Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I. In a bad sense, that thinks himself above others, haughty, proud, arrogant, insolent, discourteous, uncivil, rude, supercilious, domineering (cf.: arrogans, insolens, fastidiosus, vanus, elatus): reges odisse superbos, Poët. ap. Cic. Att. 6, 3, 7: “reges,” Lucr. 5, 1222: “domini,” id. 2, 1091; Verg. A. 12, 236: “juvenis,” id. ib. 3, 326; 10, 514: “victor,” id. G. 3, 226: “non decet superbum esse hominem servom,” Plaut. As. 2, 4, 64: “freti virtute et viribus superbi,” id. Am. 1, 1, 58: “superbum se praebuit in fortunā,” Cic. Att. 8, 4, 1: “vide ne superbi (animi) sit aspernari ejusdem liberalitatem,” id. Fam. 4, 9, 4: “atque meo nunc Superbus incedis malo,” Hor. Epod. 15, 18: “licet superbus ambules pecuniā,” id. ib. 4, 5: “opibus superbi,” Verg. A. 5, 268: “utrum superbiorem te pecunia facit, an quod te imperator consulit,” Cic. Fam. 7, 13, 1: “laudato pavone superbior,” Ov. M. 13, 802: “homines superbissimi,” Sall. J. 31, 12; “Auct. B. Afr. 57, 6: eum, qui de suā unius sententiā omnia gerat, superbum judico magis quam sapientem,” Liv. 44, 22, 11: “non respondere vereor, ne superbum sit,” id. 42, 40, 2.—In a pun on the literal meaning of super: Merc. Faciam ego te superbum, nisi hinc abis. So. Quonam modo? Merc. Auferere, non abibis, si ego fustem sumpsero, I will make you, i. e. one who rides or is carried, rather than walks, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 201.—

b. Transf., of things concr. or abstr.: “aures,” Liv. 34, 5, 13: “oculi,” Ov. M. 6, 169: “arces,” Hor. Epod. 7, 5: “postisque superbos Unguit amaracino,” Lucr. 4, 1179: “sceptra,” id. 5, 1137: “voces,” id. 5, 1173: “dens,” delicate, fastidious, squeamish, Hor. S. 2, 6, 87: “corpus,” id. ib. 2, 2, 109: “inguen,” id. Epod. 8, 19: “manus,” Sen. Med. 205: “vultus,” id. Herc. Fur. 721: “non est inhumana virtus neque immanis neque superba,” Cic. Lael. 14, 50: “victoria, quae naturā insolens et superba est,” id. Marcell. 3, 9: “pax,” Liv. 9, 12, 1: “jura,” id. 31, 29, 9; cf.: “superbissima lex,” id. 4, 4, 10: “mutatio vestis,” id. 9, 18, 4: “vita,” Prop. 3, 11 (4, 10), 48: “aures quarum est judicium superbissimum,” i. e. very severe, utterly impartial, Cic. Or. 44, 150: “scilicet aspera mea natura, difficilis aditus, superba responsa,” uncivil, arrogant, id. Vatin. 3, 8: “cujus tu superbissima decreta et preces repudiasti,” id. Pis. 27, 64: “ipsum dicendi genus nihil superbum, nihil elatum saltem ac sublime desideret,” Quint. 6, 2, 19; cf. id. 11, 1, 37.—With foll. inf., Sil. 3, 374; 12, 433; 14, 646.— Neutr. absol.: “reliqua multo major multitudo neque excluderetur suffragiis, ne superbum esset, nec valeret nimis, ne esset periculosum,” Cic. Rep. 2, 22, 39: “superba loqui,” Prop. 1, 10, 22.—Superbum est, with a subject-clause, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 20, § 45; Ov. M. 13, 17.—

B. Sŭperbus , i, m., surname of the younger Tarquin, the last king of Rome, Cic. Rep. 2, 15, 28; id. Tusc. 1, 16, 38; Liv. 1, 49, 1; Ov. F. 2, 718 al.; cf. Cic. Rep. 1, 37, 58.—

II. In a good sense, proud, superior, excellent, distinguished; splendid, magnificent, superb (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): “quae (virtus) inter hanc fortunam et illam superba incedit cum magno utriusque contemptu,” Sen. Ep. 76, 21: “populum late regem belloque superbum,” Verg. A. 1, 21: “animae virtute et factis,” Sil. 10, 573: “triumphus,” Hor. C. 1, 35, 3; 1, 37, 31: “merum,” id. ib. 2, 14, 27; cf.: “limina civium potentiorum,” id. Epod. 2, 7: “postes,” id. C. 4, 15, 7: “Tibur,” Verg. A. 7, 630: “Phoebe superbe lyrā,” Tib. 4, 2, 22: “sedes Dolopum,” Verg. A. 2, 785; Cat. 64, 85: “domus,” Sen. Herc. Oet. 509: “dapes,” Mart. 3, 45, 3.—

B. In partic.

1. Superba pira, an excellent kind of pear, perh. the muscatel, Col. 5, 10, 18; Plin. 15, 15, 16, § 54; cf. superbia, II. B.—

2. Olivae, of a very large and plump kind, Plin. 15, 3, 4, § 17.—

3. Herba = chamaemeli, App. Herb. 23.—Hence, adv. (acc. to I.), haughtily, proudly, superciliously.

(α). Form sŭ-perbē , Plaut. Merc. 5, 4, 38; Ter. Phorm. 5, 7 (8), 22; Lucr. 5, 1224: “imperare,” Caes. B. G. 1, 31 (with crudeliter); Liv. 2, 45, 6 (with insolenter); 37, 10, 2 (with contemptim); 24, 25, 8 (opp. humiliter); 9, 14; “10, 10: Rhodii, superbe commemoratis meritis suis, etc.,” id. 44, 14, 8.—

(β). Form sŭperbĭter (anteclass. ), Naev. and Afran. ap. Non. 515, 10 sq.; 516, 1; Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 1010 P. (Enn. p. 180, 40 Vahl.).—

b. Comp.: “superbius,” Cic. Imp. Pomp. 5, 11: “preces alicujus superbius accipere,” Tac. A. 2, 37.—

c. Sup.: “superbissime,” Cic. Pis. 27, 64.