I.gen. plur. hospitium, Liv. 4, 35, 4), m.; hospĭta , ae, f. (cf. antistita from antistes, sospita from sospes, sacerdota from sacerdos, etc., but hospes, f., Att. ap. Non. 279, 11; “Trag. Fragm. v. 51 Rib.: hospes amica,” Ov. F. 6, 510: “Aurora,” Stat. Th. 6, 272; Sen. Agam. 318 al.) [= hostipets, hostis, a stranger; pa-, root of pasco, pater, to feed, hence],
I. He who entertains a stranger, a host (one who entertains gratuitously, as a friend: caupo, one who entertains for pay); “form hospes: alterum ad cauponem devertisse, ad hospitem alterum,” Cic. Div. 1, 27, 57; so id. Fin. 5, 2, 4: “tendimus hinc recta Beneventum, ubi sedulus hospes Paene macros, arsit, dum turdos versat in igne, etc.,” Hor. S. 1, 5, 71: “succinctus,” id. ib. 2, 6, 107: “amabilis,” id. Ep. 2, 2, 132: “hospitis affectu salutare,” with a host's politeness, Juv. 8, 161.—Esp., one upon whom soldiers are quartered, Tac. H. 2, 66; 3, 41.—Hence repeated of both host and guest: “per dexteram istam te oro, quam regi Deiotaro hospes hospiti porrexisti,” Cic. Deiot. 3, 8; so, “non hospes ab hospite tutus,” Ov. M. 1, 144: “Juppiter, = hospitalis,” id. ib. 10, 224.—Fem., hospita, she who entertains a guest, a hostess: “femina primaria, Servilia, vetere Dionis hospita,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 8, § 24: “figura et lineamenta hospitae,” id. ib. 2, 2, 36, § “89: Helene,” Hor. C. 1, 15, 2.—In late Lat., for a concubine, Inscr. Orell. 2669; 4996. —
II. Transf.
A. A sojourner, visitor, guest, friend, ξένος. Lit.: “in domo clari hominis, in quam et hospites multi recipiendi et admittenda hominum cujusque modi multitudo,” Cic. Off. 1, 39, 139: “libri inter Cratippi commentarios tamquam hospites recipiendi,” id. ib. 3, 33, 121: “recipere hospites,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 25, § 65: “accipere hospitem,” id. Fam. 9, 26 fin.: “non hospites, sed peregrini atque advenae,” id. Agr. 2, 34, 94: “habuisses non hospitem, sed contubernalem,” id. Fam. 9, 20, 1: “et hostem et hospitem vidit,” id. Div. 2, 37, 79; 6, 6, 2: “is qui nuper Romae fuit Menedemus hospes meus,” id. de Or. 1, 19, 85; cf. id. Lael. 7, 24: “Polybius noster hospes,” id. Rep. 4, 3: “id factum ex suis hospitibus Caesar cognoverat,” Caes. B. G. 5, 6, 2: “in suos notos hospitesque quaerebant,” id. B. C. 1, 74, 5: “hospes familiae vestrae,” Cic. Lael. 11, 36: homo multorum hospitum, id. Clu. 59, 163: “mihi seu longum post tempus venerat hospes Sive, etc.,” Hor. S. 2, 2, 118: “si vespertinus subito te oppresserit hospes,” id. ib. 2, 4, 17: “hospite venturo, cessabit nemo tuorum,” Juv. 14, 59: in officiis apud majores ita observatum est: primum tutelae, deinde hospiti, deinde clienti, tum cognato, postea adfini, Sabin. ap. Gell. 5, 13, 5.—In fem.: “meamne hic in via hospitam, Quae heri huc Athenis cum hospite advenit meo, etc.,” Plaut. Mil. 2, 6, 8; id. ib. 71; Ter. And. 2, 6, 8; Cic. Att. 5, 1, 3.—
B. Opp. to a native, a stranger, foreigner (syn.: “advena, peregrinus, peregrinator, alienus): adeone hospes hujusce urbis, adeone ignarus es disciplinae consuetudinisque nostrae, ut haec nescias?” Cic. Rab. Perd. 10, 28: “nec peregrinus atque hospes in agendo,” id. de Or. 1, 50, 218: “nos in nostra urbe peregrinantes errantesque tamquam hospites tui libri quasi domum deduxerunt,” id. Ac. 1, 3, 9.—So in addressing a foreigner, like the Gr. ξένε, stranger: “cum (Theophrastus) percontaretur ex anicula quadam, quanti aliquid venderet, et respondisset illa atque addidisset, Hospes, non pote minoris: tulisse eum moleste, se non effugere hospitis speciem, cum aetatem ageret Athenis optimeque loqueretur,” id. Brut. 46, 172; Quint. 8, 1, 2: dic, hospes, Spartae, nos te hic vidisse jacentes, Cic. poët. Tusc. 1, 42, 101 (a transl. of the Gr. Ὦ ξεῖν̓, ἀγγέλλειν Αακεδαιμονίοις, etc., Herod. 7, 228): hospes, quid miras curare Serapin? Varr. ap. Non. 480, 30; Prop. 4, 1, 1.—Fem., hospita, a female stranger: “hanc hospitam crepidula ut graphice decet,” Plaut. Pers. 4, 2, 3.—
C. Hence, a stranger in any matter, ignorant of, unacquainted with: “si erit idem in consuetudine civitatis hospes,” Cic. de Or. 2, 30, 131: “vos ignoretis, vos hospites in hac urbe versamini,” id. Mil. 12, 33.—
D. Of inanim. or abstr. things adjectively, hospitable; strange, foreign.
(α).
Form hospes (only in post-Aug. poets): gemma, Pall. Insit. init.: “tecta, etc.,” Stat. Th. 12, 479: “cymba,” id. S. 5, 1, 252: “honor,” Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 650.—
(β).
Form hospita (in the fem. and neutr. plur. mostly poet.): hirundines hospitae, Varr. ap. Arn. 6, 207: “navis,” Ov. F. 1, 340: “quo tutior hospita lustres Aequora,” Verg. A. 3, 377: “conjunx hospita Teucris,” id. ib. 6, 93: “terra hospita,” id. ib. 3, 539: “tecta,” Val. Fl. 2, 650: “flumina,” Stat. Th. 4, 842: “litora mundo,” id. S. 3, 5, 75: “unda plaustris,” bearing wagons on its frozen surface, Verg. G. 3, 362: “vina,” Val. Fl. 1, 44.