I.trade, traffic, buying and selling (class.): “apud aedem Veneris mercatus meretricius,” Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 129: “turpissimus mercatus,” Cic. Phil. 2, 3, 6: “domesticus,” id. ib. 3, 12, 30.—
II. Transf., a place for trade, market-place. market, mart: “postquam pater ad mercatum abiit,” Plaut. Most. 4, 2, 55: “frequens mercatus,” Liv. 1, 30: “mercatus conventusque Graeciae,” Suet. Ner. 28: “mercatu indicto,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 53, § 133: “Asiae Graeciaeque,” Liv. 33, 32, 2; Tac. H. 3, 30: “(Numa Pompilius) mercatus ludos omnesque conveniendi causas et celebritates invenit,” Cic. Rep. 2, 14, 27.—
B. In gen., a festival assemblage, public feast, transl. of the Greek πανήγυρις: “mercatus is qui habetur maximo ludorum apparatu, totius Graeciae celebritate,” Cic. Tusc. 5, 3, 8: “in mercatu Olympiaco,” Just. 13, 5, 3: “Asiae Graeciaeque is mercatus erat,” Liv. 33, 32, 2: “magna pars Italiae stato in eosdem dies mercatu congregata,” Tac. H. 3, 30.