Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.gen. plur. liberūm, Att. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 9; Turp. ap. Non. 495, 26; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 15, § 40; 2, 1, 30, § 77; Tac. A. 2, 38; 3, 25 saep.; cf. Cic. Or. 46, 155; “but also: liberorum,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 30, § 76; 2, 5, 42, § 109), m. 1. liber, a child.

I. Sing. (post-class. and rare): “si quis maximam portionem libero relinquat,” Cod. Just. 3, 28, 33; 5, 9, 8 fin.; Quint. Decl. 2, 8.—

II. Plur., children (freq.; but in class. Lat. only of children with reference to their parents: pueri = children in general, as younger than adulescentes; cf. Krebs, Antibarb. p. 657 sq.).

A. Lit.: liberorum genus, Enn. ap. Cic. Or. 46, 155 (Trag. v. 347 Vahl.): liberorum sibi quaesendum gratia, id. ap. Fest. p. 258 Müll. (Trag. v. 161 Vahl.): “cum conjugibus et liberis,” Cic. Att. 8, 2, 3: “eum ex C. Fadii filiā liberos habuisse,” id. ib. 16, 11, 1: “liberos procreare,” id. Tusc. 5, 37, 109: “suscipere liberos,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 69, § 161: “per liberos te precor,” Hor. Epod. 5, 5: “dulces,” id. ib. 2, 40: “parvuli,” Quint. 2, 15, 8; “opp. parentes,” id. 11, 1, 82; 3, 7, 18; 26; 6, 1, 18; 6, 5 al.: mater quae liberos, quasi oculos (amisit), orba est, Sulp. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 182 Müll.: jus trium liberorum, under the emperors, a privilege enjoyed by those who had three legitimate children (it consisted in the permission to fill a public office before one's twenty-fifth year, and in freedom from personal burdens); this privilege was sometimes also bestowed on those who had fewer than three children, or even none at all; also of one child: “non est sine liberis, cui vel unus filius unave filia est,” Dig. 50, 16, 148; Plaut. Aul. 4, 10, 6; Ter. Hec. 2, 1, 15; id. Heaut. 1, 1, 99; id. And. 5, 3, 20; Cic. Phil. 1, 1, 2; id. de Imp. Pomp. 12, 33; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 15, § 40; ib. 30, § 76 Zumpt; cf. also Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 5: “neque ejus legendam filiam (virginem Vestalem) ... qui liberos tres haberet,” Gell. 1, 12, 8: “uxores duxerant, ex quibus plerique liberos habebant,” Caes. B. C. 3, 110, 2.—Of grandchildren and great-grandchildren: “liberorum appellatione nepotes et pronepotes ceterique qui ex his descendunt, continentur,” Dig. 50, 16, 220; cf.: “liberi usque ad trinepotem, ultra hos posteriores vocantur,” ib. 38, 10, 10, § 7: “habitus sis in liberum loco,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 15, § 40.—

2. Esp.

(α). Of sons (opp. daughters): “procreavit liberos septem totidemque filias,” Hyg. Fab. 9.—

(β). Of children in gen. = pueri: “praecepta Chrysippi de liberorum educatione,” Quint. 1, 11, 17; cf.: Catus aut de liberis educandis, the title of a book by Varro, v. Gell. 4, 19, 2; Macr. S. 3, 6, 5.—

B. Transf., of animals, young: “liberis orbas oves,” Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 38.—Comically: “quaerunt litterae hae sibi liberos: alia aliam scandit,” Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 23.