I.a device, artifice; hence, evil intent, wrongdoing with a view to the consequences (opp. culpa, negligence; cf. also: fallacia, fraus, astutia, calliditas).—In the older, and esp. the jurid. lang.: dolus malus, a standing expression for guile, fraud, deceit: doli vocabulum nunc tantum in malis utimur, apud antiquos etiam in bonis rebus utebatur. Unde adhuc dicimus Sine dolo malo, nimirum quia solebat dici et bonus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 69, 10 Müll.: in quibus ipsis (formulis) cum ex eo (sc. Aquillio) quaereretur, quid esset dolus malus? respondebat; “cum esset aliud simulatum, aliud actum,” Cic. Off. 3, 14, 60; cf. id. Top. 9 fin.; and id. N. D. 3, 30: Labeo sic definit: Dolum malum esse omnem calliditatem, fallaciam, machinationem ad circumveniendum, fallendum, decipiendum alterum adhibitam, Dig. 4, 3, 1; so, dolus malus, acc. to Cic. Off. 3, 15, 61; 3, 24; id. Fl. 30, 74; id. Att. 1, 1, 3: “dolo malo instipulari,” Plaut. Rud. 5, 3, 25; in a pub. law formula in Liv. 1, 24 fin.; and 38, 11; Ter. Eun. 3, 3, 9 Don.; Dig. 4, 3 tit.: de dolo malo, and ib. 44, 4 tit.: de doli mali et metus exceptione, et saep.; opp. culpa, Cod. 5, 40, 9.—Far more freq. and class. (but rarely in Cic.),
II. Without malus, guile, deceit, deception: “haud dicam dolo,” Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 53: “non dolo dicam tibi,” id. ib. 2, 4, 79; id. Men. 2, 1, 3; ita omnes meos dolos, fallacias, Praestigias praestrinxit commoditas patris, Poëta ap. Cic. N. D. 3, 29, 73; cf.: “huic quia bonae artes desunt, dolis atque fallaciis contendit,” Sall. C. 11, 2: “aliquem ductare dolis,” Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 109: “consuere,” id. Am. 1, 1, 211: “versare,” Verg. A. 2, 62: “nectere,” Liv. 27, 28 init. et saep.: “nam doli non doli sunt, nisi astu colas,” Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 30; “so with astu,” Suet. Tib. 65; Verg. A. 11, 704; cf. “with astutia,” Sall. C. 26, 2: “per sycophantiam atque per doctos dolos,” Plaut. Ps. 1, 5, 70; cf. ib. 113: “per dolum atque insidias,” Caes. B. G. 4, 13, 1; “and with this last cf.: magis virtute quam dolo contendere, aut insidiis niti,” id. ib. 1, 13, 6.—Prov.: “dolo pugnandum est, dum quis par non est armis,” Nep. Hann. 10: “tempus atque occasionem fraudis ac doli quaerere,” Caes. B. C. 2, 14, 1; “so with fraus,” Liv. 1, 53: “consilio etiam additus dolus,” id. 1, 11: “per dolum ac proditionem,” id. 2, 3: “dolis instructus et arte Pelasgā,” Verg. A. 2, 152 et saep.: “subterranei = cuniculi,” Flor. 1, 12, 9: “volpis,” Lucr. 3, 742; cf. id. 5, 858 and 863; Vulg. Matt. 26, 4 et saep.—
III. Transf., the means or instrument of deceit: “dolos saltu deludit, i. e. the nets,” Ov. Hal. 25: “subterraneis dolis peractum urbis excidium,” Flor. 1, 12, 9.—Dolus, as a deity, Val. Fl. 2, 205: “superavit dolum Trojanum,” Dolon, Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 142.—
B. = culpa: “dolo factum suo,” by his own fault, Hor. S. 1, 6, 90.
