I.wild, untamed.
I. Lit., of animals and plants.
A. Adj. (syn. immanis, opp. cicur): “quae vero et quam varia genera bestiarum vel cicurum vel ferarum!” Cic. N. D. 2, 39, 99; cf.: “si hoc apparet in bestiis, volucribus, nantibus, agrestibus, cicuribus, feris,” id. Lael. 21, 81: “apes (opp. cicures),” Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 19: “immanes et ferae beluae,” Cic. N. D. 2, 64, 161: “fera et immanis belua,” id. Ac. 2, 34, 108; Nep. Dat. 3, 2; Curt. 5, 4, 19; Suet. Aug. 67: “leones,” Hor. Epod. 7, 12: “equus,” id. S. 1, 5, 57: “caprae,” Verg. A. 4, 152: “palumbus,” Plin. 30, 7, 20, § 60 et saep.: “arbores,” Plin. 14, 20, 25, § 127: “oliva,” Stat. Th. 6, 7: “fructus,” Verg. G. 2, 36: “odor (with solitudinem redolens),” disagreeable, Plin. 12, 17, 37, § 76.—
B. Subst.
1. fĕrus , i, m., a wild animal, wild beast (poet.); a lion, Phaedr. 1, 21, 8; a boar, id. 4, 4, 3; a horse, Verg. A. 2, 51; 5, 818; a stag, id. ib. 7, 489; a serpent, Sil. 6, 268.—
2. fĕra , ae (sc. bestia), f., a wild animal, wild beast (class.): “immani et vastae insidens beluae, quocumque vult, inflectit illam feram,” Cic. Rep. 2, 40; cf. id. Rosc. Am. 26, 71: “neque ulla re longius absumus a natura ferarum,” id. Off. 1, 16, 50: “ipsae ferae nullo insequente saepe incidunt (in plagas),” id. ib. 3, 17, 68: “multa in ea (silva Hercynia) genera ferarum nasci constat,” Caes. B. G. 6, 25 fin.: “neque homini neque ferae parcunt,” id. ib. 6, 28, 2: “formidolosae dum latent silvis ferae,” Hor. Epod. 5, 55: “more ferarum,” id. S. 1, 3, 109: “Romulea fera,” the she-wolf that suckled Romulus, Juv. 11, 104; a sea-monster, Ov. M. 4, 713; 719; a serpent, Hyg. Astr. 2, 42; the ant, Mart. 6, 15, 2; the constellations of the Great and Little Bear: “magna minorque ferae,” id. Tr. 4, 3, 1; Vulg. Gen. 37, 20.— Prov.: ferae inter se placidae sunt, morsuque similium abstinent, Sen. de lra, 2, 8, 3.—
II. Transf., of places (syn. incultus): “in locis feris arbores plura ferunt, in his, quae sunt culta, meliora,” wild, uncultivated, Varr. R. R. 1, 7, 7; cf.: ferus, ager incultus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 86 Müll.: “montes,” Verg. E. 5, 28: “silvae,” Hor. S. 2, 6, 92.—
III. Trop., wild, rude, uncultivated; savage, barbarous, fierce, cruel (syn.: immanis, agrestis, inhumanus; “opp. mansuetus, humanus): ipsis in hominibus nulla gens est neque tam mansueta neque tam fera, quae non, etc.,” Cic. Leg. 1, 8, 24; cf.: “nulla gens tam fera, nemo omnium tam immanis, cujus, etc.,” id. Tusc. 1, 13, 30; id. Phil. 3, 9, 23: “ex feris et immanibus mites reddidit et mansuetos,” id. Inv. 1, 2, 2; Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 21, § 51: “ferus atque agrestis,” id. Rosc. Am. 27, 74: “inhumani ac feri testes,” id. Rep. 1, 37 fin.; cf. Ter. And. 1, 5, 43: “ferus et ferreus,” Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 3: “quam ferus et vere ferreus ille fuit!” Tib. 1, 10, 2; “v. ferreus: nemo adeo ferus est, ut non mitescere possit,” Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 39: “Britanni hospitibus feri,” id. C. 3, 4, 33: “Numantia,” id. ib. 2, 12, 1: “Iberia,” id. ib. 4, 5, 27: “animi hominum, studiis bellandi jam immanes ac feri,” Cic. Rep. 2, 14; id. Fragm. ap. Non. 342, 33 (Rep. 2, 23 ed. Mos.): “ingenium immansuetum ferumque,” Ov. M. 15, 85; cf.: “(ostendere ejus) mores feros immanemque naturam,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 13, 37: “homines a fera agrestique vita ad hunc humanum cultum civilemque deducere,” id. de Or. 1, 8, 33: “victus,” id. Inv. 1, 2, 2: “moenera militiaï,” Lucr. 1, 29: “munera belli,” id. 1, 32: “hiems,” Ov. Tr. 1, 1, 42; cf.: “diluvies,” Hor. C. 3, 29, 40: “sacra (of death by sacrifice),” Ov. M. 13, 454: “dolores lenire requie,” id. ib. 13, 317.—With supine: ferum visu dictuque (= δεινὸν ἰδεῖν καὶ λέγειν), Sil. 1, 175.—No comp. or sup.
