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sērĭus , a, um, adj. perh. for sevrius; root sev-, severus; Gr. σέβας, σεμνός,
I.grave, earnest, serious, opp. to sportive, jocular (class. only of things; “severus, both of persons and things): res (opp. jocosae),” Cic. Off. 1, 37, 134: “sermo (opp. jocus),” Auct. Her. 3, 14, 25: “non res potissimum seria, sed quasi ludus ac jocus,” Lact. 2, 18, 3: graves seriaeque res, Cic. Off. 1, 29, 103; so, “res serias omnis extollo in alium diem,” Plaut. Poen. 2, 51: “ait rem seriam Velle agere mecum,” Ter. Eun. 3, 3, 7; Liv. 23, 7 fin.: “dies religiosus ad agendum quicquam rei seriae,” id. 26, 17 al.: “verba,” Tib. 3, 6, 52; cf. Hor. A. P. 107: “quaestiones,” Suet. Calig. 32: “carmina,” Plin. Pan. 54, 2: “curae,” id. ib. 82 fin.: “partes dierum,” id. ib. 49 fin.: “tempus,” id. Ep. 4, 25, 3 et saep.: “opinor hercle hodie quod ego dixi per jocum, Id eventurum esse et severum et serium,” Plaut. Poen. 5, 3, 51: “si aliquid serium, etc.,” Quint. 6, 3, 16: “nec quicquam grave ac serium,” Tac. A. 3, 50 fin.—With sup.: “verba seria dictu,” Hor. A. P. 107.—As subst.: sērĭum , i, and more freq. sērĭa , ōrum, n., earnestness, seriousness; serious matters or discourse (often opp. jocus); sing.: “si quid per jocum Dixi, nolito in serium convortere,” Plaut. Poen. 5, 5, 42: “itaque res in serium versa est,” Curt. 5, 7, 10: “nihil ad serium,” Tac. A. 6, 14.—Plur.: “quīcum joca, seria, ut dicitur,” Cic. Fin. 2, 26, 85: “joca atque seria cum humillimis agere,” Sall. J. 96, 2: “cum his seria ac jocos celebrare,” Liv. 1, 4 fin.: “per seria per jocos,” Tac. A. 2, 13: “sed tamen amoto quaeramus seria ludo,” Hor. S. 1, 1, 27; 2, 2, 125; id. A. P. 226; Ov. F. 5, 341 al.: “mala,” Hor. A. P. 451: “mea (opp. lusus),” Ov. Tr. 1, 8, 31: “(Marsus) seria partitur in tria genera,” Quint. 6, 3, 108: “ille seria nostra, ille deliciae,” Plin. Ep. 8, 1, 2.—Of persons, for severus (ante- and post-class.): non ego te novi tristem servum, serium? Afran. ap. Non. 33, 33: “amicos serios aspernatur,” App. Mag. 98, p. 336, 9: “Solon,” id. ib. 9, p. 278 fin.; Amm. 26, 2, 2; 29, 6, 1; Treb. Claud. 12, 5; Mam. Grat. Act. 12, 2; Quint. Decl. 15, 3.—Hence, adv. in two forms.
A. sērĭō , in earnest, seriously (mostly anteclass.; a favorite word of Plaut.; “not in Cic. or Cæs.): nec joco nec serio,” Plaut. Am. 3, 2, 25: “si quid dictum est per jocum, Non aequom est id te serio praevortier,” id. ib. 3, 2, 40: “an id joco dixisti? equidem serio ac vero ratus,” id. ib. 3, 3, 9; so (opp. joco) id. Bacch. 1, 1, 42; Ter. Heaut. 3, 2, 30; Liv. 7, 41, 3: vereor serio, Naev. ap. Charis. p. 195; Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 225; id. Cas. 4, 2, 11; id. Ep. 1, 1, 29; id. Merc. 4, 1, 19; id. Ps. 1, 3, 106; 4, 7, 94; id. Poen. 1, 1, 32; 1, 3, 26; 1, 3, 29; id. Rud. 2, 5, 11; 4, 4, 1; id. Truc. 2, 2, 47; 2, 5, 29; Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 3; 3, 3, 22; id. Ad. 5, 9, 18; Liv. 4, 25 fin.; Quint. 1, 2, 1; 9, 2, 14; Plin. Ep. 2, 20, 10.—
B. sērĭē , in earnest, seriously: “(post-class.) vultu serie pulcro,” Aur. Vict. Epit. 15.
A Latin Dictionary. Founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary. revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by. Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1879.

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hide References (39 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (39):
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 7, 41
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 2.2
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 3.2
    • Plautus, Bacchides, 1.1
    • Plautus, Mercator, 4.1
    • Plautus, Pseudolus, 1.3
    • Plautus, Truculentus, 2.2
    • Suetonius, Caligula, 32
    • Horace, Satires, 1.1.27
    • Horace, Ars Poetica, 107
    • Horace, Ars Poetica, 226
    • Horace, Ars Poetica, 451
    • Tacitus, Annales, 6.14
    • Tacitus, Annales, 2.13
    • Tacitus, Annales, 3.50
    • Plautus, Casina, 4.2
    • Plautus, Epidicus, 1.1
    • Plautus, Poenulus, 1.1
    • Plautus, Poenulus, 5.3
    • Plautus, Poenulus, 5.5
    • Plautus, Rudens, 2.5
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 2.20.10
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 4.25.3
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 8.1.2
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 23, 7
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 26, 17
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 4, 25
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 4
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 2.26
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 1.37
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 1.29
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 1, 2.1
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 3.108
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 3.16
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 9, 2.14
    • Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum, 96
    • Ovid, Tristia, 1.8
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 5.7.10
    • Ovid, Fasti, 5
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