I. Of or belonging to the country or to a village, rustic: “PORTICVS, Inscr. (A. U. C. 659) Orell. 3793: lex,” Plin. 28, 2, 5, § 28: “foci,” Ov. F. 1, 670.—
B. Subst.: pāgānus , i, m., a countryman, peasant, villager, rustic: “nulli pagani aut montani,” Cic. Dom. 28, 74: pagani vel decuriones, Cod. Th. 7, 21, 2.—
II. Opposed to military, civil, civic: “vel paganum est peculium vel castrense,” Cod. Just. 3, 28, 37.—As subst.: pāgānus , i, m., a civilian, a citizen, Tac. H. 3, 24: “paganorum turba,” Suet. Galb. 19: “milites et pagani,” Plin. Ep. 10, 18, 2; Juv. 16, 33.—
III. Transf., rustic, unlearned: “cultus,” Plin. Ep. 7, 25, 6; cf. semipaganus.—
B. In eccl. Lat. (like gentilis) for heathen, pagan (opp. Jewish or Christian); and subst., a heathen, a pagan: “ritus cultusque, Cod. Th. 16, 7, 2: sacerdotales paganae superstitionis,” ib. 16, 10, 20; Ter. Cor. Mil. 11: “deorum falsorum multorumque cultores paganos vocamus,” Aug. Retract. 2, 43; Hier. in Psa. 41: “ex locorum agrestium compitis et pagis pagani vocantur,” Oros. 1 praef.
