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fors , fortis, f. fero, to bring, whence fortuna, v. Georg Curtius Gr. Etym. p. 300 sq.,
I.chance, hap, luck, hazard.
I. Subst.
A. As an appellative noun (used only in the nom. and abl.; syn.: fortuna, casus, sors): quo saxum impulerit fors, eo cadere Fortunam autumant, Pac. ap. Auct. Her. 2, 23, 36 (Trag. Rel. v. 368 Rib., who regards this verse as spurious); cf.: quibus natura prava magis quam fors aut fortuna obfuit, Att. ap. Non. 425, 13 (Trag. Rel. ed. Rib. v. 110): cui parilem fortuna locum fatumque tulit fors, Lucil. ap. Non. 425, 15; cf. “also: casumque timent quem cuique ferat fors,Lucr. 3, 983 Lachm. N. cr.: “unum hoc scio: Quod fors feret, feremus aequo animo,Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 88: “sed haec, ut fors tulerit,Cic. Att. 7, 14 fin.: “sed haec fors viderit,id. ib. 14, 13, 3; “4, 10, 1: quam sibi sortem Seu ratio dederit, seu fors objecerit,Hor. S. 1, 1, 2: “quia tam incommode illis fors obtulerat adventum meum,Ter. Hec. 3, 3, 10: “telum quod cuique fors offerebat, arripuit,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 43; Hor. S. 1, 6, 54; 2, 1, 59: “forte quadam divinitus super ripas Tiberis effusus lenibus stagnis,Liv. 1, 4, 4: “fors fuit, ut, etc.,it happened that, Gell. 12, 8, 2: “fors fuat pol!so be it! God grant it! Ter. Hec. 4, 3, 4; “post-class.: fors fuat, ut his remediis convalescamus,Symm. Ep. 2, 7; Aus. Ep. 16: fors fuat, an, etc., it might so happen that; perchance, i. q. forsitan, Symm. Ep. 1, 39; 4, 28 and 29; cf. “also: pretio fors fuat officiove, etc.,perhaps, Sid. Ep. 9, 7 (but not in Lucr. 1, 486, v. Lachm. ad h. l.).—
B. Personified, Fors , the goddess of chance: “dea Fors,Ov. F. 6, 775; also in the connection Fors Fortuna, whose temple was situated on the Tiber, outside of the city: vosne velit an me regnare, era quidve ferat Fors, Virtute experiamur, Enn. ap. Cic. de Off. 1, 12, 38 (Ann. v. 203 ed. Vahl.); so, “sit sane Fors domina campi,Cic. Pis. 2, 3: “fors, in quo incerti casus significantur magis (different from Fortuna),id. Leg. 2, 11 fin. Mos. N. cr.: “sed de illa ambulatione Fors viderit, aut si qui est qui curet deus,id. Att. 4, 10, 1: “saeva,Cat. 64, 170: “dies Fortis Fortunae appellatus ab Servio Tullio rege, quod is fanum Fortis Fortunae secundum Tiberim extra urbem Romam dedicavit Junio mense,Varr. L. L. 6, § 17 Müll.; cf.; “aedis Fortis Fortunae,Liv. 10, 46, 14; Tac. A. 2, 41: “Fortunae Fortis honores,Ov. F. 6, 773: “o Fortuna! o Fors Fortuna! quantis commoditatibus hunc onerastis diem!Ter. Phorm. 5, 6, 1 (quoted by Varr. ap. Non. 425, 19; for Cic. Div. 2, 7, 18, v. II. B. 1. infra).
II. Adverb., in the nom. and abl.
A. fors , ellipt., for fors sit, it might happen, i. e. perchance, perhaps, peradventure (only poet. and in post-class. prose): “similiter fors, cum sit nominativus, accipitur pro adverbio,Prisc. p. 1015 P.: “et fors aequatis cepissent praemia rostris, Ni, etc.,Verg. A. 5, 232; 6, 535: “cesserit Ausonio si fors victoria Turno,if perchance, id. ib. 12, 183; Val. Fl. 3, 665; Tert. ad Uxor. 2, 2.—Esp. in the connection fors et, i. q. fortasse etiam, perhaps too: “iste quod est, ego saepe fui, sed fors et in hora Hoc ipso ejecto carior alter erit,Prop. 2, 9, 1: “et nunc ille quidem spe multum captus inani, Fors et vota facit cumulatque altaria donis,Verg. A. 11, 50; 2, 139: “fors et Debita jura vicesque superbae Te maneant ipsum,Hor. C. 1, 28, 31; Stat. S. 3, 4, 4.—Less freq.: “fors etiam,Val. Fl. 4, 620.—
B. forte , by chance, by accident, casually, accidentally; freq. with casu, temere, fortuna (freq. and class.).
1. Lit.: “quid est tandem, quod casu fieri aut forte fortuna putemus? etc.,Cic. Div. 2, 7, 18: “forte fortuna per impluvium huc despexi in proximum,Plaut. Mil. 2, 3, 16; Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 54; Plaut. Bacch. 4, 8, 75: aut forte omnino ac fortuna vincere bello: Si forte et temere omnino, quid cursum ad honorem? Lucil. ap. Non. 425, 16 sq.: “si forte, temere, casu aut pleraque fierent aut omnia, etc.,Cic. Fat. 3, 6; cf.: “nisi ista casu nonnumquam, forte, temere concurrerent,id. Div. 2, 68, 141: “quam saepe forte temere Eveniunt, quae non audeas optare,Ter. Phorm. 5, 1, 30; cf. Liv. 41, 2, 7: “nec quicquam raptim aut forte temere egeritis,id. 23, 3, 3: perpulere, ut forte temere in adversos montes erigeret, 2, 31, 5; 25, 38, 12; “39, 15, 11: quibus forte temere humana negotia volvi persuasum est,Curt. 5, 11, 10: “captivi quidam pars forte pars consilio oblati,Liv. 9, 31, 7: “dumque hoc vel forte, vel providentia, vel utcumque constitutum rerum naturae corpus, etc.,Vell. 2, 66, 5; cf.: “mihi haec et talia audienti in incerto judicium est, fatone res mortalium et necessitate immutabili, an forte volvantur,Tac. A, 6, 22: si adhuc dubium fuisset, forte casuque rectores terris, an aliquo numine darentur, Plin. Pan. 1, 4: “seu dolo seu forte surrexerit, parum compertum,Tac. H. 2, 42; cf.: “seu forte seu tentandi causa,Suet. Aug. 6: “donec advertit Tiberius forte an quia audiverat,Tac. A. 4, 54: “cum casu diebus iis itineris faciendi causa, Puteolos forte venissem,Cic. Planc. 26, 65: “cum cenatum forte apud Vitellios esset,Liv. 2, 4, 5: “ibi cum stipendium forte militibus daretur,id. 2, 12, 6: “forte aspicio militem,Plaut. Curc. 2, 3, 58; cf.: “fit forte obviam mihi Phormio,Ter. Phorm. 4, 3, 11: “rus ut ibat forte,id. ib. 63: “forte ut assedi in stega,Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 44: “lucernam forte oblitus fueram exstinguere,id. Most. 2, 2, 56: “forte evenit, ut, etc.,Cic. Clu. 51, 141; id. de Or. 2, 55, 224; Liv. 1, 7, 13: “Tarenti ludi forte erant,Plaut. Men. prol. 29: “erat forte brumae tempus,Liv. 21, 54, 7: “et pernox forte luna erat,id. 32, 11, 9: “per eos forte dies consul copias Larisam ducere tribunos militum jussit,” i. e. it came to pass on one of those days, id. 36, 14, 1: “per eosdem forte dies, etc.,id. 37, 20, 1; 37, 34, 1; cf. Tac. A. 4, 59: “in locum tribuni plebis forte demortui candidatum se ostendit,Suet. Aug. 10. —So nearly = aliquando (mostly poet. and post - Aug.): “forte per angustam tenuis vulpecula rimam repserat in cumeram frumenti,Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 29: “ibam forte via sacra,id. S. 1, 9, 1; Mart. 1, 54, 7: “forte quondam in disponendo mane die praedixerat, etc.,Suet. Tib. 11; Aur. Vict. de Caes. 17, 5.—
2. Transf., to denote uncertainty, corresp. to the Gr. ἄν, perhaps, perchance, peradventure.
a. In conditional and causal sentences.
c. In gen. (rare; not in Cic., for in Off. 2, 20, 70, the true read. is: in uno illo aut, si forte, in liberis ejus manet gratia, B. and K.; “and in the corrupt passage,id. Att. 10, 12, 5; Orelli reads: fortiter ac tempestive; “Kayser, fortiter vel cum tempestate): quid si apud te veniat de subito prandium aut potatio Forte, aut cena,Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 47: “neque solum alium pro alio pedem metrorum ratio non recipit, sed ne dactylum quidem aut forte spondeum alterum pro altero,Quint. 9, 4, 49: “sive non trino forte nundino promulgata, sive non idoneo die, etc.,id. 2, 4, 35: “ut sciant, an ad probandum id quod intendimus forte respondeant,id. 5, 10, 122; cf. id. 7, 3, 20: quo casu licet uxori vel in omnes res, vel in unam forte aut duas (optare), Gai Inst. 1, 150; 4, 74: “forte quid expediat, communiter aut melior pars Malis carere quaeritis laboribus,what may perhaps be of some use, Hor. Epod. 16, 15: “alii nulli rem obligatam esse quam forte Lucio Titio,than for instance, Dig. 20, 1, 15, § 2; 30, 1, 67; 48, 22, 7, § 6; Gai. Inst. 3, 179.
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hide References (93 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (93):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 5.5.2
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 7.17.2
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 9.8.1
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 2.18.2
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 4.10.1
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 7.14
    • Cicero, Letters to his brother Quintus, 1.2.2
    • Cicero, Divinatio against Q. Caecilius, 1.1
    • Cicero, For Plancius, 26.65
    • Cicero, For Sextus Roscius of Ameria, 29.82
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.3.149
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.4.93
    • Cicero, For Aulus Cluentius, 51.141
    • Cicero, For Lucius Murena, 6.13
    • Cicero, For Milo, 38.104
    • Cicero, For Milo, 7.17
    • Cicero, Against Piso, 2.3
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 10, 46.14
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 2, 12.4
    • Plautus, Aulularia, 2.4
    • Plautus, Curculio, 2.2
    • Plautus, Curculio, 2.3
    • Plautus, Mostellaria, 2.2
    • Plautus, Poenulus, 5.2
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 11.50
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 5.232
    • Suetonius, Divus Augustus, 10
    • Suetonius, Divus Augustus, 6
    • Horace, Satires, 1.1.2
    • Horace, Satires, 1.6.54
    • Horace, Satires, 1.9.1
    • Tacitus, Annales, 2.41
    • Tacitus, Annales, 4.54
    • Tacitus, Annales, 4.59
    • Tacitus, Annales, 2.33
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 2.42
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 4.74
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 2.2
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 3.2
    • Plautus, Asinaria, 4.1
    • Plautus, Bacchides, 1.1
    • Plautus, Bacchides, 2.3
    • Plautus, Bacchides, 3.5
    • Plautus, Bacchides, 4.8
    • Plautus, Captivi, 2.2
    • Plautus, Miles Gloriosus, 2.3
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 2.46
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 2.55
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 3.12
    • Sallust, Catilinae Coniuratio, 20
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 1.486
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 3.983
    • Suetonius, Tiberius, 11
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 41, 2.7
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 7.6
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 23, 3
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 37, 20.1
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 37, 34.1
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 2, 12.6
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 2, 4.5
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 9, 31
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 4.4
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 7.13
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 32, 11.9
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 21, 54
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 36, 14
    • Cicero, De Legibus, 1.1
    • Cicero, De Legibus, 2.11
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.13
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.38
    • Cicero, De Fato, 16
    • Cicero, De Fato, 3
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 2.14
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 2.35
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 3.18
    • Cicero, De Amicitia, 15
    • Cicero, De Amicitia, 9
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 2.68
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 2.7
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 2.18
    • C. Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica, 3.665
    • C. Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica, 4.620
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 1, 3.1
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 2, 4.35
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 5, 10.122
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 9, 4.49
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 7, 3.20
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 10, 1.70
    • Gellius, Noctes Atticae, 12.8.2
    • Ovid, Tristia, 5.7
    • Statius, Silvae, 3.4
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 5.11.10
    • Ovid, Fasti, 6
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