I.to value or esteem highly, to love (v. amo init., and cf. faveo, studeo, foveo, cupio; very freq. and class.).
I. Prop.: “nihil est enim virtute amabilius, nihil quod magis alliciat ad diligendum: quippe cum propter virtutem et probitatem etiam eos, quos numquam vidimus, quodam modo diligamus,” Cic. Lael. 8, 28; cf. id. ib. 9, 29 sq.; 14, 50; id. Rep. 1, 10 fin.; 1, 12 et saep. (cf. also the passages with diligo which are cited under amo, 1. and 1. colo, II. 2. b.); Caes. B. G. 6, 19 fin.; id. B. C. 1, 61, 3; Suet. Caes. 67; Verg. A. 9, 430; Hor. C. 2, 20, 7 et saep.: “satin habes, si feminarum nulla'st, quam aeque diligam?” Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 11; cf. id. ib. 3, 3, 18; Verg. A. 1, 344; Hor. C. 2, 5, 17; Suet. Caes. 50; 52; id. Aug. 62 al.: “te in germani fratris dilexi loco,” Ter. And. 1, 5, 57; cf. Verg. A. 4, 31; Suet. Calig. 24 al.: quem di diligunt, whom the gods favor, denoting a fortunate person, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 7, 18; Ter. And. 5, 6, 9; id. Phorm. 5, 6, 14. —Prov.: “diligitur nemo, nisi cui fortuna secunda est,” Ov. P. 2, 3, 23.
II. Transf.
A. Of inanimate objects: “fidem est complexus, observantiamque dilexit,” Cic. Balb. 28; cf.: “Caesaris consilia in re publica,” id. Prov. Cons. 10 fin.: “benevolentiam, diligentiam, prudentiam mirifice,” id. Att. 12, 34 fin.: “aviae memoriam,” Suet. Vesp. 2: “auream mediocritatem,” Hor. C. 2, 10, 6: “Cypron,” id. ib. 1, 30, 2 et saep. —
B. Very rarely, of inanimate subjects, to love, choose, affect: “montes amant cedrus, larix, etc.... montes et valles diligit abies,” Plin. 16, 18, 30, § 73 sq.—*
C. With inf. for amare, to do willingly or habitually, to be fond of doing: “pira nasci tali solo maxime diligunt,” Pall. Febr. 25, 1.—Hence,
1. dī-lĭgens , entis, P. a., prop. esteeming, loving; hence, in respect to an inanimate object, careful, assiduous, attentive, diligent, accurate with regard to it, opp. negligens (very freq. and class.).
A. In gen.
(α).
With praepp.: “qui in re adventitia atque hereditaria tam diligens, tam attentus esset,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 48; so, in rebus omnibus, id. Lael. 17, 62: “in exquirendis temporibus,” id. Rep. 2, 14 fin.: “in ostentis animadvertendis,” id. Div. 1, 42 fin.: “in compositione,” id. Quint. 10, 1, 79: “in philosophia,” id. ib. 129: “in eloquendo,” id. ib. 63: “in symmetria,” Plin. 34, 8, 19, § 58 al.: “ad custodiendum aliquem diligentissimus,” Cic. Cat. 1, 8, 19; so, “ad reportandum,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 3, § 6: “ad cetera,” Quint. 1, 1, 7: “diligentes circa hoc,” Plin. 31, 5, 30, § 56: “circa aerarium,” Eutr. 8, 7.—
(β).
With gen.: “omnis officii diligentissimus,” Cic. Cael. 30, 73: “veritatis,” Nep. Epam. 3: “imperii,” id. Con. 1, 2: “disciplinae,” Vell. 1, 6; cf.: “litterarum veterum,” Gell. 4, 11, 4: “compositionis,” Quint. 9, 4, 77: “aliarum rerum quae vitam instruunt,” Sen. Vit. Beat. 3, 3: “temperamenti,” Plin. Pan. 79, 5: “naturae,” attentively investigating it, Plin. 13, 4, 7, § 31; so, “medicinae,” id. 32, 3, 13, § 26 et saep.—*
(γ).
With dat.: “Corinthios video publicis equis assignandis et alendis, orborum et viduarum tributis fuisse quondam diligentes,” Cic. Rep. 2, 20, 32.—
(δ).
Absol.: “experientissimus ac diligentissimus orator,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 21: pro cauto ac diligente, Caes. Fragm. ap. Charis. p. 101 P.; “for which: ut a diligenti curiosus distat,” Quint. 8, 3, 55; cf. id. 1, 4, 24; 2, 15, 10 et saep.—
B. Transf., of inanimate subjects: “assidua ac diligens scriptura,” Cic. de Or. 1, 33, 150; cf.: “diligentior notitia,” Plin. 6, 22, 24, § 84: “stilus,” Tac. Or. 39: “remedia,” Sen. Ep. 95; Plin. 3, 5, 6, § 45; Vell. 1, 4.—
C. In partic., with reference to domestic affairs, frugal, thrifty, economical (cf. its opp. negligens = prodigus, and Ruhnk. Rutil. Lup. p. 95, a, ed. Frotsch.): “homo frugi ac diligens, qui sua servare vellet,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 18; Plin. Ep. 2, 6, 1; cf. “opp. negligens,” ib. 4, 13, 8; “and c. c. parcus and opp. luxuriosus,” Auct. Her. 4, 34: “cum te pro illiberali diligentem (appelles),” Quint. 9, 3, 65: “ex re familiari, cujus diligentissimus erat,” Suet. Gramm. 23.—Hence, dīlĭgenter , adv. (acc. to II. A.), carefully, attentively, diligently: “accurate agatur, docte et diligenter,” Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 30; id. Men. 5, 6, 3; Ter. Eun. 2, 1, 1; 2, 3, 47 al.; Cic. Phil. 1, 15 fin.; id. Fam. 6, 5; id. Att. 16, 16 A. fin.; Caes. B. G. 2, 5 al.—Comp., Cic. Rep. 1, 22; id. Brut. 22, 86; Caes. B. G. 3, 16 fin.; id. B. C. 3, 8, 4; Vulg. Act. 22, 30 al.—Sup., Cic. Lael. 2, 7; id. Rep. 2, 3; Caes. B. G. 2, 28 fin.; id. B. C. 3, 81 al.—
2. dīlectus , a, um, P. a., loved, beloved, dear (rare).—With dat.: “pueri dilecti Superis,” Ov. M. 10, 153; so id. ib. 5, 395; 8, 758.—In sup., Stat. Th. 8, 99; Vulg. Heb. 6, 9.—Absol.: “luce mihi carior dilectior fili,” Macr. Somn. Scip. 2, 1 init.; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 3, 74 al.—Subst.: dīlectus , i, m., = ὁ ἐρώμενος, a favorite, Suet. Aug. 98.
