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amnis , is, m. (
I.fem., Plaut. Merc. 5, 2, 18; Naev. and Att. ap. Non. 191, 33; Varr. R. R. 3, 5, 9; cf. Prisc. pp. 652 and 658 P.; Rudd. I. p. 26, n. 37; Schneid. Gram. 2, 98; abl. regularly amne; “but freq. amni in the poets,Verg. G. 1, 203; 3, 447; Hor. S. 1, 10, 62; Col. R. R. 10, 136; “also in prose,Liv. 21, 5; 21, 27 al.; cf. Prisc. p. 766; Rhem. Pal. 1374 P.; Rudd. I. p. 85, n. 85) [qs. for apnis from Sanscr. ap = water; n. plur. āpas. Van.; v. aqua], orig., any broad and deep-flowing, rapid water; a stream, torrent, river (hence, esp. in the poets, sometimes for a rapidly-flowing stream or a torrent rushing down from a mountain = torrens; sometimes for a large river, opp. fluvius (a common river); sometimes also for the ocean as flowing round the land; it most nearly corresponds with our stream; in prose not often used before the histt. of the Aug. per.; in Cic. only in Aratus and in his more elevated prose; never in his Epistt.).
I. Lit.: acervos altā in amni, Att., Trag. Rel. p. 178 Rib.: apud abundantem antiquam amnem et rapidas undas Inachi, Att. ap. Non. 192, 4 (Trag. Rel. p. 175 Rib.): “Sic quasi amnis celeris rapit, sed tamen inflexu flectitur,Naev. Trag. Rel. p. 12 Rib.; Plaut. Poen. 3, 3, 15: “molibus incurrit validis cum viribus amnis,Lucr. 1, 288 (v. the whole magnificent description, 1, 282- 290): “Nilus unicus in terris, Aegypti totius amnis,id. 6, 714: “ruunt de montibus amnes,Verg. A. 4, 164: “amnes magnitudinis vastae,Sen. Q. N. 3, 19.—Also in distinction from the sea: “cum pontus et amnes cuncti invicem commeant,Sen. Q. N. 4, 2.—On the contr. of the ocean, acc. to the Gr. Ὠκεανὸς ποταμός (Hom. Od. 11, 639): “Oceani amnis,the ocean-stream, Verg. G. 4, 233: “quā fluitantibus undis Solis anhelantes abluit amnis equos,Tib. 2, 5, 60: Nox Mundum caeruleo laverat amne rotas, id. 3, 4, 18 al.
II. Transf.
A. Poet., of the constellation Eridanus: “Eridanum cernes funestum magnis cum viribus amnem,Cic. Arat. 145 (as a transl. of the Gr. λείψανον Ἠριδανοῖο, πολυκλαύστου ποταμοῖο, Arat. Phaenom. 360): Scorpios exoriens cum clarus fugerit amnis, Germanic. Arat. 648; cf. id. ib. 362. —
B. Also poet. and in post-class. prose, any thing flowing, liquid, Verg. A. 12, 417; 7, 465: “amnis musti,Pall. 11, 14, 18.—
C. Of a writer, whose eloquence is thus compared to a flowing stream (v. flumen, II. B. and fluo, II. 2. B. 1.): alter (Herodotus) sine ullis salebris quasi sedatus amnis (i. e. a noiseless stream flowing on in majestic size and fulness) fluit; “alter (Thucydides) incitatior fertur,Cic. Or. 12, 39.—
D. Like flumen, as abstr., a current, stream: secundo amni, down or with the stream, Verg. G. 3, 447: “adverso amne,up the stream, Curt. 10, 1 al.
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hide References (14 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (14):
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 12.417
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 4.164
    • Vergil, Georgics, 1.203
    • Vergil, Georgics, 4.233
    • Vergil, Georgics, 3.447
    • Horace, Satires, 1.10.62
    • Plautus, Mercator, 5.2
    • Plautus, Poenulus, 3.3
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.714
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 1.288
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 21, 27
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 21, 5
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 10.1
    • Cicero, Orator, 12.39
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