festus

1.

festus, a, um, adj. [Sanscr. bhas, shine; lengthened from bha-; Gr. pha-, phainô, v. for; cf. feriae (fes-iae)], orig., of or belonging to the holidays (in opp. to the working-days), solemn, festive, festal, joyful, merry.

I.

Lit.

A.

Adj. (syn.: sollennis, fastus).

1.

With expressions of time:

festo die si quid prodegeris, profesto egere liceat,

Plaut. Aul. 2, 8, 10:

die festo celebri nobilique,

id. Poen. 3, 5, 13:

qui (dies) quasi deorum immortalium festi atque sollennes, apud omnes sunt celebrati,

Cic. Pis. 22, 51:

Syracusani festos dies anniversarios agunt,

id. Verr. 2, 4, 48, § 107; id. Q. Fr. 2, 1, 1:

dies festus ludorum celeberrimus et sanctissimus,

id. Verr. 2, 4, 67, § 151; id. Fin. 5, 24, 70:

lux,

Ov. Tr. 5, 5, 42; Hor. C. 4, 6, 42:

tempus,

id. Ep. 2, 1, 140; Juv. 15, 38:

observare festa sabbata,

id. 6, 159.—Hence,

2.

Transf., of everything relating to holidays:

chori,

Ov. Tr. 5, 12, 8:

clamores,

Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 24:

corona,

Ov. M. 10, 598; cf.

fronde,

Verg. A. 4, 459:

dapes,

Hor. Epod. 9, 1:

mensae,

Sil. 7, 198; Val. Fl. 3, 159:

lusus,

Mart. 1, 1:

pagus,

Hor. C. 3, 18, 11:

urbs,

gay, merry, Sil. 11, 272; 12, 752:

theatra,

Ov. M. 3, 111:

Lares,

Mart. 3, 58, 23:

licentiae,

of the holidays, Quint. 6, 3, 17:

pax,

Ov. M. 2, 795; Plin. 14, 1, 1, § 23:

plebs,

Tac. A. 2, 69:

domus ornatu,

id. ib. 3, 9:

ritus,

id. H. 5, 5:

omina,

id. A. 5, 4:

cespes,

Juv. 12, 2:

janua,

id. 12, 91.—As a term of endearment:

mi animule, mea vita, mea festivitas, meus dies festus, etc.,

my holiday, Plaut. Cas. 1, 49.—

B.

Subst.: festum, i, n., a holiday, festival; a festal banquet, feast ( poet. and late Lat. for dies festus):

cur igitur Veneris festum Vinalia dicant, Quaeritis?

Ov. F. 4, 877; 1, 190; id. M. 4, 390:

forte Jovi festum Phoebus sollenne parabat,

feast, id. F. 2, 247:

cum dii omnes ad festum magnae matris convenissent,

Lact. 1, 21, 25.—In plur.:

Idaeae festa parentis erunt,

Ov. F. 4, 182:

festa venatione absumi,

Plin. 6, 22, 24, § 91; Ov. M. 4, 33; 10, 431; Hor. Epod. 2, 59; id. Ep. 2, 2, 197; Vulg. Exod. 23, 14 al.; Greg. Mag. Homil. in Evang. 2, 26, 10; Lact. 1, 22, 24.—

II.

Meton., public, solemn, festal, festive, joyous (post-Aug. and rare):

dolor,

Stat. S. 2, 7, 134:

festior annus,

Claud. III. Cons. Hon. 3:

festissimi dies,

Vop. Tac. 11:

aures,

i. e. gladdened, Claud. B. G. 206 (but in Stat. S. 2, 7, 90 the right read. is fata).

2.

Festus, i, m., a Roman surname.

I.

Sex. Pompeius Festus, a Roman grammarian of the fourth century A. D., author of a lexicographical work, De verborum significatione, in twenty books, of which only the last nine, in a very imperfect form, remain to us; with an abstract of the whole compiled by Paulus Diaconus in the eighth century. (Edited by Ottfr. Müller.)—

II.

Portius Festus, Governor of the Roman Province of Judea, Vulg. Acts, 25, 32 al.