previous next
contāgĭo , ōnis, f., contāgĭum , ii, n., and contāmen , ĭnis, n. (contagium only in poets—and in plur.—and in postAug. prose writers; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 59, 12; Non. p. 199, 2; Marc. Vict. 1, p. 2469 P.; cf. also colluvio: contamen only in late Lat.) [id.],
I.a touching, contact, touch, in a good or bad sense.
I. In gen.
(α). Contagio, Cato, R. R. 132 fin.: “anima calescit ... contagione pulmonum,” Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 138: “corporis,” id. Div. 1, 30, 63; 2, 43, 92; id. Fat. 3, 5: “ab omni mentione et contagione Romanorum abstinere,” Liv. 40, 20, 6.—
(β). Contagium, Lucr. 3, 346; 3, 740; Plin. 2, 20, 18, § 82; Mart. 11, 47.—
B. Pregn., a union, connection: “contagio naturae valet,” Cic. Fat. 3, 5.—
II. Freq., in a bad sense, a contacl with something physically or morally unclean, a contagion, infection.
A. Lit.
(α). Contagio: nolite ad me adire, ne contagio mea bonis obsit, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 12, 26 (Trag. Rel. v. 405 Vahl.); cf. Cic. de Or. 3, 41, 164: “velut contagione quādam pestiferā insanire,” Liv. 28, 34, 4: “tum praecipue oves contagione vexentur,” Col. 7, 5, 6; so id. 7, 5, 16: “lichenis,” Plin. 26, 1, 3, § “3: vini,” id. 14, 21, 27, § 134 al.—
(β). Contagium: “morbi,” Lucr. 3, 472; 6, 1235; Curt. 9, 10, 1; cf. “pestilentiae,” Plin. 23, 8, 80, § 157: “vicini pecoris,” Verg. E. 1, 51.—Absol.: “agunt contagia late,” Ov. M. 7, 551; Hor. Epod. 16, 61 al.—
B. Trop., an infection, pollution, vicious companionship or intercourse, participation, contamination, etc.
(α). Contagio: “contagione mei patris metuo malum,” Plaut. Am. prol. 31; so with the gen.: “illius sceleris,” Cic. Mur. 37, 78; id. Sull. 2, 6: “criminis,” Liv. 9, 34, 14: “turpitudinis,” Cic. Att. 1, 16, 3: “conscientiae,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 71, § 183: “furoris,” Liv. 28, 24, 10: “cujus facti dictive,” id. 2, 37, 7: “noxae,” id. 9, 1, 6: “imitandi belli,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 3, § 6; cf. “belli,” Flor. 2, 13, 1: “bellorum,” id. 2, 2, 4: “aspectus,” Cic. Clu. 68, 193.—Plur.: “contagiones malorum, quae a Lacedaemoniis profectae manaverunt latius,” Cic. Off. 2, 23, 80.— Absol.: haec (vitia) primo paulatim crescere; post, ubi contagio quasi pestilentia invasit, civitas immutata, etc., * Sall. C. 10 fin.; Liv. 5, 6, 11; 5, 12, 7; 10, 18, 2 al.; Flor. 1, 9, 8.—
(β). Contagium: “aegrae mentis,” Ov. Tr. 3, 8, 25: “scelerum,” Luc. 3, 322: “lucri (connected with scabies),” Hor. Ep. 1, 12, 14: “belli,” Flor. 1, 15, 1: “deditionis,” id. 3, 14, 2: “terrae,” Ov. M. 15, 195.—
(γ). Contamen, Tert. Carm. adv. Marc. 1, 1; 4, 4; Mart. Cap. 1, § 10 Kopp.
A Latin Dictionary. Founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary. revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by. Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1879.

The National Endowment for the Humanities provided support for entering this text.

hide Dictionary Entry Lookup
Use this tool to search for dictionary entries in all lexica.
Search for in
hide References (37 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (37):
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 1.16.3
    • Cicero, For Lucius Murena, 37.78
    • Cicero, For Sulla, 2.6
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.5.183
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.5.6
    • Cicero, For Aulus Cluentius, 68.193
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 10, 18.2
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 5, 12.7
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 15.195
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 7.551
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 1.prol
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 3.41
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 3.346
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 3.472
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 3.740
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.1235
    • Lucan, Civil War, 3.322
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 26.1
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 2.82
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 40, 20.6
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 9, 1
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 9, 34
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 28, 24.10
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 28, 34.4
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 2, 37.7
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 5, 6.11
    • Cicero, De Fato, 3
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 2.55
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 1.30
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 3.12
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 2.23
    • Sallust, Catilinae Coniuratio, 10
    • Ovid, Tristia, 3.8
    • Columella, Res Rustica, 7.5.16
    • Columella, Res Rustica, 7.5.6
    • Martial, Epigrammata, 11.47
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 9.10.1
hide Display Preferences
Greek Display:
Arabic Display:
View by Default:
Browse Bar: