I.of the rank or dignity of the patres; belonging to the patricians, patrician, noble (cf. nobilis): “patricii pueri,” Plaut. Capt. 5, 4, 5: “familia,” Cic. Leg. 2, 3, 6; Vell. 2, 59, 2: gens, Juv. 10, 332: “sanguis,” Pers. 1, 61: “ostrum,” Stat. S. 1, 4, 97: Patricius Vicus Romae dictus eo, quod ibi patricii habitaverunt (the mod. Via Urbana), Fest. p. 221 Müll.—
II. Subst.: pā^trĭcĭus , i (usu. plur., pā^trĭcĭi , ōrum), m., a patrician, a member of the Roman nobility, divided into patricii majorum and minorum gentium (of the older and younger families): “olim patricii dicebant, plebiscitis se non teneri,” Gai. Inst. 1, 3: “patres ab honore, patriciique progenies eorum appellati,” Liv. 1, 8 fin.: “patricios Cincius ait appellari solitos, qui nunc ingenui vocentur,” Fest. p. 241 Müll.; Cic. Caecin. 35, 101: “patricii minorum gentium,” id. Fam. 9, 21, 2: “(Sulla) primus e patriciis Corneliis igni voluit cremari,” of the Cornelian patricians, id. Leg. 2, 22, 57: “exire e patriciis,” to pass, by adoption, into a plebeian family, id. Dom. 14, 37; Juv. 8, 190; 1, 24.—In sing.: “nisi qui patricius sit,” Cic. Mur. 7, 15; id. Brut. 16, 62.—
B. From the time of the emperor Constantine, patricius became the title of a person high in office at court, Inscr. Grut. 1076, 2; Sid. 2, 90.
