I.of or belonging to the people, proceeding from or designed for the people.
I. In gen.: “populares leges,” i. e. laws instituted by the people, Cic. Leg. 2, 4, 9: “accessus,” id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 8, § 25: “coetus,” id. Ac. 2, 2, 6: “munus,” a donation to the people, id. Off. 2, 16, 56: “popularia verba usitata,” id. ib. 2, 10, 35; cf.: “ad usum popularem atque civilem disserere,” id. Leg. 3, 6, 14: “dictio ad vulgarem popularemque sensum accommodata,” id. de Or. 1, 23, 108: “oratio philosophorum ... nec sententiis nec verbis instructa popularibus,” id. Or. 19, 64: “popularis oratio,” id. ib. 44, 151: “populari nomine aliquid appellare,” Plin. 13, 4, 9, § 48: “laudes,” in the mouths of the people, Cic. Ac. 2, 2, 6: “admiratio,” id. Fam. 7, 1, 2: “honor,” Cic. Dom. 18: “ventus,” popular favor, id. Clu. 47, 130 init.: “aura,” Hor. C. 3, 2, 20: “civitas,” democracy, Plin. 7, 56, 57, § 200 (opp. regia civitas, monarchy): “popularia sacra sunt, ut ait Labeo, quae omnes cives faciunt nec certis familiis attributa sunt,” Fest. p.253 Müll.—
B. Subst.: pŏpŭlārĭa , ĭum, n. (sc. subsellia), the seats of the people in the theatre, the common seats, Suet. Claud. 25; id. Dom. 4 fin.—
II. In partic.
A. Of or belonging to the same people or country, native, indigenous (as an adj. rare): “Sappho puellis de popularibus querentem vidimus,” Hor. C. 2, 13, 25: “flumina,” of the same district, Ov. M. 1, 577: “oliva,” native, id. ib. 7, 498.—
2. As subst.: pŏpŭlāris , is, comm. (freq. and class.).
(α).
Masc., a countryman, fellow-countryman: “redire ad suos populares, Naev. ap. Fest. s. v. stuprum, p. 317 Müll.: o mi popularis, salve,” Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 79: “o populares,” Ter. Eun. 5, 8, 1; id. Ad. 2, 1, 1: “popularis ac sodalis suus,” Cic. Ac. 2, 37, 118: “ego vero Solonis, popularis tui, ut puto, etiam mei, legem neglegam (for Cicero had also lived in Athens),” id. Att. 10, 1, 2: “popularis alicujus definiti loci (opp. civis totius mundi),” id. Leg. 1, 23, 61: “non populares modo,” Liv. 29, 1: “cum turbā popularium,” Just. 43, 1, 6: quae res indicabat populares esse.—
(β).
Fem.: “mea popularis opsecro haec est?” Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 35; 4, 4, 36; 4, 8, 4 al.; Sall. J. 58, 4: “tibi popularis,” Ov. M. 12, 191.—
b. Transf.
(α).
Of animals and plants of the same region: “leaena, Ov. lb. 503: (glires) populares ejusdem silvae (opp. alienigenae, amne vel monte discreti),” Plin. 8, 57, 82, § 224: “populares eorum (prunorum) myxae,” id. 15, 13, 12, § 43.—
(β).
Of persons of the same condition, occupation, tastes, etc., a companion, partner, associate, accomplice, comrade: meus popularis Geta, fellow (i. e. a slave), Ter. Phorm. 1, 1, 1: “populares conjurationis,” Sall. C. 24, 1; 52, 14: “sceleris,” id. ib. 22, 1: invitis hoc nostris popularibus dicam, the men of our school, i. e. the Stoics, Sen. Vit. Beat. 13.—
B. In a political signification, of or belonging to the people, attached or devoted to the people (as opposed to the nobility), popular, democratic: “res publica ex tribus generibus illis, regali et optumati et populari confusa modice,” Cic. Rep. 2, 23, 41 (ap. Non. 342, 31): “homo maxime popularis,” Cic. Clu. 28, 77: “consul veritate non ostentatione popularis,” id. Agr. 1, 7, 23: animus vere popularis, saluti populi consulens, id. Cat. 4, 5, 9: “ingenium,” Liv. 2, 24: “sacerdos, i. e. Clodius, as attached to the popular party,” Cic. Sest. 30, 66: “vir,” Liv. 6, 20: homo, of the common people (opp. rex), Vulg. Sap. 18, 11. —Hence, subst.: pŏpŭlāres , ĭum, m., the people's party, the democrats (opp. optimates, the aristocrats): “duo genera semper in hac civitate fuerunt . . . quibus ex generibus alteri se populares, alteri optimates et haberi et esse voluerunt. Quia ea quae faciebant, multitudini jucunda esse volebant, populares habebantur,” Cic. Sest. 45, 96: “qui populares habebantur,” id. ib. 49, 105: “ex quo evenit, ut alii populares, alii studiosi optimi cujusque videantur,” id. Off. 1, 25, 85.—
C. Acceptable to the people, agreeable to the multitude, popular: “dixi in senatu me popularem consulem futurum. Quid enim est tam populare quam pax?” Cic. Agr. 2, 4, 9: “potest nihil esse tam populare quam id quod ego consul popularis adfero, pacem, etc.,” id. ib. 2, 37, 102: “quo nihil popularius est,” Liv. 7, 33, 3: “populare gratumque audientibus,” Plin. Paneg. 77, 4.—
D. Of or belonging to the citizens (as opposed to the soldiery): “quique rem agunt duelli, quique populare auspicium,” Cic. Leg.2, 8; cf.Amm. 14, 10; usually as subst.: popŭlāris , is, m., a citizen (post-class.): “multa milia et popularium et militum,” Capitol. Ant. Phil. 17; Dig. 1, 12, 1 fin.: “popularibus militibusque,” Juv. 26, 3, 5; Amm. 22, 2.—
E. Belonging to or fit for the common people; hence, common, coarse, mean, bad: sal. Cato, R. R. 88: “pulli (apium),” Col. 9, 11, 4: popularia agere, to play coarse tricks, Laber. ap. Non. 150, 25.—Hence, adv.: pŏpŭlārĭter .
A. After the manner of the common people, i. e. commonly, coarsely, vulgarly, Cic. Rep. 6, 22, 24: “loqui,” id. Fin. 2, 6, 17: “scriptus liber (opp. limatius),” id. ib. 5, 5, 12.—
B. In a popular manner, popularly, democratically: “agere,” Cic. Off. 2, 21, 73: “conciones seditiose ac populariter excitatae,” id. Clu. 34, 93: “occidere quemlibet populariter,” to win popularity, Juv. 3, 37.