I.dirt, filth, uncleanness, squalor (class.; esp. freq. in a trop. sense, and in plur.; syn.: situs, squalor, caenum, illuvies).
I. Lit.
(α).
Plur.: “pleni sordium,” Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 104 sq.: “in sordibus aurium inhaerescere,” Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 144: “sint sine sordibus ungues,” Ov. A. A. 1, 519: “caret obsoleti Sordibus tecti,” Hor. C. 2, 10, 7; Plin. 36, 26, 65, § 191.—
(β).
Sing.: “etiam in medio oculo paulum sordi'st,” Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 102: “auriculae collectā sorde dolentes,” Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 53: “(pellis) Ulceribus tetris prope jam sordique sepultā,” Lucr. 6, 1271.—
B. Transf., plur., a mourning garment (because usu. soiled or dirty); and hence, mourning in gen. (syn. squalor): “jacere in lacrimis et sordibus,” Cic. Fam. 14, 2, 2; cf.: “in sordibus, lamentis, luctuque jacuisti,” id. Pis. 36, 89: “mater squalore hujus et sordibus laetatur,” id. Clu. 6, 18; 67, 192; id. Mur. 40, 86: “sordes lugubres vobis erant jucundae,” id. Dom. 23, 59; Liv. 6, 16 fin.; Quint. 6, 1, 33; Suet. Vit. 8: “suscipere sordes,” Tac. A. 4, 52; id. Or. 12; Val. Max. 7, 8, 7.—
II. Trop., lowness or meanness of rank, a low condition; meanness, baseness of behavior or disposition (syn. illiberalitas).
A. In gen.: “sordes fortunae et vitae,” Cic. Brut. 62, 224: “obscuritas et sordes tuae,” id. Vatin. 5, 11; id. Sest. 28, 60: “ut quisque sordidissimus videbitur, ita libentissime severitate judicandi sordes suas eluet,” id. Phil. 1, 8, 20: “nulla nota, nullus color, nullae sordes videbantur his sententiis allini posse,” Cic. Verr. 1, 6, 17: “in infamiā relinqui ac sordibus,” id. Att. 1, 16, 2; Liv. 4, 56: “sordes illae verborum,” low, vulgar expressions, Tac. Or. 21: “propter maternas sordes,” low origin, Just. 13, 2, 11: “pristinarum sordium oblitus,” id. 25, 1, 9; cf. id. 18, 7, 11.—
2. Concr., the dregs of the people, the mob, rabble (syn. faex): “apud sordem urbis et faecem,” Cic. Att. 1, 16, 11; so (with caenum) Plin. Ep. 7, 29, 3: “sordes et obscuritatem Vitellianarum partium,” Tac. H. 1, 84.—Hence, as a term of abuse: “o lutum, o sordes!” low-minded creature, Cic. Pis. 26, 62.—
B. In partic., meanness, stinginess, niggardliness, sordidness (cf.: parcimonia, avaritia).
(α).
Plur.: “(populus Romanus) non amat profusas epulas, sordes et inhumanitatem multo minus,” Cic. Mur. 36, 76; so (opp. luxuria) Plin. Ep. 2, 6, 7: “damnatus sordium,” id. ib. 2, 12, 4: “incusare alicujus sordes,” Quint. 6, 3, 74: “sordes obicere alicui,” Hor. S. 1, 6, 68 and 107: “sepulcrum sine sordibus exstrue,” id. ib. 2, 5, 105: “cogit minimas ediscere sordes,” the meanest tricks, Juv. 14 124; 1, 140.—
