Clemens

1.

clēmens, entis (abl. usu. -ti;

but -te,

Liv. 1, 26, 8; Laber. ap. Macr. S. 2, 7, 3), adj. [etym. dub.; cf. lemures; and Germ. hold].

I.

Orig. (in the class. per. very rare), of the quiet, placid, pleasant state of the air, wind, or weather, mild, calm, soft, gentle ( = the class. placidus, quietus): undae clementi flamine pulsae, * Cat. 64, 272:

clementior Auster vela vocat,

Stat. Th. 5, 468:

aura Favoni,

Claud. Cons. Prob. Olyb. 272; cf. id. III. Cons. Hon. 165; Val. Fl. 6, 747:

clementior dies,

Col. 11, 2, 2:

clementior Arctos,

Sil. 1, 198:

clementiores plagae (opp. Septentrio),

Pall. Febr. 12, 1.—Hence,

B.

Esp.

1.

Of the gentle motion of the sea, rivers, etc., placid, calm, etc.:

mare,

Gell. 2, 21, 1:

Pasitigris clementiore alveo praeterit, etc. (preced. by: praeceps inter saxa devolvitur),

Curt. 5, 3, 1:

quā sit clementissimus amnis,

Ov. M. 9, 116.—

2.

Of places (opp. praeceps), smooth, of a gentle ascent:

clivulus,

App. M. 4, p. 144.—Far more freq.,

II.

Trop.

A.

Of a calm, unexcited, passionless state of mind, quiet, mild, gentle, tranquil, kind (syn.:

placidus, lenis): clementem vocabo non in alieno dolore facilem, sed eum, qui cum suis stimulis exagitetur, non prosilit, etc.,

Sen. Clem. 1, 20, 3:

egit semper vitam... clemens, placidus,

Ter. Ad. 5, 1, 10:

vita urbana atque otium,

id. ib. 1, 1, 17 (cf. with Cic. Rab. Post. 7, 17:

vita quieta atque otiosa): ille suam semper egit vitam in otio, in conviviis: clemens, placidus,

Ter. Ad. 5, 4, 10; Liv. 38, 17, 17 (cf. the passages under clementia, cited from Flor.):

cupio, patres conscripti, me esse clementem: cupio in tantis rei publicae periculis me non dissolutum videri,

Cic. Cat. 1, 2, 4:

etsi satis clemens sum in disputando, tamen interdum soleo subirasci,

id. Fin. 2, 4, 12:

(Arimphaeis) ritus clementes,

Plin. 6, 13, 14, § 35.—

2.

Transf. to animals. tame, domesticated: clementius genus columbarum [p. 353] (opp. agrestes), Varr. R. R. 3, 7, 2.—

B.

Specif.

1.

Mild in respect to the faults and failures of others, i. e. forbearing, indulgent, compassionate, merciful (class.; syn.: mitis, benignus, humanus, lenis, facilis, indulgens;

opp.: crudelis, inhumanus, asper al.): clementi (mi) animo ignoscet,

Plaut. Mil. 4, 6, 37; Ter. Hec. 3, 5, 22:

judices et misericordes,

Cic. Planc. 13, 31; cf.

* Hor.

C. 3, 11, 46; Tac. A. 2, 57:

vir et contra audaciam fortissimus et ab innocentiā clementissimus,

Cic. Rosc. Am. 30, 85; Nep. Epam. 3, 2:

legis interpres,

Liv. 1, 26, 8:

dominus facilis et clemens,

Suet. Aug. 67:

justa et clemens servitus,

Ter. And. 1, 1, 9:

castigatio,

Cic. Off. 1, 38, 137:

clementior sententia,

Liv. 8, 31, 8.—More unusual: rumor, i. e. non nimius, mild, mitigated, praos (acc. to Prisc. p. 1202 P.), Sall. J. 22, 1.—

2.

Poet. of places:

pars (insulae) ratibus clemens,

accessible, Claud. B. Gild. 511.— Adv.: clē-menter.

I.

(Acc. to I. A.) Gently, softly, mildly:

non desiit adsidue tremere Campania, clementius quidem, sed ingenti damno,

Sen. Q. N. 6, 31, 1:

agitant venti oleas,

Pall. Nov. 5:

spirant clementius Austri,

Stat. S. 2, 2, 27.—So of moderate, slow action gen.: Eu. Sequere sis. Ch. Sequor. Eu. Clementer quaeso;

calces deteris,

Plaut. Merc. 5, 2, 111; so id. Stich. 4, 1, 26; id. Ep. 2, 2, 23. —

B.

(Acc. to I. B. 2.) By degrees, gradually, gently:

clementer et molliter assurgens collis,

Col. 2, 2, 1; cf. Tac. A. 13, 38:

editum jugum,

id. G. 1; Sil. 1, 274; Sen. Oedip. 280:

accedere,

Tac. A. 12, 33; cf. in comp.:

explorare, si quā Appennini juga clementius adirentur,

id. H. 3, 52.—

II.

(Acc. to II. A.) Quietly, placidly, tranquilly, calmly: accipere aliquid clementius aequo, * Lucr. 3, 314:

si quid est factum clementer, ut dissolute factum criminer,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 8, § 19:

leniter hominem clementerque accepit,

id. ib. 2, 4, 40, §

86: ferre aliquid,

id. Att. 6, 1, 3:

consolationes clementer admotae,

Plin. Ep. 5, 16, 11:

quo id pacto fieri possit clementissime,

Plaut. Mil. 4, 3, 5:

leo caudam clementer et blande movet,

Gell. 5, 14, 12.—

B.

(Acc. to II. B.) With forbearance, mildly, with indulgence:

clementer et moderate jus dicere,

Caes. B. C. 3, 20:

clementer a consule accepti,

Liv. 27, 15, 2:

clementer ductis militibus,

i.e. peacefully, without plundering, id. 29, 2, 1.— Comp.:

clementius tractare aliquem,

Plin. Ep. 8, 24, 5.— Sup.:

clementissime scribere de aliquo,

Gell. 1, 18, 3:

qui victoriā civili clementissime usus est,

Sen. Ira, 2, 23, 4.

2.

Clēmens, entis, m., a proper name, in later Lat. very freq.:

Julius,

Tac. A. 1, 23; 1, 26; 15, 73; id. H. 1, 87; 2, 12:

Arretinus,

id. ib. 4, 68; Suet. Dom. 11:

Flavius,

id. ib. 15.