Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.“flēmus,” Prop. 2, 7, 2; cf. Lachm. ad Lucr. p. 291: “flērunt,” Verg. G. 4, 461; Stat. S. 2, 1, 175: “flēsset,” id. ib. 145: “flēsse,” Ov. M. 6, 404; Liv. 30, 44, 7), v. n. and a. [for flev-o, root φλυ-; Gr. φλύω, to bubble up, etc.; L. fluo, fluvius, etc.; cf. Georg Curtius Gr. Etym. p. 301 sq.].

I. Neutr.

A. Lit., to weep, cry, shed tears (syn.: ploro, lugeo, lacrimo): maerentes, flentes, lacrimantes, commiserantes, Enn. ap. Diom. p. 442 P. (Ann. 107 ed. Vahl.): “fleo, quia dijungimur,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 8, 18: “quin fles,” id. Ps. 1, 1, 73: “nimium haec flet,” id. Mil. 4, 8, 14: “ne fle, mulier!” id. Ep. 4, 2, 31: “quid fles, Asterie?” Hor. C. 3, 7, 1: “ille me complexus atque osculans flere prohibebat,” Cic. Rep. 6, 14 fin.: “haec cum pluribus verbis flens a Caesare peteret,” Caes. B. G. 1, 20, 5; cf. id. ib. 7, 26, 3; id. B. C. 1, 76, 1; 3, 98, 2: “deceptus quoniam flevit et ipse, deus,” Prop. 2, 16 (3, 8), 54: “felix qui potuit praesenti flere puellae,” before, in the presence of, Prop. 1, 12, 15; cf. Tib. 1, 10, 64: “o multa fleturum caput!” Hor. Epod. 5, 74: “lapides mehercule omnes flere et lamentari coëgisses,” Cic. de Or. 1, 57, 245.—Pass. impers.: “ad sepulcrum venimus: in ignem posita est: fletur,” Ter. And. 1, 1, 102: “minus est, quod flendum meo nomine quam quod gaudendum illius est,” Quint. 6 praef. § 8; so id. 6, 2, 3; 11, 1, 52.—

B. Transf. *

1. Of horses, to neigh: “equorum greges comperit ubertim flere,” Suet. Caes. 81.—

2. Of things, to drop, trickle (ante- and post-class.): “uberibus flent omnia guttis,” Lucr. 1, 349: “flevit in templis ebur,” Sen. Thyest. 702: “imber,” Prud. Cath. 5, 24.

II. Act., to weep for, bewail, lament, a person or thing; to sing mournfully (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; once in Cic.): He. Ne fle. Er. Egone illum non fleam? egone non defleam Talem adolescentem? Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 36: “unicum (filium) mater,” Cat. 39, 5: “parentes Troĭlon,” Hor. C. 2, 9, 17: “Gygen,” id. ib. 3, 7, 1; “amissas amicitias,” Cat. 96, 4: “* Pisonem eis verbis flens meum casum vexavit,” Cic. Sest. 28, 60: “filii necem,” Tac. A. 6, 10; 2, 71: “suam vicem,” Curt. 10, 5, 21: “servitutem tristem,” Phaedr. 1, 2, 6: “amissum conjugem,” Just. 28, 4, 4: “fidem mutatosque deos,” Hor. C. 1, 5, 6: “moechos arrogantes,” id. ib. 1, 25, 10: “catellam raptam sibi,” id. Ep. 1, 17, 56: “amorem testudine,” id. Epod. 14, 11: feralia carmina, to sing, Col. poët. 10, 350: “virum,” Sen. Contr. 2, 11, 1: “amissum fratrem,” id. ib. 4, 29, 8: “adlatum ad se Pompeii caput,” id. ib. 10, 32, 1.—In part. perf.: “multum fleti ad superos,” bewailed, lamented, Verg. A. 6, 481; Stat. Th. 4, 103.—

(β). With object-clause: “agmina septem Flebis in aeterno surda jacere situ,” Prop. 1, 7, 18; Val. Fl. 1, 633.—Hence, flē-tus , a, um, P. a., weeping: “mater fleta et lacrimosa,” App. M. 7, p. 199 fin. (but in Lucr. 2, 631 the correct read. is sanguinolenti).