I.a play.
I. Lit.
A. In gen., a play, game, diversion, pastime: “ad pilam se aut ad talos, aut ad tessaras conferunt, aut etiam novum sibi aliquem excogitant in otio ludum,” Cic. de Or. 3, 15, 58: “datur concessu omnium huic aliqui ludus aetati,” id. Cael. 12, 28: “campestris,” id. ib. 5, 11: “nec lusisse pudet, sed non incidere ludum,” Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 36.—
B. In partic.
1. Ludi, public games, plays, spectacles, shows, exhibitions, which were given in honor of the gods, etc.
(α).
In gen.: “hoc praetore ludos Apollini faciente,” Cic. Brut. 20, 78: “ludos committere,” id. Q. Fr. 3, 4, 6: “ludos magnificentissimos apparare,” id. ib. 3, 8, 6: “ludos apparatissimos magnificentissimosque facere,” id. Sest. 54, 116: “ludos aspicere,” Ov. F. 6, 238: “ludos persolvere alicui deo,” id. ib. 5, 330: ludis, during the games, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 63, 18; Plaut. Cas. prol. 27: “circus maximus ne diebus quidem ludorum Circensium ... irrigabatur,” Front. Aq. 97.—Sing.: “haec ultra quid erit, nisi ludus?” Juv. 8, 199.—
(β).
In this sense, ludi is freq. in appos. with the neutr. plur. of the adj. which names the games: “ludi Consualia,” Liv. 1, 9, 6: “ludi Cerealia,” id. 30, 39, 8: “ludi Taurilia,” id. 39, 22, 1 (Weissenb. Taurii); 34, 54, 3; cf.: “quaedam faciem soloecismi habent ... ut tragoedia Thyestes, ut ludi Floralia ac Megalensia ... numquam aliter a veteribus dicta,” Quint. 1, 5, 52; cf.: “ludis Megalensibus,” Gell. 2, 24, 2.—
(γ).
Also with gen. of place: “eo ipso die auditam esse eam pugnam ludis Olympiae memoriae proditum est,” Cic. N. D. 2, 2, 6.—
2. Stage-plays (opp. to the games of the circus): “venationes autem ludosque et cum collegā et separatim edidit,” Suet. Caes. 10.—
C. A place of exercise or practice, a school for elementary instruction and discipline (cf. schola): “in ludum ire,” Plaut. Pers. 2, 1, 6: “fidicinus,” music-school, id. Rud. prol. 43: “litterarius,” id. Merc. 2, 2, 32: “litterarum ludi,” Liv. 3, 44; 6, 25: “ludus discendi,” Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 4, 6: “Dionysius Corinthi dicitur ludum aperuisse,” id. Fam. 9, 18, 1: “Isocrates, cujus e ludo, tamquam ex equo Trojano, meri principes exierunt,” id. de Or. 2, 22, 94; id. Or. 42, 144: “gladiatores, quos ibi Caesar in ludo habebat,” Caes. B. C. 1, 14, 4: “militaris,” Liv. 7, 33, 1: “litterarii paene ista sunt ludi et trivialis scientiae,” Quint. 1, 4, 27: “litterarium ludum exercere,” Tac. A. 3, 66: “obsides quosdam abductos e litterario ludo,” Suet. Calig. 45: “ibi namque (in foro) in tabernis litterarum ludi erant,” Liv. 3, 44, 6: “quem puerum in ludo cognōrat,” Nep. Att. 10, 3: “in Flavī ludum me mittere,” Hor. S. 1, 6, 72; cf. Gell. 15, 11, 2; Suet. Gram. 4; id. Rhet. 1: “sic veniunt ad miscellanea ludi,” Juv. 11, 26.
II. Transf.
A. Play, sport, i. e. any thing done, as it were, in play, without trouble, mere sport, child's play: “oratio ludus est homini non hebeti,” Cic. de Or. 2, 17, 72: “cum illa perdiscere ludus esset,” id. Fin. 1, 8, 27: “quibus (Graecis) jusjurandum jocus est, testimonium ludus,” id. Fl. 5, 12.—
B. Sport, jest, joke, fun: si vis videre ludos jucundissimos, Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 78: “ad honores per ludum et per neglegentiam pervenire,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 70, § 181: “aliquem per ludum et jocum evertere,” id. ib. 2, 1, 60, § “155: amoto quaeramus seria ludo,” Hor. S. 1, 1, 27: “vertere seria ludo,” id. A. P. 226: “nil per ludum simulabitur,” Juv. 6, 324: “ut ludos facit,” Ter. Phorm. 5, 7, 52: ludos facere aliquem, to make sport of, make game of, to banter, jeer at, mock: “ut nunc is te ludos facit,” Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 47: “quem, senecta aetate, ludos facias,” id. Aul. 2, 2, 74.— With dat.: “miris modis dī ludos faciunt hominibus,” Plaut. Rud. 3, 1, 1; id. Truc. 4, 2, 46.—In pass.: “ludos fieri,” Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 72: “hocine me aetatis ludos vis factum esse indigne?” id. Bacch. 5, 1, 4: ludos aliquem dimittere, to send one away with scorn and derision, or, as in Engl., to send one off with a flea in his ear: “numquam hercle quisquam me lenonem dixerit, si te non ludos pessimos dimisero,” id. Rud. 3, 5, 11: “ludos facis me,” id. Am. 2, 1, 21: facere ludos aliquid, to make a jest or a trifle of any thing, to throw away, to lose: “nunc et operam ludos facit, et retia, etc.,” id. Rud. 4, 1, 9: “ludos dare, praebere,” to make one's self ridiculous, Ter. Eun. 5, 7, 9: “ludos alicui reddere,” to play tricks on, id. And. 3, 1, 21: dare ludum alicui, to give play to one, i. e. to humor, indulge, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 10, 7; id. Cas. prol. 25; id. Bacch. 4, 10, 9: “amori dare ludum,” Hor. C. 3, 12, 1: ludus aetatis, the pleasures of love: “si frui liceret ludo aetatis, praesertim recto et legitimo amore,” Liv. 26, 50.—
