I.an imitation, copy of a thing, an image, likeness (i. e. a picture, statue, mask, an apparition, ghost, phantom; the latter only poet. and in post-Aug. prose; cf.: simulacrum, effigies, statua, sigillum): imago ab imitatione dicta, Paul. ex Fest. p. 112 Müll.; cf.: imago dicitur quasi imitago, Porphyr. Hor. C. 1, 12, 4.
I. Lit.
A. In gen., a representation, likeness (usu. of a person), statue, bust, picture: “Spartiates Agesilaus neque pictam neque fictam imaginem suam passus est esse ... unus Xenophontis libellus in eo rege laudando facile omnes imagines omnium statuasque superavit,” Cic. Fam. 5, 12, 7: “Demosthenes, cujus nuper inter imagines tuas ac tuorum imaginem ex aere vidi,” id. Or. 31, 110: “Epicuri in poculis et in anulis,” id. Fin. 5, 1, 3: hominis imaginem gypso e facie ipsa primus omnium expressit ceraque in eam formam gypsi infusa emendare instituit Lysistratus Sicyonius, Plin. 35, 12, 44, § 153: “Africani,” Cic. Rep. 6, 10: “mulieris,” Quint. 7, 7, 5: “Antigoni,” id. 2, 13, 12: “depictam in tabula sipariove imaginem rei,” id. 6, 1, 32: “si in tabula mea aliquis pinxerit velut imaginem,” Gai. Inst. 2, 78: “cereae,” Hor. Epod. 17, 76; id. S. 1, 8, 43: “ut dignus venias hederis et imagine macra,” Juv. 7, 29: “hoc tibi sub nostra breve carmen imagine vivat,” Mart. 9, 1: “epistula atque imago me certum fecit,” i. e. the image on the seal, the signet, Plaut. Ps. 4, 6, 35; 4, 2, 29; 4, 7, 105: “nunc amici anne inimici sis imago, Alcesime, mihi, sciam,” i. e. will act like a friend, Plaut. Cas. 3, 1, 1.—
2. A phantom, ghost, apparition: “infelix simulacrum atque ipsius umbra Creusae Visa mihi ante oculos et nota major imago,” Verg. A. 2, 773; cf.: “et nunc magna mei sub terras ibit imago,” shade, spirit, Verg. A. 4, 654; Plin. Ep. 7, 27, 6; cf. id. ib. 1: “non vanae redeat sanguis imagini,” Hor. C. 1, 24, 15: “(somnus) Vanum nocturnis fallit imaginibus,” Tib. 3, 4, 56; cf. Hor. C. 3, 27, 40; Suet. Aug. 94; id. Calig. 50: “te videt in somnis, tua sacra et major imago humana turbat pavidum,” Juv. 13, 221: “quid natum totiens falsis Ludis imaginibus?” phantoms, Verg. A. 1, 408: “ubique pavor et plurima mortis imago,” id. ib. 2, 369; cf.: “repetitaque mortis imago,” Ov. M. 10, 726: “lurida mortis imago,” Petr. 123, v. 257: “varia pereuntium forma et omni imagine mortium,” Tac. H. 3, 28: “caesorum insepultorumque,” id. A. 1, 62: “supremorum (i. e. funeris) imago,” id. H. 4, 45.—Poet.: “genitiva (with forma),” natural shape, figure, Ov. M. 3, 331; so, “rudis et sine imagine tellus (= informis),” shapeless, id. ib. 1, 87.—
B. In partic., an ancestral image of a distinguished Roman (of one who had been aedile, praetor, or consul; usually made of wax, and placed in the atrium of a Roman house, and carried in funeral processions.—
(α).
In plur.: obrepsisti ad honores errore hominum, commendatione fumosarum imaginum, quarum simile habes nihil praeter colorem, of smoky (i. e. old) ancestral images, Cic. Pis. 1, 1; cf. Sen. Ben. 3, 28, 1; Plin. 35, 2, 2, § 6: “si quid deliquero, nullae sunt imagines, quae me a vobis deprecentur,” no ancestors of distinction, Cic. Agr. 2, 36, 100; cf.: “quia imagines non habeo et quia mihi nova nobilitas est,” Sall. J. 85, 25: “qui imagines familiae suae consecuti sunt,” Cic. Agr. 2, 1, 1: “homo veteris prosapiae ac multarum imaginum,” Sall. J. 85, 10: “majorum imagines,” id. ib. 5, 5; Suet. Vesp. 1: “multis in familia senatoriis imaginibus,” id. Aug. 4: “esto beata, funus atque imagines Ducant triumphales tuum,” Hor. Epod. 8, 11: “qui stupet in titulis et imaginibus,” id. S. 1, 6, 17; Plin. 35, 2, 2, § 6 sqq.; Prop. 2, 13, 19; Suet. Vesp. 19.—
(β).
In sing. (rare): “jus imaginis,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 14, § 36: “imaginis ornandae causa,” id. Sest. 8, 19: “vir honoratissimae imaginis futurus ad posteros,” Liv. 3, 58, 2: “clarum hac fore imagine Scaptium,” would become an aristocrat, id. 3, 72, 4, v. Weissenb. ad loc.: “Tunc Cotta ne imago Libonis exsequias posterorum comitaretur censuit,” Tac. A. 2, 32.
II. Transf., a reverberation of sound, an echo (mostly poet.): “(mellaria facere oportet) potissimum ubi non resonent imagines,” Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 12: “concava pulsu Saxa sonant, vocisque offensa resultat imago,” Verg. G. 4, 50; cf. Sil. 14, 365: “alternae deceptus imagine vocis: Huc coëamus ait ... Coëamus retulit Echo,” Ov. M. 3, 385: “cujus recinit jocosa Nomen imago,” Hor. C. 1, 12, 4; so, “jocosa Vaticani montis,” id. ib. 1, 20, 8: “vaga,” Val. Fl. 3, 596.
III. Trop.
A. In gen., an image or likeness of a thing formed in the mind, a conception, thought, imagination, idea: “Scipionis memoriam atque imaginem sibi proponere,” Cic. Lael. 27, 102: “magnam partem noctium in imagine tua vigil exigo,” Plin. Ep. 7, 5, 1: “Verginium cogito, Verginium video, Verginium jam vanis imaginibus audio,” id. ib. 2, 1, 12: imagines, quae εἴδωλα nominant, quorum incursione non solum videmus, sed etiam cogitamus, Cic. Fin. 1, 6, 21; cf.: “imagines extrinsecus in animos nostros per corpus irrumpere,” id. Ac. 2, 40, 125: plena sunt imaginum omnia, nulla species cogitari potest nisi pulsu imaginum, etc.; id. Div. 2, 67, 137 sq.: unum aliquem te ex barbatis illis, exemplum imperii veteris, imaginem antiquitatis, columen rei publicae diceres intueri, an image of the olden time, id. Sest. 8, 19; cf.: “expressam imaginem vitae quotidianae videre,” id. Rosc. Am. 16, 47: “quidnam illi consules dictatoresve facturi essent, qui proconsularem imaginem tam saevam ac trucem fecerint, i. e. by cruelty in office,” Liv. 5, 2, 9: “naturae ... urbis et populi,” Cic. Rep. 2, 39 fin.: “justitiae,” Quint. 2, 20, 6: “virtutis,” id. 10, 2, 15: “similitudines ad exprimendas rerum imagines compositae,” id. 8, 3, 72: illae rerum imagines, quas vocari φαντασίας indicavimus, id. 10, 7, 15: “conscripta formantur imagine templa,” plans, Stat. S. 3, 1, 117: “scipione determinata prius templi imagine in solo,” Plin. 28, 2, 4, § 15: “tua, pater Druse, imago,” memory, Tac. A. 1, 13: “magna illic imago tristium laetorumque,” recollection, id. ib. 2, 53: “si te nulla movet tantae pietatis imago,” Verg. A. 6, 405.—
B. In partic.
1. In rhet., a figurative representation, similitude, comparison: “comparabile est, quod in rebus diversis similem aliquam rationem continet. Ejus partes sunt tres: imago, collatio, exemplum. Imago est oratio demonstrans corporum aut naturarum similitudinem, etc.,” Cic. Inv. 1, 30, 49; cf.: “imago est formae cum forma cum quadam similitudine collatio,” Auct. Her. 4, 49, 62; Sen. Ep. 59, 92; Quint. 6, 1, 28; Hor. S. 2, 3, 320; id. Ep. 1, 7, 34.—
2. With the idea predominating of mere imitation, in opp. to what is original or real, a mere form, image, semblance, appearance, shadow: “consectatur nullam eminentem effigiem virtutis, sed adumbratam imaginem gloriae,” Cic. Tusc. 3, 2, 3: “nos veri juris germanaeque justitiae solidam et expressam effigiem nullam tenemus: umbra et imaginibus utimur,” id. Off. 3, 17, 69; cf.: “non in umbra et imagine civitatis, etc.,” id. Rep. 2, 30; and: “umbram equitis Romani et imaginem videtis,” id. Rab. Post. 15, 41: “haec ars tota dicendi, sive artis imago quaedam est et similitudo, habet hanc vim, ut, etc.,” id. de Or. 2, 87, 356: “judiciorum,” only the appearance of courts, id. Sest. 13, 30; cf.: “imaginem rei publicae nullam reliquissent,” id. Agr. 2, 32, 88: “his quoque imaginibus juris spretis,” Liv. 41, 8, 10: “imaginem retinendi largiendive penes nos, vim penes Parthos,” Tac. A. 15, 14: “habitu et ore ad exprimendam imaginem honesti exercitus,” the pretence, id. ib. 16, 32; 6, 27; id. H. 1, 84; 3, 70: “qui faciem eloquentiae, non imaginem praestaret,” id. Or. 34: “nec imagine rerum, sed rebus incendit,” Quint. 10, 1, 16: “in falsa rerum imagine detineri,” id. 10, 5, 17; cf.: “nullo quippe alio vincis discrimine, quam quod illi (hermae) marmoreum caput est, tua vivit imago,” Juv. 8, 55.—
3. A representative: non in effigies mutas divinum (Augusti) spiritum transfusum; “sed imaginem veram, caelesti sanguine ortam, intellegere discrimen, etc.,” Tac. A. 4, 52.—
4. That which suggests or recalls something by resemblance, a reminder: “me consolatur recordatio meorum temporum, quorum imaginem video in rebus tuis,” Cic. Fam. 1, 6, 2: “a Corbulone petierat, ne quam imaginem servitii Tiridates perferret,” nothing to suggest slavery, Tac. A. 15, 31; cf.: “moriar, si praeter te quemquam reliquum habeo, in quo possim imaginem antiquae et vernaculae festivitatis adgnoscere,” Cic. Fam. 9, 15, 2.
