pestis

pestis, is, f. [perh. for perd-tis, from perdo], a deadly, esp. an infectious or contagious disease, a plague, pest, pestilence; also, a noxious atmosphere, unhealthy weather (class., but rare for pestilentia; cf. contagio, lues).

I.

Lit.: hos pestis necuit, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 861 P. (Ann. v. 549 Vahl.):

ibes avertunt pestem ab Aegypto,

Cic. N. D. 1, 36, 101:

avertere a populo pestem,

Liv. 4, 25, 3; 5, 14; 25, 26:

alii aliā peste absumpti sunt,

Liv. 25, 19.— Poet.:

crudelem nasorum interfice pestem,

i. e. stinking smell, Cat. 69, 9.—In plur.:

in omnibus morbis ac pestibus,

Col. 7, 5 fin; 2, 9, 9 sq.—

II.

Transf., in gen., destruction, ruin, death (class.): qui alteri exitium parat, Eum scire oportet, sibi paratam pestem ut participet parem, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 17, 39 (Trag. v. 22 Vahl.); so with exitium, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 21, 42 (Trag. v. 68 Vahl.):

quanta pernis pestis veniet!

Plaut. Capt. 4, 3, 3; Lucr. 3, 347:

detestabilis pestis,

Cic. Off. 2, 5, 16:

pestis ac pernicies civitatis,

id. Rab. Perd. 1, 2; 9, 25: priusquam oppeto malam pestem (= subeo mortem), Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 16, 38 (Trag. v. 15 Vahl.); so,

occidam oppetamque pestem,

will seek my death, Plaut. Capt. 3, 3, 11; cf. id. As. 1, 1, 7:

servatae a peste carinae,

i. e. from the fire, Verg. A. 5, 699:

pestem miserrimam importare alicui,

Cic. Deiot. 15, 43:

machinari alicui,

id. N. D. 3, 26, 67:

minitari,

Liv. 2, 49.—

B.

Concr., of a destructive thing or person, a pest, curse, bane:

quin unā omnes peste hac populum liberant?

Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 70:

peste interimor textili (of the poisoned and fatal garment of Nessus), Cic. poët. Tusc. 2, 8, 20: coluber, Pestis boum,

Verg. G. 3, 419:

illa furia ac pestis patriae (of Clodius),

id. Sest. 14, 33:

post abitum hujus importunissimae pestis,

id. Verr. 2, 3, 54, § 125:

nec saevior ulla Pestis et ira deūm (of the Harpies),

Verg. A. 3, 214:

pestes frugum,

Plin. 22, 25, 77, § 160;

of Nero: clade et peste sub illā,

Juv. 4, 84.—In plur.:

quaedam pestes hominum,

social pests, Cic. Fam. 5, 8, 2:

variae pestes,

Verg. G. 1, 181:

corporeae pestes,

id. A. 6, 737.