previous next
dĕcus , ŏris, n. Sanscr. daças, fame; Gr. δόξα; cf. decet, any thing that ornaments, embellishes, adorns, honors, etc.;
I.ornament, grace, embellishment, splendor, glory, honor, dignity (class. and freq.; a favorite word with Cicero, in oratorical lang.).
I. In gen.
(α). With gen.: “hostium spolia, decora atque ornamenta fanorum,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 44; cf.: “senator populi Romani, splendor ordinis, decus atque ornamentum judiciorum,” id. Caecin. 10, 28; so, “too, decus ornamentumque senectutis,” id. de Or. 1, 45, 199; id. Prov. Cons. 11, 28: “ut hominis decus ingenium, sic ingenii ipsius lumen est eloquentia,” id. Brut. 15, 59; cf. id. Phil. 2, 22, 54: “ad decus et ad laudem civitatis,” id. N. D. 1, 4; cf. id. Brut. 97; cf. also id. Fin. 1, 10 fin.; id. Ac. 1, 9, 33: “dignitatem et decus sustinere,” id. Off. 1, 34, 124 et saep.: “O decus Phoebi et dapibus supremi Grata testudo Jovis,” Hor. Od. 1, 32, 13: “lucidum caeli,” id. Carm. Sec. 2: “equitum Maecenas,” id. Od. 3, 16, 20; cf. id. ib. 1, 1, 2 and id. ib. 2, 17, 4: electos juvenes simul et decus innuptarum, the ornaments, i. e. the most beautiful of the maidens, Catull. 64, 78 al.: “castique decus servare pudoris,” Ov. M. 13, 480: “oris,” i. e. beauty, id. ib. 3, 422: “decus Asteriae = Asteria decens or pulchra,” Verg. Cul. 15.—
(β). Absol.: haec omnia, quae habent speciem gloriae contemne ...; “verum decus in virtute positum est,” Cic. Fam. 10, 12 fin.: “divitiae, decus, gloria in oculis sita sunt!” Sall. C. 20, 14; cf. id. ib. 58, 8; id. J. 3 fin.: “regium,” id. ib. 72, 2; cf. “regale,” Ov. M. 9, 690: “decus enitet ore,” Verg. A. 4, 150: “superimpositum capiti,” Liv. 1, 34: “(columnas) scenis decora alta futuris,” Verg. A. 1, 429: “muliebre,” i. e. chastity, Liv. 1, 58: “immemores decoris liventia pectora tundunt,” i. e. of their bodily charms, Ov. M. 8, 536: “imperatori nobilitas, quae antea decori, invidiae esse,” Sall. J. 73, 4: “vitis ut arboribus decori est, ut vitibus uvae,” Verg. E. 5, 32: “Pilumno quos ipsa decus dedit,” id. A. 12, 83.—
II. Transf.
(α). A deed of honor: “tanti decoris testis,” Tac. A. 15, 50.—Esp., plur., decora, honorable achievements, valiant deeds: “cum multa referret sua familiaeque decora,” Liv. 3, 12, 2: “militiae decora,” id. 2, 23, 4: “belli,” id. 6, 20, 7 (cf.: “dedecora militiae,” id. 3, 51, 12): “Lacedaemonii vetera, Macedones praesentia decora intuebantur,” Curt. 6, 1, 8.—
(β). Renowned ancestors: “inter nobiles, et longa decora praeferentes, novitas mea enituit?” Tac. A. 14, 53; id. Hist. 1, 15.—
III. Esp., moral dignity, virtue, honor: “cum quod decus antiqui summum bonum esse dixerunt, hic solum bonum dicat, etc.,” Cic. Leg. 1, 21, 55 (for which, shortly before, solum bonum esse quod honestum esset): “quos (sc. Epicureos) nisi redarguimus, omnis virtus, omne decus, omnis vera laus deserenda est,” id. Fin. 2, 14, 44; “so with honestas,” id. Fin. 2, 17, 56; cf. ib. 2, 11, 35; id. Off. 1, 5 fin.: “sed ei (sc. Semproniae) cariora semper omnia quam decus atque pudicitia fuit,” Sall. C. 25, 3; 54, 5.
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 (38 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (38):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 10.12
    • Cicero, Philippics, 2.22.54
    • Cicero, On the Consular Provinces, 11.28
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.4.96
    • Cicero, For Aulus Caecina, 10.28
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 13.480
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 3.422
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 12.83
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 4.150
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 1.429
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 8.536
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 9.690
    • Tacitus, Annales, 14.53
    • Tacitus, Annales, 15.50
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 1.45
    • Sallust, Catilinae Coniuratio, 54
    • Sallust, Catilinae Coniuratio, 25
    • Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum, 73
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 58
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 3, 12.2
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 6, 20.7
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 34
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 2, 23.4
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 3, 51.12
    • Cicero, De Legibus, 1.21
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 1.10
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 2.14
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 2.17
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 1.4
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 1.34
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 1.5
    • Sallust, Catilinae Coniuratio, 20
    • Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum, 3
    • Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum, 58
    • Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum, 72
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 6.1.8
    • Cicero, Brutus, 15.59
    • Cicero, Brutus, 97
hide Display Preferences
Greek Display:
Arabic Display:
View by Default:
Browse Bar: