fidelis

fĭdēlis, e, adj. [1. fides], that may be trusted or relied upon, trusty, faithful, sincere, true (class.; syn. fidus).

I.

Prop.

A.

Adj., constr. absol., with dat., or with in and acc.

(α).

Absol.:

cum et civis mihi bonus et firmus amicus ac fidelis videretur,

Cic. Cael. 6, 14: doctus, fidelis, Suavis homo, etc., Enn. ap. Gell. 12, 4 (Ann. v. 249 ed. Vahl.):

boni fidelesque socii,

Liv. 22, 37, 4; 9, 2, 5; 29, 7, 2; 22, 37, 4 Drak. N. cr.; cf.:

sociis multo fidelioribus utimur,

Cic. Att. 5, 18, 2:

est urbs Massilia fortissimorum fidelissimorumque sociorum,

id. Font. 1, 3:

fidelissima conjux,

id. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 3:

medicus multum celer atque fidelis,

Hor. S. 2, 3, 147:

minister,

id. C. 4, 4, 3:

seu visa est catulis cerva fidelibus,

id. ib. 1, 1, 27:

multorum opes praepotentium excludunt amicitias fideles,

Cic. Lael. 15, 54:

consilium,

id. Agr. 2, 2 fin.; cf. id. Clu. 31, 85:

opera,

id. Caecin. 5, 14; cf.:

operā Commii fideli atque utili,

Caes. B. G. 7, 76, 1:

cura,

Ov. H. 1, 104:

silentium,

Hor. C. 3, 2, 25:

desideria (patriae),

id. ib. 4, 5, 15:

lacrimae,

i. e. true, genuine, Ov. H. 14, 127.—

(β).

With dat.:

qui (Cn. Pompeius) unum Deiotarum fidelem populo Romano judicavit,

Cic. Phil. 11, 13, 34:

cave tu illi fidelis potius fueris quam mihi,

Plaut. Aul. 4, 2, 11:

illi fuisti quam mihi fidelior,

id. Capt. 3, 5, 58:

habere aliquem fidelem sibi,

id. Bacch. 3, 3, 87:

quem sibi fidelem arbitrabatur,

Caes. B. G. 4, 21, 7; Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 1; Quint. 11, 2, 42.—

(γ).

With in and acc.:

quam fideli animo et benigno in illam fui,

Ter. Hec. 3, 5, 22; cf. Cic. Mil. 10, 29:

in amicos,

Sall. C. 9, 2 (others read: in amicis, v. Kritz. ad h. 1.).—

b.

Subst.: fĭdēlis, is, m., a trusty person, a confidant:

si quem tuorum fidelium voles, ad me mittas,

Cic. Fam. 4, 1, 2.

II.

Transf., in gen., of things, to be depended upon, sure, safe, strong, firm, durable (rare but class.):

nam et doctrina et domus, et ars et ager etiam fidelis dici potest: ut sit, quomodo Theophrasto placet, verecunda tralatio,

Cic. Fam. 16, 17, 1:

in nave tuta ac fideli,

id. Planc. 41, 97:

lorica,

Verg. A. 9, 707:

portus,

Ov. Tr. 4, 5, 5:

materies terebinthi ad vetustatem,

Plin. 13, 6, 12, § 54;

structura,

Front. Aquaed. 123:

rimis explendis fidelior pice,

Plin. 16, 36, 64, § 158:

fidelissimum glutinum,

id. 28, 17, 71, § 236.—Hence, adv., in two forms: fĭdē-lĭter (class.) and fĭdēle (ante- and postclass.).

I.

Faithfully, trustily, certainly, surely, honestly.

(α).

Form fideliter:

constanter et fideliter in amicitia alicujus permanere,

Liv. 33, 35, 9:

vivere simpliciter, fideliter vitaeque hominum amice,

Cic. Off. 1, 26, 92:

obtestatur per sua antea fideliter acta, etc.,

Sall. J. 71 fin.:

aliquid fideliter curare,

Cic. Att. 15, 20, 4: valetudini inservire, Tiro ap. Cic. Fam. 16, 17, 1:

colere amicos,

Plin. Ep. 7, 31, 5:

discere artes ingenuas,

Ov. P. 2, 9, 47:

retinent commissa (aures),

Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 70; cf.:

ejus (memoriae) duplex virtus, facile percipere et fideliter continere,

Quint. 1, 3, 1:

exstincta parum fideliter incendia,

Flor. 3, 5 med. —

(β).

Form fidele:

fac fidele sis fidelis,

Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 79: militare, Prud. steg. 10, 428. —

b.

Comp.:

quo propior quisque est servitque fidelius aegro,

Ov. M. 7, 563; Plin. Ep. 6, 24, 3.—

c.

Sup.: ut is optime te laudasse [p. 746] videatur, qui narraverit fidelissime, Plin. Pan. 56, 2.—

2.

(Acc. to II.) Surely, strongly, firmly: per quorum loca fideliter mihi pateret iter, Planc. in Cic. Fam. 10, 23, 2:

oratoris futuri fundamenta fideliter jacere,

Quint. 1, 4, 5:

quod fideliter firmum est, a primis statim actionibus arripere optimum est,

firmly grounded, id. 6, 4, 14; cf. Gell. 15, 2, 6.— Comp.:

qui quartanum passus convaluerit, fidelius constantiusque postea valiturum,

Gell. 17, 12, 3:

memoriae inhaerere fidelius,

Quint. 10, 6, 2; cf. id. 10, 3, 2.— Sup.:

fortunae inaurato fidelissime simulacro,

very solidly, durably, Plin. 33, 3, 19, § 61.