classis

classis (old orthog. CLASIS, Column. Rostr.; v. under I. B. 2.), is ( acc. sing. usu. classem; classim, Auct. B. Afr. 9, 2; abl. usu. classe;

classi,

Verg. A. 8, 11; Liv. 23, 41, 8; Vell. 2, 79), f. [root cal-, cla-, of clamo, kaleô; prop. the people as assembled or called together], hence,

I.

After the division of the Roman people by Servius Tullius into six (or, the citizens who paid tribute alone being reckoned, into five) classes,

1.

A class, Liv. 1, 42, 5; 1, 43, 2 sq.; Cic. Rep. 2, 22, 39 sq.; Gell. 6 (7), 13, 1 sq.; Cic. Fl. 7, 15; Liv. 1, 42, 5; 1, 43, 1 sqq.; Plin. 33, 3, 13, § 43; cf. Dion. Halic. 4, 16 sq.; 7, 59:

prima classis vocatur... tum secunda classis, etc.,

Cic. Phil. 2, 33, 82: infra classem; v. classicus, I.—

2.

Trop.:

qui (philosophi) mihi cum illo collati, quintae classis videntur,

i.e. of the lowest rank, Cic. Ac. 2, 23, 73; cf. classicus, I. B.—Hence,

B.

In milit. lang., the whole body of the citizens called to arms, an army.

1.

Of the land army (mostly very ancient): procincta, Lex Numae in Fest. s. v. opima, p. 189, 13 Müll.: classis procincta [id est exercitus armatus, Gloss.], Fab. Pictor. ap. Gell. 10, 15, 4; cf. Gell. 1, 11, 3; Paul. ex Fest. p. 56, 3:

classi quoque ad Fidenas pugnatum cum Vejentibus quidam in annales rettulere,

Liv. 4, 34, 6 Weissenb. ad loc.:

Hortinae classes populique Latini,

Verg. A. 7, 716 Serv.—

2.

Of men at sea, the fleet, including the troops in it (the usu. signif. in prose and poetry):

CLASESQVE. NAVALES. PRIMOS. ORNAVET.... CLASEIS. POENICAS...., Column. Rostr., v. 7 sq.: nomina in classem dare,

Liv. 28, 45, 19:

cetera classis... fugerunt,

id. 35, 26, 9:

ut classem duceret in Ligurum oram,

id. 40, 26, 8; 41, 24, 13; cf. id. 42, 48, 10:

navium classis,

id. 22, 37, 13:

posteaquam maximas aedificasset ornassetque classes,

Cic. Imp. Pomp. 4, 9:

classem instruere atque ornare,

id. Verr. 2, 5, 51, § 135:

classis ornandae reficiendaeque causā, Liv 9, 30, 4: comparare,

Cic. Fl. 14, 33:

facere,

Caes. B. C. 3, 42 al.:

classe navigare,

by ship, Cic. Fl. 14, 32; cf. Verg. A. 1, 379; 8, 11;

Hor.C. 3, 11, 48: classes = naves,

Verg. A. 2, 30:

geminasque legit de classe biremis,

id. ib. 8, 79:

omittere,

id. ib. 5, 794:

armare,

id. ib. 4, 299:

deducere,

id. G. 1, 255:

efficere,

Nep. Them. 2, 3:

(Suiones) praeter viros armaque classibus valent,

Tac. G. 44. —

II.

In the post-Aug. per., sometimes, a class, division, in gen.:

pueros in classes distribuerant,

Quint. 1, 2, 23; so id. 1, 2, 24; 10, 5, 21; Suet. Tib. 46:

operarum,

Col. 1, 9, 7:

servorum,

Petr. 74, 7.