I.gen. plur. parentum and parentium, cf. Varr. L. L. 8, § 66 Müll.; Charis. p. 111 P.; Diom. p. 282 ib.: “masculino genere parentem appellabant antiqui etiam matrem,” Fest. p. 151 Müll.; so, “Gracchus,” Charis. p. 79 P.) [pario], a procreator, a father or mother, a parent; most freq. in the plur., parents.
1. Lit.: SI PARENTEM PVER VERBERIT ... DIVIS PARENTVM SACER ESTO, Lex regia: qui parentem aut hospitem Necasset, Enn. ap. Non. 153, 29 (Trag. v. 239 Vahl.): “parens tuus,” Cic. Sull. 29, 81; Hor. A. P. 313: “illum et parentis crediderim sui Fregisse cervicem,” id. C. 2, 13, 5: “alma parens Idaea deum,” Verg. A. 10, 252: “an tu reris eum (Orestem) occisā insanuisse parente? etc.,” Hor. S. 2, 3, 134: “imperator, qui sibi parentis loco esset,” i. e. entitled to the reverence due a father, Liv. 4, 42, 8; cf.: “(Lolliam) privignis parentis loco futuram,” be a mother to them, Tac. A. 12. 2: “parentis eam (Darii matrem) loco diligi colique,” Curt. 5, 3, 11: “per speciem honorandae parentis,” Liv. 8, 22, 2; 26, 49, 13.—In plur.: “quae (caritas) est inter natos et parentes,” Cic. Lael. 8, 27: “parentes cum liberis,” Caes. B. G. 5, 14, 4; Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 42, § 108: “opus a parentibus majoribusque meis relictum,” id. Rep. 1, 22, 35: “in parentum loco,” id. Planc. 11, 28.— Of animals, a sire or dam, Varr. R. R. 3, 7 fin.: “gravida stans,” Plin. 8, 42, 66, § 165; Cels. 6, 6, 39; Stat. Th. 10, 231.—
b. Transf.
(α).
Grandparents, and, in gen., progenitors, ancestors (parentes, like patres, is used of the generations immediately preceding the present; all ancestors more remote than the grandparents are called majores, Seyffert ad Cic. Lael. p. 260): “Siciliam tantum ac Sardiniam parentibus nostris ereptas nostrā virtute recuperaturi essemus,” Liv. 21, 43, 6: “appellatione parentis non tantum pater, sed etiam avus et proavus, et deinceps omnes superiores continentur: sed et mater et avia et proavia,” Dig. 50, 16, 51; cf. ib. 2, 4, 4; Fest. p. 221 Müll.; Cic. Inv. 1, 54, 103; Verg. A. 9, 3; 10, 76; 619: “si patriam, parentes, antiqua mallent quam dominos et colonias novas,” Tac. A. 1, 59; Dig. 23, 3, 5.—
(β).
Relations, kinsfolk, kindred (rare and not ante-Aug.): “solent rei capitis adhibere vobis parentes. Duos ego fratres nuper amisi,” Curt. 6, 10, 30; Lampr. Alex. Sev. 67; Capitol. M. Aur. 5; Flor. 3, 18, 5.—(Whether we are to take it in this sense in Liv 34, 32, 12, is doubtful.) —
2. Trop., a father, founder, inventor, author (class.): “me quem nonnulli conservatorem istius urbis, quem parentem esse dixerunt,” Cic. Att. 9, 10, 3: “operum parens effectorque,” id. Univ. 11: “Socrates parens philosophiae,” id. Fin. 2, 1, 1; cf.: “Tullius facundiae Latiarumque litterarum parens,” Plin. 7, 30, 31, § 117; and: “Homerus primus doctrinarum et antiquitatis parens,” id. 25, 2, 5, § 11: “(Mercurius) curvae lyrae parens,” Hor. C. 1, 10, 6: “earum (rerum) parens est educatrixque sapientia,” Cic. Leg. 1, 24, 62.—As an honorary appellation: “quid prius dicam solitis Parentis Laudibus,” i. e. Jupiter, Hor. C. 1, 12, 13: “Latius,” i. e. Domitian, Stat. S. 1, 2, 178.
