lux

lux, lūcis (adverb. abl. luce, luci, and lucu, and in these old forms also used as m.; v. infra; in Plaut. lux is usually m.; Brix ad Plaut. Capt. 5, 4, 11), f. [luceo], light.

I.

Lit.

1.

In gen., the light of the sun and other heavenly bodies:

cum id solis luce videatur clarius,

Cic. Div. 1, 3, 6; id. Tusc. 1, 37, 90; id. Cat. 1, 3; id. Cael. 9:

per umbras Stella facem ducens multā cum luce cucurrit,

Verg. A. 2, 694: a lucifero donec lux occidat, till sunset, Juv, 13, 158. — The light, splendor, brightness of shining bodies:

viridi cum luce zmaragdi,

Lucr. 4, 1126:

luce coruscus ahenā,

Verg. A. 2, 470:

lucem non fundentes gemmae,

Plin. 37, 7, 25, § 94:

ferri,

Stat. Th. 8, 124.—

2.

In partic., the light of day, daylight, day:

diurna,

Lucr. 6, 848:

Metellus cum primā luce in campum currebat,

Cic. Att. 4, 3, 4:

ante lucem,

id. de Or. 2, 64, 259:

primā luce ad eum accurrit,

at daybreak, dawn of day, Caes. B. G. 1, 22:

luce sub ipsā,

on the very verge of day, Verg. G. 4, 490:

in luci,

by day, Lucr. 4, 233:

luce reversā,

Juv. 6, 312.—Hence,

b.

In abl. adverb.: luce, luci, and (ante-class.) lucu, by daylight, in the daytime:

ut luce palam in foro saltet,

Cic. Off. 3, 24, 93; so,

luce,

id. Pis. 10, 23; Auct. Her. 4, 36, 48; Verg. A. 9, 153 al.:

nocte ac luce,

Juv. 15, 43:

ut veniamus luci,

Plaut. Cas. 4, 2, 7:

cum luci simul,

id. Merc. 2, 1, 31:

luci claro,

id. Aul. 4, 10, 18; cf. Non. 210, 9:

quis audeat luci,

Cic. Phil. 12, 10, 25:

quodsi luce quoque canes latrent,

id. Rosc. Am. 20, 56; Liv. 35, 4, 5:

cum primo lucu ibo hinc,

Ter. Ad. 5, 3, 55:

cum primo luci,

Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 49.—

B.

Transf.

1.

The heavenly bodies:

illae, quae fulgent luces,

Cic. Arat. 96.—

2.

A day:

centesima lux est ab interitu P. Clodii,

Cic. Mil. 35, 98:

longiore luce ad id certamen nobis opus est,

Liv. 3, 2:

anxia nocte, anxia luce gemit,

Ov. M. 2, 806:

crastina,

Verg. A. 10, 244:

natali die mihi dulcior haec lux,

Juv. 12, 1:

septima quaeque lux,

id. 14, 105; cf.:

natura volvente vices et lucis et anni,

id. 13, 88. —Hence, poet.:

lux aestiva,

summer, Verg. G. 4, 52:

lux brumalis,

winter, Ov. Tr. 1, 11, 39.—

3.

Life:

qui ab Orco mortuom me reducem in lucem feceris,

Ter. Hec. 5, 4, 12:

corpora luce carentum,

i. e. of the dead, Verg. G. 4, 255; Sil. 13, 473; cf.:

simul atque editi in lucem sumus,

Cic. Tusc. 3, 1, 2.—

4.

An eye, the eyesight:

effossae squalent vestigia lucis,

Stat. Th. 11, 585:

damnum lucis ademptae,

Ov. M. 14, 197.—

5.

A light, of an eminent man to whom all eyes turn:

Luce nihil gestum, nihil est Diomede remoto,

Ov. M. 13, 100.—Of a beloved person:

o lux salve candida,

Plaut. Mil. 4, 8, 34.—

II.

Trop.

A.

The sight of all men, the public view, the public, the world:

nec vero ille in luce modo, atque in oculis civium magnus sed intus domique praestantior,

Cic. Sen. 4, 12: Isocrates forensi luce caruit, id. Brut. 8, 32:

familiam abjectam et obscu ram e tenebris in lucem vocare,

id. Deiot. 11, 30:

res occultas aperire in lucemque proferre,

id. Ac. 2, 19, 62.—

B.

Light, encouragement, help, succor:

lux quaedam videbatur oblata, non modo regno, sed etiam regni timore sublato,

Cic. Phil. 1, 2, 40:

civibus lucem ingenii et consilii porrigere,

id. de Or. 1, 40, 184; cf.:

lucem adferre rei publicae,

id. Manil. 12, 33.—

C.

A light, an ornament:

hanc urbem, lucem orbis terrarum,

Cic. Cat. 4, 6, 11:

genus sine luce,

undistinguished, obscure, Sil. 8, 248.—

D.

Light, illustration, elucidation:

historia testis temporum, lux veritatis,

Cic. de Or. 2, 9, 36.—

E.

That which enlightens, the source of illumination: ratio quasi quaedam lux lumenque vitae. Cic. Ac. 2, 8, 26; cf.:

ego sum lux mundi,

Vulg. John, 8, 12; id. ib. 12, 26.