I.an island in the Mediterranean Sea, on the coast of Asia Minor, renowned for its fruitfulness, its rich mines, especially of copper, and for the worship of Venus, Mel. 2, 7, 5; Plin. 5, 31, 35, § 129; Cic. Att. 9, 9, 2; id. Fam. 15, 4, 15; Hor. C. 1, 3, 1; 1, 19, 10; Ov. M. 10, 270 et saep. —
II. Hence,
A. Cȳ^prĭus , a, um, adj., Cyprian: “merces,” Hor. C. 3, 29, 60: “trabs,” id. ib. 1, 1, 13: “tellus,” i. e. Cyprus, Ov. M. 10, 645: “laurus,” Plin. 15, 30, 39, § 127 et saep.— But esp. freq. Cyprium aes, also absol.: Cȳ^prĭum , ii, n. (late Lat. cuprum, Spart. Carac. 9, hence), Engl. copper, Plin. 34, 8, 20, § 94; Isid. Orig. 16, 20, 2.—Hence,
(β).
Cȳ^-prĭus , a, um, adj., of copper, copper-: “in mortariis,” Plin. 33, 5, 29, § 93: “vas,” id. 23, 3, 37, § 74 Jan. and Sillig (al. cypreo): “in pyxide,” id. 28, 8, 27, § 95; cf.: “pyxide aeris Cyprii,” Scrib. Comp. 37: “pes Cyprios, in versification, ˘¯˘˘¯,” Diom. 3, p. 479.—
b. Prov.: Cyprio bovi merendam Ennius sotadico versu cum dixit significavit id quod solet fieri in insulā Cypro, in quā boves humano stercore pascuntur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 59, 4 Müll.—
c. Subst.
C. Cȳ^prĭăcus , a, um, adj., the same: “expeditio,” Val. Max. 4, 3, n. 2: “tauri,” Capitol. Gord. 3 fin.—
