Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.gen. plur. prolum, Mart. Cap. 3, § 301), f. pro and root al- of alo, to nourish, whence olesco in ad-olesco, etc.; cf.: suboles, indoles.

I. Lit., that which grows forth; esp. of human beings, offspring, progeny, child, descendant; and collect., descendants, race, progeny, posterity (mostly poet.; “but cf.: nec fugerim dicere prolem, aut subolem aut effari, etc.,” Cic. de Or. 3, 38, 153; cf. Quint. 8, 3, 26, and v. in the foll. the passages from Cic.; syn. progenies). —Poet.: “propagando procudere prolem,” to bring forth, produce children, Lucr. 5, 856: “prolem est enixa gemellam,” Ov. M. 9, 452: “laudantur simili prole puerperae,” Hor. C. 4, 5, 23; id. C. S. 19: “di Romulae genti date remque prolemque,” id. ib. 47: “et pulchrā faciat te prole parentem,” Verg. A. 1, 75: “felix prole parens,” Val. Fl. 5, 384: “tua postuma proles,” Verg. A. 6, 763: ferrea proles, the iron race, Poët. ap. Cic. N. D. 2, 63, 159: “aënea,” Ov. M. 1, 125: “argentea,” id. ib. 1, 114: “proles Ausonia,” the Ausonian race, Verg. A. 4, 236: “dic mihi, Teucrorum proles,” Juv. 8, 56.—In prose: “praeclara Brutorum atque Aemiliorum proles,” Sall. H. 1, 41, 2 Dietsch; Cic. Rep. 2, 22, 40: “proles illa futurorum hominum,” race, id. ib. 6, 21, 23.—Of individuals (poet.): “Ulixi,” i. e. Telemachus, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 40: “proles tertia Phorcus,” Ov. M. 7, 477: “Clymeneïa,” i. e. Phaëton, id. ib. 2, 19: “Apollinea,” i. e. Æsculapius, id. ib. 15, 533: “deūm certissima proles,” Verg. A. 6, 322: “egomet Neptunia proles,” Val. Fl. 4, 213.—Of deities: “Saturni altera proles,” Verg. A. 12, 830: “Bacchi rustica proles,” i. e. Priapus, Tib. 1, 4, 7: “Cyllenia proles,” Verg. A. 4, 268: “fulminis,” i. e. Bacchus, Sen. Med. 24; cf. Verg. A. 6, 25: “Jovis,” Vulg. Act. 19, 35.—Of animals: “hinc nova proles per herbas Ludit,” Lucr. 1, 259: “duellica equorum,” id. 2, 661; Phaedr. 2, 4, 19; Verg. G. 3, 65: “jam maris immensi prolem, genus omne natantum,” id. ib. 3, 541; Col. 7, 6, 7. —Poet., of plants: “et prolem tarde crescentis olivae,” i. e. the fruit, Verg. G. 2, 3; cf.: naturae contenta manu Zephyrique favore Parturit (tellus), et tantā natorum prole superbit, Alan. Anti-Claud. 1, 79.—In plur.: privignasque rogat proles, Col. poët. 10, 163.—

II. Transf.

A. Youth, young men, Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 7: “sternitur Arcadiae proles,” Verg. A. 10, 429.—

B. The testicles (post-class.): “polimina sunt ea, quae nos proles verecundius dicimus,” Arn. 7, 230; 5, 172.