I.the earth, opp. to the other planets or to the sea, the globe (a word belonging almost entirely to poetry).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “ea, quae est media et nona, tellus, neque movetur et infima,” Cic. Rep. 6, 17, 17 (for which: “terra in medio mundo sita,” id. Tusc. 1, 17, 40; id. N D. 2, 39, 98 al.; “v. terra): animae vis aut extrinsecus aut ipsā tellure coörta, Lucr 6, 579: telluris operta subire,” Verg. A. 6, 140. —
B. In partic., earth, land, ground (cf. solum): quāque fuit tellus, illic et pontus et aër; “Sic erat instabilis tellus, innabilis unda,” Ov. M. 1, 15; cf.: jamque mare et tellus nullum discrimen habebant; “Omnia pontus erant,” id. ib. 1, 291: “nec ullis Saucia vomeribus per se dabat omnia tellus,” id. ib. 1, 102: “exercetque frequens tellurem atque imperat arvis,” Verg. G. 1, 99: “reddit ubi Cererem tellus inarata,” Hor. Epod. 16, 43: “non presso tellus exsurgit aratro,” Tib. 4, 1, 161: “sterilis sine arbore tellus,” Ov. M. 8, 789: “fundit humo facilem victum justissima tellus,” Verg. G. 2, 460.—
C. Personified, Tellus, Earth, as a productive, nourishing divinity: unam eandemque terram habere geminam vim, et masculinam, quod semina producat et femininam, quod recipiat atque enutriat. Inde a vi femininā dictam esse Tellurem, a masculinā Tellumonem, Varr. ap. Aug. Civ. Dei, 7, 23 fin.; cf.: “primum (invocabo), qui omnes fructus agriculturae caelo et terrā continent, Jovem et Tellurem: itaque quod ii parentes magni dicuntur, Juppiter pater appellatur, Tellus, terra mater,” id. R. R. 1, 1, 5; and; “si est Ceres a gerendo, terra ipsa dea est: quae enim est alia Tellus?” Cic. N. D. 3, 20, 52: “Tellurem porco, Silvanum lacte piabant,” Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 143: “aedis Telluris,” Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 4, § 14: “in Telluris (sc. aede),” id. Att. 16, 14, 1: “Tellus mater,” Liv. 10, 29.—
II. Transf., a land, country, district, region, territory (poet.; “syn.: regio, terra): Tuscula,” Tib. 1, 7, 57: “tellus barbara Scythiae,” id. 3, 4, 91; so, “barbara,” Ov. M. 7, 53: “Delphica,” id. ib. 1, 515: “Aegyptia,” id. ib. 5, 323: “Gnosia,” Verg. A. 6, 23: “nova,” Hor. C. 1, 7, 29: “Jubae,” id. ib. 1, 22, 15: “Assaraci,” id. Epod. 13, 13 et saep.
