fecundus

fēcundus (sometimes erroneously foecund-and faecund-, but v. Varr. ap. Gell. 16, 12 fin., and ap. Non. 54, 8), a, um, adj. [from ‡ feo, whence also fetus, femina, fenus, etc., cf. felix], fruitful, fertile (of plants and animals).—Constr. with abl., gen., or absol. (with gen. only poet. and in post-Aug. prose).

I.

Lit. (class.):

fossiones agri repastinationesque, quibus fit multo terra fecundior,

Cic. de Sen. 15, 53; cf. Verg. G. 1, 67; Quint. 10, 3, 2:

glebae,

Lucr. 1, 211:

solum,

Quint. 2, 19, 2: cf. Just. 2, 1:

salices viminibus, frondibus ulmi,

Verg. G. 2, 446.—With gen.:

regio fecunda fruticis exigui,

Col. 9, 4, 2:

tellus metallorum,

Plin. 33, 4, 21, § 78;

for which: Amathus metallis,

Ov. M. 10, 220 Bach. N. cr.:

mons silvae frequens fecundusque,

Tac. A. 4, 65:

segetes fecundae et uberes,

id. Or. 15, 48:

nihil ocimo fecundius,

Plin. 19, 7, 36, § 120:

uxores,

Lucr. 4, 1254:

conjux,

Hor. S. 2, 5, 31:

lepus,

id. ib. 2, 4, 44; cf.:

sue... nihil genuit natura fecundius,

Cic. N. D. 2, 64, 160.—

B.

Transf.

1.

Rich, abundant, abounding in any thing (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose):

fecundi calices quem non fecere disertum?

Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 19; cf.

fons,

i. e. copious, Ov. M. 14, 791:

legere fecundis collibus herbas,

plentifuliy furnished, thickly studded, id. ib. 14, 347:

fecundissima gens,

rich in agricultural products, Plin. Pan. 31, 6:

(specus) Uberibus fecundus aquis,

Ov. M. 3, 31; cf.:

fecunda melle Calymne,

id. ib. 8, 222:

viscera (Tityi) poenis,

i. e. constantly renewed, Verg. A. 6, 598:

Echidna, fecunda poenis viscera trahens,

Ambros. in Tob. 12, 41:

nigris Meroe fecunda colonis,

Luc. 10, 303:

cingula monstris,

Val. Fl. 6, 470.— With gen.:

Aemilium genus fecundum bonorum civium,

Tac. A. 6, 27 fin. —

2.

Making fruitful, fertilizing (only poet. and in post-Aug. prose):

imber,

Verg. G. 2, 325; cf.

Nilus,

Plin. 5, 9, 10, § 54:

excipe fecundae patienter verbera dextrae, i. e. the blows with a thong of skin given to women by the luperci, and which were supposed to promote fruitfulness,

Ov. F. 2, 427; cf. Serv. Verg. A. 8, 343; and:

quam (Danaën) implevit fecundo Juppiter auro,

Ov. M. 4, 698.—

II.

Trop., fruitful, fertile, prolific, abundant (class.): pectus, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 13, 22; Verg. A. 7, 338:

artifex,

Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 71:

a quo (Anaxagora) eum (Periclem), cum alia praeclara quaedam et magnifica didicisse, uberem et fecundum fuisse,

Cic. Or. 4, 15:

duo genera verborum: unum fecundum, quod declinando multas ex se parit dispariles formas, ut est lego, legis, legam, sic alia: alterum genus sterile, quod ex se parit nihil, ut est etiam, vix, cras, etc.,

Varr. L. L. 8, § 9 Müll.:

amor et melle et felle est fecundissimus,

Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 70:

fecunda culpae saecula,

Hor. C. 3, 6, 17:

veri sacerdos,

Sil. 13, 490:

fecundum in fraudes hominum genus,

id. 2, 498:

vester porro labor fecundior, historiarum scriptores?

Juv. 7, 98.—Hence, fēcundē, adv., fruitfully, abundantly:

fecundius poëmata ferrent fructum,

Varr. L. L. 7, § 2 Müll.:

arundo recisa fecundius resurgit,

Plin. 16, 36, 65, § 163:

cantharides nascuntur fecundissime in fraxino,

id. 29, 4, 30, § 94.