I.a soldier.
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “miles, qui locum non tenuit,” Cic. Clu. 46, 128: legere milites, to levy, raise, Pompei, ap. Cic. Att. 8, 12 a, 3: “scribere,” to enlist, enroll, Sall. J. 43, 3: “deligere,” Liv. 29, 1: “ordinare,” to form into companies, id. ib.: “mercede conducere,” to hire, take into one's pay, id. ib. 29, 5: “dimittere,” to dismiss, Cic. Fam. 3, 3, 2: “miles tremulus,” i. e. Priam, Juv. 10, 267: “miles cum die, qui prodictus sit, aberat, neque excusatus erat, infrequens dabatur,” Gell. 16, 4, 5.—
B. In partic., of foot-soldiers, infantry, in opp. to eques: “tripartito milites equitesque in expeditionem inisit,” Caes. B. G. 5, 10: v. eques.—Opp. to the general: miles gregarius, or miles alone, a common soldier, private: “strenui militis et boni imperatoris officia simul exsequebatur,” Sall. C. 60, 4; id. J. 62; Vell. 2, 18, 1 volgus militum, Liv. 22, 30, 7: “maritim as,” a soldier in sea-service, marine, Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 61.—
II. Transf.
A. Collect., the soldiery, the army (esp. freq. in the postAug. per.), Liv. 22, 57 fin.; Verg. A. 2, 495; Vell. 1, 15, 1; 2, 78, 2; Tac. A. 1, 2; 24; 2, 16; Juv. 10, 155; 16, 18 et saep.—
B. Under the emperors, an armed servant of the emperor, court-official, Cod. Th. 11, 1, 34; Dig. 4, 6, 10.—
C. A chessman, pawn, in the game of chess: “discolor ut recto grassetur limite miles,” Ov. Tr. 2, 477.—
D. Fem., of a woman who is in childbed for the first time: “et rudis ad partūs et nova miles eram,” Ov. H. 11, 48.—Of a nymph in the train of Diana: “miles erat Phoebes,” Ov. M. 2, 415.—
E. (Eccl. Lat.) Of a servant of God or of Christ, struggling against sin, etc.: “bonus Christi,” Vulg. 2 Tim. 2, 3.
