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scĕlus , ĕris, n. Sanscr. root skhal, to fall, akin to khal-, to deceive; cf. Goth. skal, to owe,
I.an evil deed; a wicked, heinous, or impious action; a crime, sin, enormity, wickedness (the strongest general term for a morally bad act or quality; very freq. both in sing. and plur.; cf. nefas).
I. Lit.
1. Absol.: “facinus est vincire civem Romanum, scelus verberare, prope parricidium necare,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 66, § 170; cf. so (opp. to flagitia and delicta) Tac. G. 12: “majus in sese scelus concipere nefariis sceleribus coöpertus,Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 4, § 9; id. Rosc. Am. 13, 37: “detestabile scelus,id. Lael. 8, 27: “scelus atque perfidia,id. Rosc. Am. 38, 109; so (with perfidia) id. Phil. 11, 2, 5; id. Att. 2, 22, 2; 3, 13, 2; Sall. J. 107, 2; Liv. 40, 39 al.; cf. (with audacia) Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 66, § 170; (with furor) id. ib. 2, 5, 62, § 161; (with avaritia) id. ib. 2, 5, 9, § 24; id. Clu. 8, 23: “documentum Persarum sceleris,id. Rep. 3, 9, 15: “ex hac parte pudor pugnat, illinc petulantia ... hinc pietas, illinc scelus,id. Cat. 2, 11, 25: “scelus est igitur, nocere bestiae, quod scelus qui velit, etc.,id. Rep. 3, 11, 19: “quid mali aut sceleris fingi aut excogitari potest, quod, etc.,id. Cat. 2, 4, 7: “nefario scelere concepto,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 32, § 72: “concipere in se,id. ib. 2, 1, 4, § “9 (v. supra): tantum sceleris admittere,id. Att. 9, 10, 3: “scelus nefarium facere,id. de Or. 1, 51, 221; cf. id. Rosc. Am. 9, 25: “perficere,id. Clu. 68, 194: “scelus an-helare,id. Cat. 2, 1, 1: “moliri,id. Att. 7, 11, 1: “edere,id. Phil. 13, 9, 21; cf.: “edere in aliquem,id. Sest. 27, 58: “suscipere,id. Phil. 11, 1, 2: “scelere se alligare,id. Fl. 17, 41: “scelere astringi,id. Sest. 50, 108: “scelere obstringi,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 32, § 71: “obrui,Liv. 3, 19 et saep.—
2. With gen. obj.: “scelus legatorum contra jus gentium interfectorum,the crime of murdering their deputies, Liv. 4, 32.—Prov.: “vulgo dicitur: Scelera non habere consilium,Quint. 7, 2, 44.—
II. Transf.
A. Of animals or inanimate things (post-Aug.; perh. only in Plin.), a bad quality, vicious nature, a vice, fault: nec bestiarum solum ad nocendum scelera sunt, sed interim aquarum quoque et locorum, Plin. 25, 3, 6, § 20: “maximum salamandrae,id. 29, 4, 23, § 74: “Scythae sagittas tingunt viperină sanie ... inremediabile id scelus,id. 11, 53, 115, § 279.—
B. Concr., in vulgar lang. as a term of reproach, rascal, scoundrel, villain, rogue; and of women, drab, baggage, etc.: minime miror, navis si fracta tibi, Scelus te et sceleste parta quae vexit bona, Plaut. Rud. 2, 6, 22; id. Am. 2, 1, 7; id. Bacch. 5, 1, 9; id. Mil. 3, 2, 14; 3, 2, 27; id. Pers. 4, 9, 6; Ter. And. 2, 1, 17; 4, 1, 42; id. Eun. 5, 4, 19; id. Ad. 5, 1, 6; 5, 1, 12 al.; cf.: “scelus viri,you scoundrel of a man, Plaut. Truc. 2, 7, 60.— With a masc. pron.: “is me scelus attondit, etc.,Plaut. Bacch. 5, 1, 9: “ubi illic est scelus, quid me perdidit?Ter. And. 3, 5, 1; cf.: “scelus, quemnam hic laudat?id. ib. 5, 2, 3.—
C. In Plaut., Ter., and Mart., a mishap (qs. arising from wickedness), a misfortune, calamity (cf. sceleratus, B. 2., and scelestus, II.): “perdidi unum filium puerum quadrimum ... Major potitus hostium est: quod hoc est scelus!Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 104: Pa. Quid hoc est sceleris? Ch. Perii, Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 34 Ruhnk.; Mart. 7, 14, 1.—
D. A natural catastrophe: scelera naturae, i. e. earthquakes, inundations, etc., Plin. 2, 93, 95, § 206.
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hide References (37 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (37):
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 2.22.2
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 7.11.1
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 9.10.3
    • Cicero, Against Catiline, 2.11.25
    • Cicero, Against Catiline, 2.1.1
    • Cicero, For Aulus Cluentius, 68.194
    • Cicero, For Aulus Cluentius, 8.23
    • Cicero, For Sextus Roscius of Ameria, 9.25
    • Cicero, Philippics, 11.1.2
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.1.9
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.4.72
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.5.170
    • Cicero, For Sextus Roscius of Ameria, 13.37
    • Cicero, For Sextus Roscius of Ameria, 38.109
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.4.71
    • Cicero, Against Catiline, 2.4.7
    • Cicero, For Sestius, 27.58
    • Cicero, For Sestius, 50.108
    • Cicero, Philippics, 11.2.5
    • Cicero, Philippics, 13.9.21
    • Plautus, Bacchides, 5.1
    • Plautus, Captivi, 3.5
    • Plautus, Miles Gloriosus, 3.2
    • Plautus, Persa, 4.9
    • Plautus, Truculentus, 2.7
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 1.51
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 25.20
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 3.2
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 3, 19
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 40, 39
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 4, 32
    • Cicero, De Republica, 3.11
    • Cicero, De Republica, 3.9
    • Cicero, De Amicitia, 8
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 7, 2.44
    • Tacitus, Germania, 12
    • Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum, 107
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