I.darkness (stronger than obscuritas, and weaker than caligo; freq. and class.).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “veluti pueri omnia caecis In tenebris metuant,” Lucr. 2, 56: “tempestas atque tenebrae Coperiunt maria ac terras,” id. 6, 491: “cum obscurato sole tenebrae factae essent repente,” Cic. Rep. 1, 16, 25; cf.: “nos tenebras cogitemus tantas, quantae, etc.,” id. N. D. 2, 38, 96: “tetrae tenebrae et caligo,” id. Agr. 2, 17, 44; “v. caligo: tenebras et solitudinem nacti,” id. Fin. 3, 11, 38: “incultu, tenebris, odore foeda atque terribilis ejus (Tulliani) facies est,” Sall. C. 55, 4: “ipsis noctis tenebris,” Quint. 10, 6, 1: “obtentā densantur nocte tenebrae,” Verg. G. 1, 248: “neve velit (Sol) tenebras inducere rebus,” Ov. M. 2, 395: “tacitae,” Sen. Med. 114. —
B. In partic.
1. The darkness of night, night: “redire luce, non tenebris,” Cic. Phil. 2, 30, 76: “classem in statione usque ad noctem tenuit: primis tenebris movit,” Liv. 31, 23, 4: “somnus qui faciat breves tenebras,” Mart. 10, 47, 11: “tenebris,” during the night, Tib. 1, 6, 59; 2, 1, 76; Ov. Am. 1, 6, 10: “tenebris obortis,” Nep. Eum. 9, 5: “per tenebras,” Luc. 2, 686: “(me) videt pulsis Aurora tenebris,” Ov. M. 7, 703: “effulget tenebris Aurora fugatis,” id. ib. 2, 144.—
2. The darkness or dimness of a swoon, a swoon: “tenebrae oboriuntur, genua inedia succidunt,” Plaut. Curc. 2, 3, 30; Verg. A. 11, 824; Ov. M. 2, 181; 12, 136; id. Tr. 1, 3, 91; id. H. 13, 23; Luc. 3, 735; Plin. 7, 6, 5, § 41.—
3. The darkness of death, death-shades (poet. and rare): “juro, Me tibi ad extremas mansuram tenebras,” Prop. 2, 20 (3, 13), 17; cf.: “(urbes) ad Erebi profundos hiatus abactae, aeternis tenebris occultantur,” Amm. 17, 7, 13; cf. also in a play upon this signif. and that of B. 1.: certum'st mihi ante tenebras (i. e. noctem) tenebras (i. e. mortem) persequi, Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 88.—
4. Blindness (poet. and very rare): “occidit extemplo lumen tenebraeque sequuntur,” Lucr. 3, 415: “tenebras et cladem lucis ademptae Obicit,” Ov. M. 3, 515; 3, 525; Stat. Th. 4, 407. —
C. Transf., concr., a dark, gloomy place.
2. A prison, dungeon: “clausi in tenebris, cum maerore et luctu morte graviorem vitam exigunt,” Sall. J. 14, 15: in atras et profundas tenebras eum claudebant, Tubero ap. Gell. 6, 4, 3. —
3. Lurking-places, haunts: “emersus ex diuturnis tenebris lustrorum ac stuprorum,” Cic. Sest. 9, 20: “demonstres, ubi sint tuae tenebrae,” Cat. 55, 2.—
5. The infernal regions: “tenebrae malae Orci,” Cat. 3, 13: “infernae,” Verg. A. 7, 325; Hor. C. 4, 7, 25: “Stygiae,” Verg. G. 3, 551: “quid Styga, quid tenebras timetis?” Ov. M. 15, 154.—
II. Trop., darkness, gloom, obscurity of the mind, of fame, of fortune, fate, etc. (class.): “isti tantis offusis tenebris ne scintillam quidem ullam nobis ad dispiciendum reliquerunt,” Cic. Ac. 2, 19, 61: “obducere tenebras rebus clarissimis,” id. ib. 2, 6, 16; cf.: “omnibus fulgore quodam suae claritatis tenebras obduxit,” Quint. 10, 1, 72: quas tu mihi tenebras cudis? what darkness are you raising about me? i. e. what trick are you playing me? Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 40: “tenebras dispulit calumniae,” Phaedr. 3, 10, 42: “quae jacerent omnia in tenebris, nisi litterarum lumen accederet,” obscurity, concealment, Cic. Arch. 6, 14: “vestram familiam abjectam et obscuram e tenebris in lucem evocavit,” id. Deiot. 11, 30; cf.: o tenebrae, o lutum, o sordes (Piso)! obscurity, i. e. low birth, baseness, id. Pis. 26, 62; id. Att. 7, 11, 1: vitae, gloomy fate or fortunes, Lucr. 2, 15: “qui tibi aestus, qui error, qui tenebrae erunt,” Cic. Div. in Caecil. 14, 45: “in illis rei publicae tenebris caecisque nubibus et procellis,” id. Dom. 10, 24: “ex superioris anni caligine et tenebris lucem in re publicā dispicere,” id. Red. in Sen. 3, 5: “si quid tenebrarum offudit exilium,” id. Tusc. 3, 34, 82: “tamquam si offusa rei publicae sempiterna nox esset, ita ruebant in tenebris omniaque miscebant,” id. Rosc. Am. 32, 91.
