egregium

ē-grĕgĭus, a, um ( sup.: mulier egregiissimă formă, Pac. ap. Prisc. 3, p. 600 fin. P.; Rib. Fragm. Trag. p. 105:

egregiissime grammatice,

Gell. 14, 5, 3.— Vocat.:

egregi or egregie,

Gell. 14, 5, 1 sq. ), adj. [ex-grex, Corss. Ausspr. 1, 504; hence, chosen from the herd, i. e.], distinguished, surpassing, excellent, eminent (for syn. cf.: praeclarus, eximius, divinus, magnificus).

I.

In gen. (class.):

in procuratione civitatis, egregius,

Cic. de Or. 1, 49, 215; cf.:

in bellica laude,

id. Brut. 21, 84:

in aliis artibus,

Sall. J. 82, 2:

vir,

Cic. Lael. 19, 69:

civis,

id. Brut. 25, 95:

poëta,

id. de Or. 1, 3, 11:

senatus,

Liv. 2, 49:

par consulum,

id. 27, 34:

Caesar,

Hor. C. 1, 6, 11; 3, 25, 4 et saep.:

et praeclara indoles ad dicendum,

Cic. de Or. 1, 29; cf. id. Phil. 1, 1, 2; Tac. Or. 9:

forma,

Ter. And. 1, 1, 45; cf.

facies,

id. Phorm. 1, 2, 50:

colores, odores,

Lucr. 5, 739; Cic. Fin. 2, 20, 64:

corpus,

i. e. exceedingly beautiful, Hor. S. 1, 6, 67; Ov. Tr. 5, 13, 14:

os,

id. H. 4, 78 et saep.:

virtus,

Caes. B. G. 1, 28, 5:

fides,

id. ib. 1, 19, 2:

voluntas in se,

id. ib. 5, 4, 3:

victoria,

Liv. 2, 47 et saep.:

vir bello egregius,

Liv. 5, 47; cf. id. 7, 6; Tac. Agr. 14; Ov. M. 5, 49.—With gen.:

animi,

Verg. A. 11, 417; so, fati mentisque Stat. Th. 3, 99:

linguae,

Sil. 5, 77:

egregii juvenum,

Stat. Th. 2, 152.—In the neutr. subst.:

ut alia magna et egregia tua omittam,

Sall. J. 10, 2:

postquam cuncta scelerum suorum pro egregiis accipi videt,

for distinguished acts, Tac. A. 14, 60; cf. the foll.—

II.

Post - Aug., esp. of rank and consequence, distinguished, illustrious, honorable:

si te privatus adoptarem, et mihi egregium erat Gnaei Pompeii subolem in penates meos asciscere, et, etc.,

Tac. H. 1, 15; cf.:

idque et sibi et cunctis egregium,

id. A. 3, 6.— Subst.: ēgrĕgĭum, ii, n.:

egregium publicum,

the public honor, Tac. A. 3, 70 fin. —Hence, Egrĕgĭus, ii, m., a title of public officers in high station, similar to His Excellency, Cod. Th. 6, 22, 1; and:

Vir Egregius,

Inscr. Grut. 89, 4; 345, 3 et saep.; cf. Lact. 5, 14 fin. —Hence, adv.: ēgrĕgĭe, excellently, eminently; surpassingly, exceedingly, singularly; uncommonly well (cf.: eximie, unice, praesertim; praecipue, maxime, potissimum, etc.).

(α).

With verbs:

studere (opp. mediocriter),

Ter. And. 1, 1, 31:

pingere, fingere,

Cic. Brut. 73 fin.:

loqui,

id. Fin. 2, 6 fin.:

vincere,

brilliantly, Liv. 21, 40; cf.

absolvi,

id. 9, 26 et saep.—Far more freq.,

(β).

With adjectives: egregie cordatus homo, Enn. ap. Cic. Rep. 1, 18 (Ann. v. 335 ed. Vahl.):

fortis et bonus imperator,

Cic. de Or. 2, 66, 268:

subtilis scriptor,

id. Brut. 9:

munitum oppidum,

Caes. B. G. 2, 29, 2; cf. id. ib. 5, 9, 4; 5, 11, 7 et saep.—

(γ).

Absol., as an expression of assent, applause, etc.:

egregie, Caesar, quod lacrimas parentum vectigales esse non pateris,

Plin. Pan. 38, 3; cf. Suet. Vit. 10.— Comp.:

egregius cenat,

Juv. 11, 12.