I.a great number, multitude (class.; cf.: copia, vis, magnitudo).
I. In gen.: “nationes, quae numero hominum ac multitudine ipsā poterant in provincias nostras redundare,” Cic. Prov. Cons. 12, 31: “navium,” Nep. Hann. 10, 4: argenti facti, Varr. ap. Non. 465, 27: “sacrificiorum,” Cic. de Or. 3, 19, 71.—
II. In partic.
A. Of people, a great number, a crowd, multitude: “tanta multitudo lapides ac tela conjiciebat, ut, etc.,” Caes. B. G. 2, 6; Nep. Milt. 3, 5; id. Arist. 1, 3: “multitudine domum circumdare,” Nep. Hann. 12, 4: “multitudine civium factiones valuere,” Sall. C. 51, 40: “prima lux mediocrem multitudinem ante moenia ostendit,” Liv. 7, 12, 3.—In plur., multitudes: “partim exquirebant duces multitudinum,” Sall. C. 50, 1.—
2. Of the common people, the crowd, the multitude (cf. turba): “ex errore imperitae multitudinis,” Cic. Off. 1, 19, 65: “sed multitudinem haec maxime allicit,” id. Fin. 1, 7, 25: “multitudinis judicium,” id. Tusc. 2, 26, 63; id. Clu. 29, 59; id. Sest. 58, 124: “credula,” Just. 2, 8, 9.—
B. In gram.: numerus multitudinis, or simply multitudo, the plural number, the plural: “quod alia vocabula singularia sint solum ut cicer, alia multitudinis solum ut scalae ... multitudinis vocabula sunt, etc.,” Varr. L. L. 9, § 63 Müll.: “cur mel et vinum, atque id genus cetera numerum multitudinis capiunt, lacte non capiat,” Gell. 19, 8, 13.—In plur., Varr. L. L. 9, § 65 Müll.
