I.sloping, steep, going downwards or downhill.
I. Lit. (rare; “not in Cic. or Cæs.: solum,” Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 7: “per proclivem viam duci,” Liv. 35, 30: omnia procliva sunt; “facile descenditur,” Sen. Apoc. 13.—Subst.: prō-clīve , is (or prōclīvum , i), n., a slope, descent, declivity: “pelli per proclive,” downhill, downwards, Liv. 5, 43, 2: “adjuvante proclivo impetum militum,” Front. Strat. 2, 2, 2 (al. proclivio): “in proclive detrudi, Auct. B. Alex. 76: per proclivia devolare,” Col. 9, 5, 1.—Of persons, going downwards or downhill (poet.), Claud. III. Cons. Honor. 178.—
II. Trop.
A. Downwards, descending, downhill, declining (rare but class.): “proclivi cursu et facili delabi,” Cic. Rep. 1, 28, 44: “jam proclivi senectute,” declining, drawing to a close, App. Fl. 4, p. 361; cf.: “Junius mensis est jam proclivus in Julium,” Sen. Ep. 86, 16.—Absol.: “proclivi currit oratio,” flows precipitately, Cic. Fin. 5, 28, 84; v. Madv. ad h. l.—
B. Inclined or disposed to a thing, liable, prone, subject; ready, willing (freq. and class.; mostly in a bad sense; cf. Cic. Tusc. 4, 12, 27, s. v. proclivitas; syn. propensus); constr. usually ad aliquid, more rarely with dat. or circa.
(α).
With ad: “ingenium Hominum proclive ad lubidinem,” Ter. And. 1, 1, 50: “ad aliquem morbum proclivior,” Cic. Tusc. 4, 37, 81: “ergo et invidi et malevoli...quia proclives ad eas perturbationes,” id. ib. 4, 12, 28: “amicitia debet esse ad omnem comitatem facilitatemque proclivior,” id. Lael. 18, 66.—
(γ).
With circa (post-Aug.): “eritque judex circa modestiam juris probatione proclivior,” Quint. 4, 5, 21.—
C. Steep, unsafe, untrustworthy; and hence, obscure, unintelligible: “fecisti modo mi ex proclivo planum,” you make it plain, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 28: “faciam hanc rem planam ex proclivā tibi,” id. Rud. 4, 4, 90: “nam iste proclive'st quod jubes me plane conlocare,” id. As. 3, 3, 73.—
2. Transf., easy to be done: “proclivia anteponuntur laboriosis,” Cic. Top. 18, 69: “illa facilia, proclivia, jucunda,” id. Part. 27, 95: “ut fingendi proclivis esset ratio,” id. Rep. 2, 10, 17: “proclivus impetus,” Lucr. 6, 728: “cum proclivior faciliorque jactus sit ex supernis in infima,” Gell. 9, 1, 2: “dictu quidem est proclive,” easy to be said, Cic. Off. 2, 20, 69: “quod est multo proclivius,” much easier, id. Rep. 1, 6, 11.— Absol.: in proclivi, easy: “tam hoc quidem tibi in proclivi, quam imber est, quando pluit,” as easy, Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 86: “id. faciam, in proclivi quod est,” Ter. And. 4, 2, 18: “alia omnia in proclivi erunt,” will be easy, Sall. Or. ad Caes. 2, 8; v. planum.—Hence, adv., in two forms, prōclīvē and prō-clīvĭter (cf. Gell. 10, 24; Macr. S. 1, 4).
A. Downwards: “proclive labuntur,” rush downwards, Cic. Tusc. 4, 18, 42 Kühn. and Moser N. cr. (B. and K. proclivi); Lucr. 2, 455 Lachm.; cf. sublime ferri, under sublimis.—Comp.: “labi verba proclivius,” i. e. more rapidly, Cic. Or. 57, 191; cf.: “quin proclivius hic iras decurrat ad acris,” Lucr. 3, 311.—
B. Easily: facile et procliviter persuadere, Castric. ap. Gell. 1, 6, 6.—Comp.: “multo proclivius,” Lucr. 2, 792.
