I.service, pains, exertion, work, labor (opus is used mostly of the mechanical activity of work, as that of animals, slaves, and soldiers; opera supposes a free will and desire to serve).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “omnes, quorum operae, non quorum artes emuntur,” Cic. Off. 1, 42, 150: “sine hominum manu atque operā,” id. ib. 2, 4, 14: “operam exigere,” id. ib. 1, 13: “perdere,” id. de Or. 1, 28, 126: “praebere amicis,” id. Brut. 47, 174: “in re ponere,” id. Clu. 57, 157: “curamque in rebus honestis ponere,” id. Off. 1, 6, 19: “et laborem consumere in aliquā re,” to bestow labor and pains on any thing, id. de Or. 1, 55, 234: “studiumque in res obscuras conferre,” id. Off. 1, 6, 19: “tribuere rei publicae,” id. Div. 2, 2, 7; “sumere,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 31, § 69: “impendere,” id. ib. 2, 2, 30, § “68: polliceri,” Sall. C. 28, 1; 40, 6: “insumere,” Liv. 10, 18: “dicare alicui,” Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 12: interponere, to bestow, employ, Cic. Div. in. Caecil. 19, 63: ipse dabat purpuram tantum, amici operas, gave their work thereto, i. e. wrought it, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 26, § 59: “pleraque sunt hominum operis effecta,” id. Off. 2, 3, 12: “ibo, atque illam adducam, Quam propter opera est mihi,” on whose behalf I am engaged, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 93: “operam navare,” Cic. Fam. 15, 12, 2; Liv. 25, 6, 15.—
B. In partic., a service, rendering of service: Cn. Pupius, qui est in operis ejus societatis, in the service of the society or company, Cic. Fam. 13, 9, 3: “operae forenses,” id. Fin. 1, 4, 10: “P. Terentius, qui operas in portu et scripturā pro magistro dat,” serves as director, id. ib. 13, 65, 11: “ferrum istud bonas edet operas,” will do good service, Sen. Prov. 2, 10: “musis operas reddere,” to do service to, to serve, Cic. Fam. 16, 10, 2: “dare operas alicui,” Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 11.—
II. Transf.
A. Care, attention, exertion bestowed on any thing: “deditā operā,” seriously, with a purpose, Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 29.—So esp. freq.,
1. Operam dare, to bestow care or pains on, to give attention to any thing.—Constr. with dat., with ut or ne ( = studere).
(α).
With dat.: dant operam simul auspicio augurioque, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107 (Ann. v. 81 Vahl.): “dare operam funeri,” to attend, Cic. Att. 15, 1, 1: “bellis, Sive foro,” Ov. R. Am. 165: “amori,” Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 58: liberis (to the begetting of children), Cic. Fam. 9, 22, 3: memoriae alicujus, to attend to what brings a person to mind, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 1, 1: “tonsori,” to get shaved, Suet. Aug. 79: “alicui,” to attend to one, listen to him, Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 52: “sermoni,” Cic. Leg. 2, 1, 4: “amico,” to serve, Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 17: me huic dedisse operam malam, that I have done him an ill turn, id. Capt. 3, 5, 43.—For dat. the acc. with ad occurs: “benigne operam detis ad nostrum gregem,” Plaut. Cas. prol. 21.—
(β).
With ut and subj.: “da operam, ut valeas,” Cic. Att. 16, 16, A, 5: “omnem operam do, ut cognoscam,” Sen. Contr. 4, 24, 15; id. Vit. Beat. 3, 2.—
(γ).
With ne: “dent operam consules, ne quid respublica detrimenti capiat,” Caes. B. C. 1, 5: “ego omnem operam dabo, ne pervenire ad me erubescat,” Sen. Polyb. 13, 3: “studiose te operam dare, ut ne quid meorum tibi esset ignotum,” Cic. Fam. 13, 11, 1.—
(δ).
With subj. alone: dabo operam, quoad exercitus huc summittatis, etc., Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 21, 6.—（ε) With inf.: “id scire,” Ter. Hec. 4, 1, 38.—
2. In abl.: operā meā, tuā, etc., through my (thy, etc.) means, agency, fault: “fateor Abiisse eum abs te, meā operā atque astutiā,” Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 21: “quid mihi nisi malum vostra opera'st?” id. Ps. 1, 2, 50: “non meā operā, neque pol culpā evenit,” Ter. Hec. 2, 1, 31: “meā operā, Q. Fabi, Tarentum recepisti,” Cic. Sen. 4, 11.—
3. Unā or eādem operā, in the same manner, at the same time (ante-class.): “unā operā mihi sunt sodales, quā iste,” Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 31: “eādem operā a praetore sumam syngrapham,” id. ib. 2, 3, 89.—
4. Operā, by experience (ante-class.): “nam te omnes saevom commemorant ... ego contra operā expertus,” Plaut. Trin. 4, 1, 7: “id operā expertus sum esse ita,” id. Bacch. 3, 2, 3: “magis non factum possum velle quam operā experiar persequi,” id. Capt. 2, 3, 65.—
5. Operae pretium, v. pretium, II. B.—
B. Leisure, spare time for any thing (class., but in the phrase operae est, only ante-class. and Livian): “operae ubi mihi erit, ad te venero,” as soon as I can spare the time, Plaut. Truc. 4, 4, 30: “si operae illi esset,” if he had time, Liv. 5, 15; 4, 8; 44, 36: “dicam, si tibi videam esse operam, aut otium,” Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 15: “operae non est,” id. ib. 5, 2, 77: “quos tu operam gravare mihi,” id. Rud. 2, 4, 21: de versibus, quos tibi a me scribi vis, deest mihi quidem opera, I have not time or leisure, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 4, 4.—
C. In concr.
1. A day's work or labor (usu. in plur.): “quaternis operis singula jugera confodere,” Varr. R. R. 1, 18: “puerilis una opera,” Col. 11, 2, 44: “bubulcorum operae quatuor,” id. 2, 13: “operae (filiorum) locari possunt,” Paul. Sent. 5, 1, 1.—
2. A day-laborer, journeyman; also, in gen., a laborer, workman (usu. in plur.): “ipse dominus dives operis et laboris expers,” Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 16: “plures operas conducere,” Col. 3, 21: nona, a ninth laborer (on his farm), Hor. S. 2, 7, 118; Suet. Oct. 3.—Hence, transf., in a bad sense: operae, hired aiders, abettors, tools, etc. (of political or theatrical parties): “mercenariae (corresp. to multitudo conducta),” Cic. Phil. 1, 9, 22; cf.: “erat mihi contentio cum operis conductis et ad diripiendam urbem concitatis,” id. Sest. 17, 38: “Claudianae,” id. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 2; cf. id. Att. 4, 3, 3: “theatrales,” parties for the purpose of applauding, theatrical factions, Tac. A. 1, 16: “VETERES A SCENA,” Inscr. Grut. 467, 7.—
3. That which is wrought or produced, a work: “operae aranearum,” i. e. spiders' webs, Plaut. As. 2, 4, 19: “exstabit opera peregrinationis hujus,” Cic. Att. 15, 13, 6.
