pelagus

pĕlăgus, i (Gr. plur. pelagē, Lucr. 5, 35; 6, 619), n., = pelagos, the sea ( poet. and in post-Aug. prose for Lat. mare): fervit aestu pelagus, Pac. ap. Cic. de Or. 3, 39, 157:

pelagus remis petere coeperunt, Auct. B. Hisp. 40: in pelago,

Lucr. 4, 432: pelagus tenuere rates, the open sea, the main. [p. 1325] Verg. A. 5, 8:

pelago Danaūm insidias Praecipitare,

id. ib. 2, 36:

pelago dare vela patenti,

id. G. 2, 41; 1, 142:

qui fragilem truci Commisit pelago ratem,

Hor. C. 1, 3, 11:

pelago terrāque pericula passus,

Ov. Tr. 3, 2, 7:

lustrare pelagus,

Val. Fl. 3, 608; Plin. 9, 10, 12, § 35; Juv. 1, 135; 12, 17:

saeviente pelago,

Tac. A. 15, 46:

vortices pelagi,

Just. 4, 1, 13:

nantes lubrico pelagi,

Val. Max. 3, 2, 10:

pelagus Ciliciae,

Vulg. Act. 27, 5.— Poet., a mass of water, like the sea:

pelago premit arva sonanti,

Verg. A. 1, 246.—

II.

Fig., for an immense mass or extent:

quam pauca excepta verba ex pelago sermonis pulli minus trita afferant,

the ocean of vulgar language, Varr. L. L. 9, 26, § 33:

Herodiani scriptorum pelagus,

Prisc. Ep. ad Jul. 4; cf. “a sea of troubles,” Shaksp.