I.that which is weighed together, kept together, saved (cf. Varr. L. L. 5, § 183 Müll.; Paul. ex Fest. p. 72, 10 Müll.); a saving or gain, profit acquired by saving (opp. dispendium; class. in prose and poetry).
I. Prop.: “ego hodie compendi feci binos panes in dies,” have saved two loaves, Plaut. Pers. 4, 3, 2; cf. id. Truc. 2, 4, 26: “aliquem mercibus suppeditandis cum quaestu compendioque dimittere,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 3, § 6; 2, 3, 46, § 109: “turpe compendium effugere,” id. Fl. 3, 7: “se negat facturum compendii sui causā quod non liceat,” id. Off. 3, 15, 63: “homines ad turpe compendium commovere,” Auct. Her. 4, 40, 52: “servire privato compendio suo,” Caes. B. C. 3, 32; id. B. G. 7, 43; Liv. 8, 36, 10; Plin. 21, 12, 41, § 70; Suet. Tib. 48: “compendia repetere ignotis terris,” Tib. 1, 3, 39 al.: “ligni,” Plin. 23, 7, 64, § 127; cf. “operae,” id. 17, 23, 35, § 214; 18, 20, 49, § 181: “viae,” id. 5, 5, 5, § 38.—
B. Esp.,
1. Shortness of way, a short way ( = compendiaria), Quint. 4, 2, 46; Tac. A. 12, 28; Flor. 3, 3, 7; Just. 2, 10 fin.; cf. “montis,” a short cut across the mountain, Ov. M. 3, 234: “maris,” Tac. A. 2, 55: “fugae,” Sil. 12, 533; cf. Plin. Pan. 95, 5; Gell. praef. § 12.—
2. In the phrases,
a. Facere compendium, to make a profit, gain.
(α).
In gen.: “compendium edepol haud aetati optabile Fecisti, quom istanc nactu's impudentiam,” Plaut. Bacch. 1, 2, 51.—
(β).
More freq. to make a saving, i. e. be sparing of a thing: compendium ego te facere pultandi volo, to save your knocking, i. e. to cease therefrom, id. Ps. 2, 2, 11: “errationis,” id. Rud. 1, 2, 90: “praeconis,” id. Stich. 1, 3, 38.—
b. Aliquid ponere ad compendium. to save, spare something, i. e. not to say it, Plaut. Cas. 3, 1, 3; 3, 1, 5; cf.: “coaddito ad compendium,” id. ib. v. 4.—
II. A sparing, saving in any thing done, i. e. a shortening, abbreviating: “quam potes, tam verba confer maxume ad compendium,” i. e. be concise, brief, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 184.—So of discourse, etc. (ante-class.): facere or fieri compendi, to shorten, abridge (the discourse), or to be shortened, abridged: lamentas fletus facere conpendi licet, Pac. ap. Non. p. 132, 29 (Trag. Rel. v. 175 Rib.): “compendi verba multa jam faciam tibi,” will be very brief with you, Plaut. Bacch. 2, 2, 7; id. Most. 1, 1, 57; id. Ps. 4, 7, 42: “verbis velitationem fieri compendi volo,” in few words, briefly, id. As. 2, 2, 41; cf.: “sed jam fieri dictis compendium volo,” id. Capt. 5, 2, 12: “in ipsis statim elementis etiam brevia docendi monstrare compendia,” Quint. 1, 1, 24; cf. id. 1, 1, 30; and: “compendio morari,” i. e. only a short time, id. 1, 4, 22.
