebit numeros, alternis vero detrahet singulos, Plin. 18, 32, 75, § 325.—Hence, omnium numerorum esse, to be complete, perfect, Petr. 68: “puer omnium numerūm,” id. ib. 63. And, on the contrary: “deesse numeris suis,” to be deficient, Ov. Am. 3, 8, 11.—
C. Order: “quaecumque in foliis descripsit carmina virgo, Digerit in numerum,” Verg. A. 3, 446.—
D. An office, duty, part: “ad numeros exige quidque suos,” Ov. R. Am. 372: “Veneri numeros eripere suos,” id. H. 4, 88; id. Am. 3, 7, 18; cf. id. ib. 3, 7, 26: “verae numeros modosque ediscere vitae,” Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 143.—
E. Musical measure, time, rhythm, harmony, numbers: “in numerum exsultant,” Lucr. 2, 631: “in musicis numeri, et voces et modi, etc.,” Cic. de Or. 1, 42, 187; Quint. 9, 4, 126: “histrio si paulum se movet extra numerum,” Cic. Par. 3, 2, 26; Quint. 12, 2, 12: “sit igitur hoc cognitum, in solutis etiam verbis inesse numeros,” Cic. Or. 56, 190: “Isocrates verbis solutis numeros primus adjunxit,” id. ib. 52, 174: “in solutā oratione ... modum tamen et numerum quendam oportere servari,” id. Brut. 8, 32: “multum interest, utrum numerosa sit, id est similis numerorum, an plane e numeris constet oratio,” id. Or. 65, 220: “redigere omnes fere in quadrum numerumque sententias,” id. ib. 61, 208.—Hence, quamvis nil extra numerum fecisse modumque Curas, nothing out of measure, improper, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 59.—
2. A measure, number, in poetry: “nam cum sint numeri plures, iambum et trochaeum frequentem segregat ab oratore Aristoteles,” Cic. de Or. 3, 47, 182; id. Or. 64, 215: “numeris nectere verba,” Ov. P. 4, 2, 30; 4, 2, 5: “numeros memini, si verba tenerem,” i. e. the tune, Verg. E. 9, 45: “numerisque fertur Lege solutis,” Hor. C. 4, 2, 11.—
3. A verse, in gen. (poet.): “arma gravi numero violentaque bella parabam Edere,” i. e. verses in heroic metre, Ov. Am. 1, 1, 1: “impares,” i. e. elegiac verses, id. ib. 3, 1, 37.—Hence, nŭmĕrō (abl.), adverb., lit., measured according to number or time, i. e. precisely, exactly, just (only ante-class.; freq. in Plautus; not found in Ter. or Lucr.).
A. Just, precisely, at the right time, on the instant: numero mihi in mentem fuit. Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 25: neminem vidi, qui numero sciret, quod scitu est opus, Naev. ap. Fest. p. 170 Müll.—
B. Quickly, rapidly, soon: “numero significat cito,” Non. 352, 16 sq.: “(apes) si quando displicatae sunt, cymbalis et plausibus numero reducunt in locum unum,” Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 7. —With nimis: perfalsum et abs te creditum numero nimis, too quickly, too soon, Afran. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 170 Müll.: numquam nimis numero quemquam vidi facere, quam facto est opus, Turp. ap. Non. 352, 20.—
2. In a bad sense, too quickly, too hastily, too soon: “Menaechme, numero huc advenis ad prandium: Nunc opsonatu redeo,” Plaut. Men. 2, 2, 13: “numero dicis,” id. Cas. 3, 5, 28; id. Mil. 5, 1, 6: “o Apella, o Zeuxis pictor, Cur numero estis mortui, hinc exemplum ut pingeretis?” why have you died too soon? id. Poen. 5, 4, 102; Afran. ap. Non. 352, 26; id. ap. Paul. ex Fest. l. l.