fidus

1.

fīdus, a, um, adj. [fido, that one may rely on], trusty, truslworthy, faithful, sure (class.).

I.

Prop., constr. absol., with dat., poet. also with gen.

A.

Absol.:

nihil est stabile quod infidum... Neque enim fidum potest esse multiplex ingenium et tortuosum,

Cic. Lael. 18, 65; cf.:

(amico) probo et fideli et fido et cum magna fide,

Plaut. Trin. 4, 4, 4:

tum se intellexisse, quos fidos amicos habuisset, quos infidos,

Cic. Lael. 15, 53:

amici,

Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 24:

sodales,

id. S. 2, 1, 30:

fidissima atque optima uxor,

Cic. Fam. 14, 4, 6:

conjux,

Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 142:

bonus atque fidus judex,

impartial, id. C. 4, 9, 40:

medici,

id. Ep. 1, 8, 9:

interpres,

id. A. P. 133:

fidiora haec genera hominum fore ratus,

Liv. 40, 3, 4:

nihil fidum, nihil exploratum habere,

Cic. Lael. 26, 97:

familiaritates fidae,

id. Off. 2, 8, 30:

canum tam fida custodia,

id. N. D. 2, 63, 158:

vis canum,

Lucr. 6, 1222; cf.:

pectus canum,

id. 5, 864:

pectus,

Hor. C. 2, 12, 16:

fido animo,

firm, steadfast, Liv. 25, 15, 13. —

B.

With dat.:

(servum) quem domino fidissimum credebat,

Liv. 33, 28, 13 (but cf.: fidus est amicus, fidelis servus, Don. Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 26):

quae fida fuit nulli,

Tib. 1, 6, 77:

nec tibi fidam promittis Lacaenam,

Ov. H. 5, 99:

ne quid usquam fidum proditori esset,

no faith should be kept with a traitor, Liv. 1, 11, 7:

ut eos sibi fidiores redderet,

Just. 16, 5, 2.—

C.

Poet. with gen.:

regina tui fidissima,

most faithful towards you, Verg. A. 12, 659; and with gen. partit.:

juvenum fidos, lectissima bello Corpora, sollicitat pretio,

the trusty ones, trustiest of the youth, Stat. Th. 2, 483.—

D.

With in or ad, and acc.:

in amicos fidissimus,

Eutr. 7, 8:

fidi ad bella duces,

Nemes. Cyn. 82.—

E.

With in and abl.:

sperabam te mihi fidum in hoc nostro amore fore,

Cat. 91, 1 sq. —

II.

Transf., objectively of inanim. and abstr. things, sure, certain, safe, trustworthy (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; in Cic. Att. 9, 6, 10, fuga fida is not critically certain; v. Orell. N. cr. ad loc.).

A.

Absol.:

aures,

Ov. M. 10, 382:

spes fidissima Teucrum,

Verg. A. 2, 281:

ensis,

trusty, id. ib. 6, 524:

alii litora cursu fida petunt,

id. ib. 2, 400:

nec unquam satis fida potentia, ubi nimia est,

Tac. H. 2, 92:

pons validus et fidus,

id. A. 15, 15 fin.:

male fidas provincias,

id. H. 1, 52. —

B.

With dat.:

(oppidum) naviganti celerrimum fidissimumque appulsu,

Tac. A. 3, 1; cf.:

statio male fida carinis,

Verg. A. 2, 23:

montem tantos inter ardores opacum et fidum nivibus,

Tac. H. 5, 6.— Sup.:

nox arcanis fidissima,

Ov. M. 7, 192:

camelino (genitali) arcus intendere, orientis populis fidissimum,

the surest, Plin. 11, 49, 109, § 261:

refugium,

Tac. A. 5, 8. — Hence, adv.: fīde, faithfully, trustily (perh. only in the sup. ):

quae mihi a te ad timorem fidissime atque amantissime proponuntur,

Cic. Fam. 2, 16, 4 (al. fidelissime):

fidissime amicissimeque vixerunt,

Gell. 12, 8, 6.

2.

fīdus = foedus, a league, v. 2. foedus init.