clarus

clārus, a, um, adj. [kindr. with Germ. klar; Engl. clear; cf. clamo], clear, bright (opp. obscurus, caecus; very freq. in all periods, and in all kinds of composition).

I.

Lit.

A.

Relating to the sight, clear, bright, shining, brilliant, etc.

(α).

Absol.:

luce clarā et candidā,

Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 49:

ut mulierum famam multorum oculis lux clara custodiat,

open day, Cic. Leg. 2, 15, 37; cf.:

frequentissimā celebritate et clarissimā luce laetari,

id. Cael. 20, 47:

lumen,

Lucr. 3, 1:

oculorum lumina,

id. 4, 825; cf.:

mundi lumina (i.e. sol et luna),

Verg. G. 1, 5:

oculi,

Cato, R. R. 157, 10:

incendia,

Verg. A. 2, 569:

lucerna,

Hor. S. 2, 7, 48:

scintillae ignis,

Lucr. 6, 163:

fulmina,

id. 6, 84:

vestis splendor,

id. 2, 52:

color,

id. 5, 1258; cf.:

color clarissimus,

id. 2, 830:

candor,

id. 4, 232:

loca,

id. 5, 779 al.:

caelum,

Tac. A. 1, 28:

nox,

id. Agr. 12:

pater omnipotens clarus intonat,

in the clear sky, Verg. A. 7, 141 Serv.; cf. Cic. Arat. 4:

sidus,

Hor. C. 4, 8, 31:

clarissimae gemmae,

Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 27, § 62; cf.

lapides,

Hor. C. 4, 13, 14:

vitrum,

Ov. M. 4, 355:

purpurarum sidere clarior usus,

Hor. C. 3, 1, 42.—

(β).

With abl.:

speculo,

Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 112 dub.:

argento clari delphines,

Verg. A. 8, 673:

rutilis squamis,

id. G. 4, 93:

ferrugine,

id. A. 9, 582; cf. id. ib. 11, 772 Wagn.:

auro gemmisque corona,

Ov. M. 13, 704; 2, 2; 11, 359:

albo Lucifer exit Clarus equo,

id. ib. 15, 190:

claraeque coruscis Fulguribus taedae,

Lucr. 5, 295 al. —

* 2.

Poet., of the wind (cf.: albus, candidus, and in Gr. lampros anemos; v. Lidd. and Scott under lampros), making clear, i. e. bringing fair weather:

aquilo,

Verg. G. 1, 460 Forbig. ad loc.—

B.

Relating to the hearing, clear, loud, distinct:

clarā voce vocare,

Lucr. 4, 711; Cic. Clu. 48, 134; id. Caecin. 8, 22; Liv. 7, 31, 12; 42, 25, 12; Ov. M. 3, 703:

lectio,

Cels. 1, 2:

clariore voce,

Caes. B. G. 5, 30; cf. Cic. Tusc. 5, 7, 19:

sonor,

Lucr. 4, 567:

clamor,

Plaut. Poen. 5, 3, 27:

plausus,

id. As. Grex. 6:

plangor,

Ov. M. 4, 138:

latratus,

id. ib. 13, 806:

ictus,

id. ib. 2, 625:

strepitus, Suet. Vit. Luc.: vox (opp. obtusa),

Quint. 11, 3, 15; 9, 4, 136 Spald.:

spiritus,

id. 11, 3, 55; cf. id. 11, 3, 41 and 82:

syllabae clariores,

id. 8, 3, 16.—

II.

Trop.

A.

Clear, manifest, plain, evident, intelligible (syn.:

planus, apertus, perspicuus, dilucidus, etc.): vide ut mi haec certa et clara attuleris,

Ter. Hec. 5, 4, 1 Ruhnk.; cf.:

omnia non properanti clara certaque erunt,

Liv. 22, 39, 22:

clara res est, quam dicturus sum, totā Siciliā celeberrima atque notissima,

Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 25, § 61; 2, 5, 38, § 101; id. Tusc. 1, 32, 78:

luce sunt clariora nobis tua consilia,

id. Cat. 1, 3, 6:

id quod est luce clarius,

id. Tusc. 1, 37, 90:

si ea, quae dixi, sole ipso inlustriora et clariora sunt,

id. Fin. 1, 21, 71; id. Div. 1, 3, 6:

caecis hoc satis clarum est,

Quint. 12, 7, 9:

lumen eloquentiae,

id. 3, 8, 65; cf. id. 12, 10, 15; 11, 1, 75:

in narrando (T. Livius) clarissimi candoris,

id. 10, 1, 101 Spald. and Frotsch.:

Massinissam regem post LXXXVI. annum generasse filium clarum est,

Plin. 7, 14, 12, § 61:

somno clarius,

Ov. F. 3, 28:

exempla,

Tac. Or. 8; id. A. 4, 11:

documenta,

id. ib. 6, 22.—

B.

Brilliant, celebrated, renowned, illustrious, honorable, famous, glorious, etc. (cf.: illustris, insignis, eximius, egregius, praestans, nobilis; a favorite epithet, esp. in the sup., like fortissimus, designating the highest praise of the honor-loving Roman; hence, a standing title, at all times, of distinguished public characters, as consuls, proconsuls, pontifices, senators, etc.):

nobilitas,

Plaut. Rud. 4, 2, 28;

opp. to obscurus,

Lucr. 1, 639; so Quint. 5, 10, 26: clari viri atque magni, Cato ap. Cic. Planc. 27, 66; Cic. Sest. 69, 144:

certe non tulit ullos haec civitas aut gloriā clariores, aut auctoritate graviores,

Cic. de Or. 2, 37, 154:

vir fortissimus et clarissimus,

id. Verr. 1, 15, 44; cf. id. ib. 2, 5, 58, § 153; id. de Or. 1, 45, 198; id. Clu. 48, 134:

exempla clara et inlustria,

id. Div. 2, 3, 8:

pugna clara et commemorabilis,

Plaut. Ps. 1, 5, 111:

pax clarior majorque quam bellum fuerat,

Liv. 10, 37, 4:

animus abunde pollens potensque et clarus,

Sall. J. 1, 3; so,

facundia clara pollensque,

id. ib. 30, 4:

clara et magnifica,

id. ib. 4, 8:

clari potentesque fieri,

id. C. 38, 1:

familia,

Tac. A. 2, 37; 3, 76:

majores,

id. ib. 4, 61: pater si in Equestri gradu clarus, clarior vitricus, Plin. [p. 350] Ep. 2, 13, 4:

clarissimi consules,

id. ib. 7, 33, 8:

generis clarissimus auctor,

Ov. P. 2, 9, 19:

clarissima civitas,

Nep. Thras. 2, 1:

apud Germanicos quoque (Titus),

Tac. H. 2, 77:

scriptores,

id. A. 1, 1.—

(β).

With abl.:

clariores gloriā,

Cic. de Or. 2, 37, 154; v. supra:

arte medicinae,

Quint. 3, 6, 64:

eloquendi suavitate,

id. 10, 1, 83:

sententiis,

id. 10, 1, 90:

Juppiter giganteo triumpho,

Hor. C. 3, 1, 7:

agendis causis,

id. Ep. 1, 7, 47:

Ajax toties servatis Achivis,

id. S. 2, 3, 194:

bello,

Tac. Agr. 29; id. H. 3, 44:

gens memoriā nominis,

id. ib. 1, 67:

Cluvius Rufus eloquentiā,

id. ib. 4, 43.—

(γ).

With in:

in arte tibiarum,

Quint. 2, 3, 3; cf.:

clarissimi in eā scientiā,

Plin. 36, 5, 4, § 11:

in litteris,

Quint. 1, 6, 35:

in agendo,

id. 12, 10, 49:

in foro,

id. 10, 5, 14:

in contionibus,

id. 12, 2, 7; 12, 10, 49.—

* (δ).

With ex:

ex doctrinā nobilis et clarus,

Cic. Rab. Post. 9, 23.—

(ε).

With ob:

ob obscuram linguam,

Lucr. 1, 639:

ob id factum,

Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 32; cf.:

urbs clara ob insignem munimento naturali locum,

Liv. 24, 39, 8.—

(ζ).

With ab:

Trojanoque a sanguine clarus Acestes,

Verg. A. 1, 550.—

(η).

With gen.:

artis ejus,

Plin. 37, 1, 4, § 8.—

2.

As a title:

clarissimus vir,

Cic. Att. 15, 20, 2; cf. id. ib. 14, 11, 1:

clarissimi consules,

Plin. Ep. 7, 33, 8; cf. Dig. 49, 14, 18; Lampr. Elag. 4;

Alex. Sev. 21 al.: permitto tibi vir clarissime Veiento (a senator), dicere,

Plin. Ep. 9, 13, 19; so,

ordo = senatorius,

Vop. Aur. 18 fin.; cf. also Isid. Orig. 9, 4, 12.—

b.

Meton., of the wives of such distinguished public characters:

clarissimae feminae,

Dig. 1, 9, 8.—

c.

In a bad sense, notorious:

minus clarum putavit fore quod de armario quam quod de sacrario esset ablatum,

Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 12, § 27; 2, 1, 19, § 50; 2, 4, 12, § 29:

ecquid hoc totā Siciliā clarius, ecquid indignius? etc.,

id. ib. 2, 5, 7, §

16: populus (sc. Campanus), luxuriā superbiāque clarus,

Liv. 7, 31, 6.—Hence, adv.: clārē (freq. and class.).

I.

Lit.

1.

Of sight (acc. to I. A.), brightly, clearly:

clare oculis video,

Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 35:

clare fulgens caesaries,

Cat. 66, 9:

occidere,

of a star, Col. 11, 2, 52.— Comp.:

clarius micare,

Plin. 10, 20, 22, § 43:

nitere,

Stat. S. 4, 1, 4. — Sup.:

clarissime lucere,

Vitr. 9, 4.—

2.

Of hearing (acc. to I. B.), clearly, distinctly, plainly, aloud:

clare recitare,

Plaut. Pers. 4, 3, 30: plaudite, id. Am. fin.; cf. id. Bacch. fin.:

dic,

Ter. And. 4, 4, 15 Ruhnk.:

gemere,

Cic. Att. 2, 20, 3:

res clare enuntiare,

Quint. 8, 3, 62:

sonare,

id. 11, 3, 55:

exscreare,

id. 11, 3, 160:

maledicere,

Suet. Vit. 14 et saep.:

palam et clare,

id. Claud. 3; cf. Mart. 7, 92, 5.— Comp.:

clarius fabulari,

Suet. Calig. 22.— Sup.:

pisces clarissime audiunt,

Plin. 10, 70, 89, § 193; Vitr. 5, 3.—

II.

Trop.

1.

Mentally (acc. to II. A.), distinctly, intelligibly, clearly:

clare atque evidenter ostendere,

Quint. 8, 3, 86; cf. id. 4, 1, 1:

aliquid intellegere,

Plin. 37, 2, 6, § 16. — Comp.: eo clarius id periculum apparet, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 14, 2; so,

clarius intellegi,

Quint. 2, 5, 7:

clarius elucebit,

id. 12, 1, 26:

clarius ostendemus,

id. 2, 17, 25 al. — Sup., Quint. 9, 1, 19.—

2.

Morally (acc. to II. B.), illustriously, honorably (very rare):

clarius exsplendescebat,

Nep. Att. 1, 3.