I.days of rest, holidays, festivals (syn. justitium), a great number of which, both private and public, were kept by the Romans; the latter being either stativae, fixed, regularly recurring on certain days; or conceptivae, movable, settled every year anew; or imperativae, temporary, ordained by the consuls on account of some particular occurrence; “or, lastly, the Nundinae,” Macr. S. 1, 16; Varr. L. L. 6, § 13 Müll.; Cic. Leg. 2, 12, 29; 2, 22, 57; Plaut. Capt. 4, 1, 3 et saep.: “feriae Domini,” Vulg. Levit. 23, 2: feriae denicales, Latinae, novendiales, privatae, etc., v. sub h. vv.—
II. Transf., rest, peace, leisure: indutiae sunt belli feriae, Varr. ap. Gell. 1, 25, 2: “praestare Hesperiae longas ferias,” i. e. peace, Hor. C. 4, 5, 37.—Comically: venter gutturque resident esuriales ferias, keep hunger-holidays, i. e. fast, Plaut. Capt. 3, 1, 8: “tuas possidebit mulier faxo ferias,” shall fill, amuse your leisure, id. Ep. 3, 4, 37.—Prov.: “sine ullis feriis,” i. e. without rest, incessantly, Arn. 1, 9; cf.: feriis caret necessitas, necessity has no law, Pall. 1, 6, 7.—Sing. (eccl. Lat.): “feria,” a week-day, Tert. Jejun. 2.
