I.an attendant upon a distinguished person, esp. a prince, a lifeguard; in plur., attendants, escort, train, retinue (class.; syn.: stipator, apparitor, accensus).
I. Lit.: “regii satellites,” Liv. 2, 12; 34, 36 fin.; cf. Quint. 7, 2, 54: “administri et satellites Sex. Naevii,” Cic. Quint. 25, 80 (cf. infra, II.): “habet sectatores vel potius satellites, qui, etc.,” Tac. A. 16, 22: “contumeliosum foret, si equites Romani satellites Numidae traderentur,” Sall. J. 65, 2: “Sullae,” id. H. 1, 41, 2 Dietsch; cf. Liv. 34, 41: “sequimini satellites,” Plaut. Mil. 1, 78: “aurum per medios ire satellites... amat,” Hor. C. 3, 16, 9: “ne posset adire, Cursus equi fecit circumfususque satelles,” Ov. M. 14, 354: “Caesaris,” Tac. A. 2, 45: “Sejani,” id. ib. 6, 3 et saep.: “Hannibalis,” followers, satellites, Liv. 23, 12; 25, 28.—
B. Transf. (mostly poet.), of attendants analog. to the preceding: Jovis pinnata satelles, i. e. the eagle, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 47, 106; id. Tusc. 2, 10, 24: Noctis, i. e. the evening-star, id. poët. ap. Non. 65, 10: “Orci,” i. e. Charon, Hor. C. 2, 18, 34: Neptuni, storms, etc., Plaut. Trin. 4, 1, 14.—Of the attendants of the queen-bee, Plin. 11, 17, 17, § 53.—Of Orion, as Diana's attendant, Ov. F. 5, 538. —
II. Trop., an assistant, attendant: “hominem natura non solum celeritate mentis ornavit, sed etiam sensus tamquam satellites attribuit ac nuncios,” Cic. Leg. 1, 9, 26: “virtutis verae custos rigidusque satelles,” Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 17.—In Cicero more freq. in a bad sense, an assistant in crime, an accomplice, partner, abettor, etc.: “stipatores corporis constituit, eosdem ministros et satellites potestatis,” Cic. Agr. 2, 13, 32: “satellites scelerum, ministros cupiditatum,” id. Prov. Cons. 3, 5: “C. Mallium, audaciae satellitem atque administrum tuae,” id. Cat. 1, 3, 7: “voluptatum satellites et ministras,” id. Fin. 2, 12, 37; cf. “(opp. dominatrix),” id. Inv. 1, 2, 2.
