I.having no light, devoid of light.
I. Act., not seeing, blind.
A. Lit.: “Appius, qui caecus annos multos fuit,” Cic. Tusc. 5, 38, 112: “traditum est enim Homerum caecum fuisse,” id. ib. 5, 39, 114; Lucr. 5, 839: “catuli, qui jam dispecturi sunt, caeci aeque et hi qui modo nati,” Cic. Fin. 4, 23, 64: “si facie miserabili senis, caeci, infantis,” Quint. 4, 1, 42: “caecum corpus,” the blind part of the body, the back, Sall. J. 107, 1: “perdices caecae impetu,” Plin. 10, 33, 51, § 102: “gigni,” Vell. 1, 5, 2.—
2. Prov.: “ut si Caecus iter monstrare velit,” Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 4: “apparet id quidem etiam caeco,” even a blind man can see that, Liv. 32, 34, 3: “caecis hoc, ut aiunt, satis clarum est,” Quint. 12, 7, 9.—
B. Trop., mentally or morally blind, blinded (freq. in prose and poetry): “o pectora caeca!” Lucr. 2, 14: “non solum ipsa Fortuna caeca est, sed eos etiam plerumque efficit caecos, quos complexa est,” Cic. Lael. 15, 54; cf. “casus,” id. Div. 2, 6, 15: “caecus atque amens tribunus,” id. Sest. 7, 17: “caecum me et praecipitem ferri,” id. Planc. 3, 6: “mater caeca crudelitate et scelere,” id. Clu. 70, 199: “cupidine,” Sall. J. 25, 7: “amentiā,” Cic. Har. Resp. 23, 48: “quem mala stultitia Caecum agit,” Hor. S. 2, 3, 44: “amatorem amicae Turpia decipiunt caecum vitia,” id. ib. 1, 3, 39: “mens,” Tac. Agr. 43.—With ad: “caecus ad has belli artes,” Liv. 21, 54, 3.—With gen.: “caecus animi,” Quint. 1, 10, 29; Gell. 12, 13, 4: “fati futuri,” ignorant of, Luc. 2, 14; cf. Claud. Rapt. Pros. 1, 138.—Subst.: Caeci , ōrum, m., the blind people, i.e. the people of Chalcedon, according to the oracle at Delphi. Tac. A. 12, 63; cf. Plin. 5, 32, 43, § 149. —
2. Meton. of the passions themselves: “caeca honorum cupido,” Lucr. 3, 59; Ov. M. 3, 620: “ac temeraria dominatrix animi cupiditas,” Cic. Inv. 1, 2, 2; id. Pis. 24, 57: “exspectatio,” id. Agr. 2, 25, 66: “amor,” Ov. F. 2, 762: “amor sui,” Hor. C. 1, 18, 14: “festinatio,” Liv. 22, 39, 22: “furor,” Hor. Epod. 7, 13: “caeca et sopita socordia,” Quint. 1, 2, 5: “ambitio,” Sen. Ben. 7, 26, 4.—
3. Pregn., blind, i.e. at random, vague, indiscriminate, aimless: “in hac calumniā timoris et caecae suspitionis tormento,” Cic. Fam. 6, 7, 4: “caeco quodam timore... quaerebant aliquem ducem,” id. Lig. 1, 3: “caecique in nubibus ignes Terrificant animos,” Verg. A. 4, 209: “caeca regens filo vestigia,” id. ib. 6, 30: “ne sint caecae, pater, exsecrationes tuae,” Liv. 40, 10, 1: “et caeco flentque paventque metu,” Ov. F. 2, 822: “lymphatis caeco pavore animis,” Tac. H. 1, 82: “cervus... Caeco timore proximam villam petit,” Phaedr. 2, 8, 3: “timor,” Ov. Am. 1, 4, 42.—
C. Transf.
1. Of plants, without buds or eyes: “rami,” Plin. 16, 30, 54, § 125; cf. caeco and oculus. —
II. Pass., that cannot be seen, or trop., that cannot be known, invisible, concealed, hidden, secret, obscure, dark.
A. Lit.: sunt igitur venti nimirum corpora caeca, winds are accordingly bodies, although invisible, Lucr. 1, 278; 1, 296; 1, 329; “2, 713: vallum caecum,” Caes. B. C. 1, 28; cf.: caecum vallum dicitur, in quo praeacuti pali terrae affixi herbis vel frondibus occuluntur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 44 Müll.; so, “fossae,” covered, Col. 2, 2, 9; Pall. Mai, 3. 1: “in vada caeca ferre,” Verg. A. 1, 536: “fores,” private, id. ib. 2, 453: “spiramenta,” id. G. 1, 89: “colubri,” Col. 10, 231: “ignis,” Lucr. 4, 929: “venenum,” id. 6, 822: “tabes,” Ov. M. 9, 174: “viae,” blind ways, Tib. 2, 1, 78: “insidiae armaque,” Ov. F 2, 214; cf. Sil. 5, 3: “saxa,” Verg. A. 3, 706; 5, 164: “vulnus,” a secret wound, Lucr. 4, 1116; “but also,” a wound upon the back, Verg. A. 10, 733; cf. “in the same sense, ictus,” Liv. 34, 14, 11; Sil. 9, 105 (cf.: caecum corpus, the back, I. A. supra): “caeca manus, i.e. abscondita,” Ov. M. 12, 492: “caecum domūs scelus,” Verg. A. 1, 356.—
B. Trop.: “caecas exponere causas,” Lucr. 3, 317: “improba navigii ratio, tum caeca jacebat,” lay still concealed, id. 5, 1004; so, “venti potestas,” id. 3, 248; 3, 270: fluctus, Sisenn. ap. Non. p. 449, 10: “caeca et clandestina natura,” Lucr. 1, 779: “res caecae et ab aspectūs judicio remotae,” Cic. de Or. 2, 87, 357: “obscurum atque caecum,” id. Agr. 2, 14, 36: “fata,” Hor. C. 2, 13, 16: “sors,” id. S. 2, 3, 269: “tumultus,” secret conspiracies, Verg. G. 1, 464: “amor,” id. ib. 3, 210; cf.: “stimulos in pectore caecos Condidit,” Ov. M. 1, 726. In Plaut. once, prob. taken from the vulgar lang.: caecā die emere, upon a concealed (pay-) day, i.e. to purchase on credit (opp. oculata dies, i.e. for ready money): Ca. Pereo inopiā argentariā. Ba. Emito die caecā hercle olivom, id vendito oculatā die, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 67.—
2. By poet. license, transf. to the hearing: “murmur,” Verg. A. 12, 591 (as we, by a similar meton., say a hollow sound; cf. on the other hand, in Gr. τυφλὸς τὰ ὦτα); so, “clamor,” Val. Fl. 2, 461: “mugitusterrae,” Sen. Troad. 171.—
III. Neutr., that obstructs the sight, or trop., the perception; dark, gloomy, thick, dense, obscure.
A. Lit.: “nox,” Cic. Mil. 19, 50; Lucr. 1, 1108; Cat. 68, 44; Ov. M. 10, 476; 11, 521: “caligo,” Lucr. 3, 305; 4, 457; Cat. 64, 908; Verg. A. 3, 203; 8, 253: “tenebrae,” Lucr. 2, 54; 2, 746; 2, 798; 3, 87; 6, 35; “3, 87: silentia, i.e. nox,” Sil. 7, 350: “latebrae,” Lucr. 1, 409: “iter,” Ov. M. 10, 456: “loca,” Prop. 1, 19, 8: “cavernae,” Ov. M. 15, 299; Sil. 7, 372: “latus,” Verg. A. 2, 19: “cubiculum si fenestram non habet, dicitur caecum,” Varr. L. L. 9, § 58 Müll.; so, “domus,” without windows, Cic. Or. 67, 224: “parietes,” Verg. A. 5, 589: “pulvis,” id. ib. 12, 444: “carcer,” id. ib. 6, 734: “sardonyches,” not transparent, opaque, Plin. 37, 6, 23, § 86: “smaragdi,” id. 37, 5, 18, § 68: acervus (of chaos), chaotic, confused, Ov M. 1, 24; Col. 4, 32, 4' chaos, Sen. Med. 741, Sil. 11, 456.—
B. Trop., uncertain, doubtful: obscurā spe et caecā exspectatione pendere, i.e. of an uncertain consequence or result, Cic. Agr. 2, 25, 66: “quod temere fit caeco casu,” id. Div. 2, 6, 15. cursus (Fortunae), Luc. 2, 567: “eventus,” Verg. A. 6, 157: “caeci morbi, quorum causas ne medici quidem perspicere queunt,” Col. 1, 5, 6; so, “dolores,” Plin. 29, 2, 10, § 38; 29, 3, 13, § 55: “crimen,” that cannot be proved, Liv. 45, 31, 11.— Subst.: caecum , i, n., uncertainty, obscurity (poet.): “verum in caeco esse,” Manil. 4, 304.—* Comp., Hor. S. 1, 2, 91.—Sup. and adv. not in. use.
