I.a demi-god, hero.
I. Lit.: “heroum veteres casus imitari,” Cic. de Or. 2, 47, 194: “ille deum vitam accipiet divisque videbit Permixtos heroas,” Verg. E. 4, 16: “magnanimi heroes,” id. A. 6, 649: “incipit Aeneas heros,” id. ib. 6, 103; “called also: Troius heros,” id. ib. 451: “Laertius heros,” i. e. Ulysses, Ov. Tr. 5, 5, 3: “quem virum aut heroa lyra vel acri Tibia sumis celebrare, Clio?” Hor. C. 1, 12, 1: “Ajax heros,” id. S. 2, 3, 193: “intererit multum, divusne loquatur an heros,” id. A. P. 114.—Adj., of or belonging to a hero or heroes, heroic: ecce modo heroas sensus efferre videmus Nugari solitos Graece (for heroicos or heroos), heroic thoughts or deeds, Pers. 1, 69.—
II. Transf., in Cicero of illustrious men: heros ille noster Cato, Cic. Att. 1, 17, 9: “Antonii colloquium cum heroibus nostris (i. e. Bruto et Cassio),” id. ib. 14, 6, 1: “illorum fuit heroum (i. e. Platonis et Aristotelis),” id. Rep. 3, 8; “and ironically of Clodius: ignari, quantum in illo heroe esset animi,” id. Att. 4, 3, 5.