arduus

arduus, a, um, adj. [akin to ARDÔ, arsô = to water, to cherish; aldainô = to make grow; aldêeis = growing; alo, altus, q. v.; 1. ad-oleo, ad-olesco; related to arbor, arbutus as eruthros, Germ. roth, Engl. red, is related to ruber; Ardea was perh. so called from its lofty situation; cf. Arduenna], high, elevated, lofty, steep (syn.: altus, celsus, sublimis).

I.

Lit.: Pergama ardua, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 2:

aether,

Ov. M. 1, 151:

sidera,

id. ib. 1, 730:

cedrus,

id. Am. 1, 14, 12:

cervix equi,

Hor. S. 1, 2, 89:

et campo sese arduus infert (Turnus),

Verg. A. 9, 53.—Also in prose in Gell.:

supercilia,

i. e. proudly elevated, Gell. 4, 1, 1:

confragosus atque arduus clivis,

steep, Varr. R. R. 1, 18, 4:

ascensus,

Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 23:

arduus ac difficilis ascensus,

Liv. 25, 13:

ardua et aspera et confragosa via,

id. 44. 3: via alta atque ardua, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 16, 37:

mons,

Ov. M. 1, 316:

Tmolus,

id. ib. 11, 150 al.—Hence, subst.: arduum, i, n., a steep place, a steep:

Ardua dum metuunt, amittunt vera viaï,

Lucr. 1, 659:

in ardua montis Ite,

Ov. M. 8, 692:

ardua terrarum,

Verg. A. 5, 695:

per arduum scandere,

Hor. C. 2, 19, 21:

in arduo,

Tac. A. 2, 47:

in arduis ponet nidum suum,

Vulg. Job, 39, 27:

ardua Alpium,

Tac. H. 4, 70:

castellorum,

id. A. 11, 9:

ingressi sunt ardua,

Vulg. Jer. 4, 29. —

II.

Trop.

A.

That is difficult to reach or attain, difficult, laborious, hard, arduous:

magnum opus omnino et arduum conamur,

Cic. Or. 10, 33:

rerum arduarum ac difficilium perpessio,

id. Inv. 2, 54; so id. Leg. 1, 13:

id arduum factu erat,

Liv. 8, 16; Tac. A. 4, 4:

victoria,

Ov. M. 14, 453:

virtus,

Hor. C. 3, 24, 44:

nil mortalibus arduum est,

id. ib. 1, 3, 37.— Subst.:

nec fuit in arduo societas,

Tac. A. 12, 15.—

B.

Troublesome, unpleasant:

in primis arduum videtur res gestas scribere,

Sall. C. 3, 2, upon which Gellius remarks: Arduum Sallustius non pro difficili tantum, sed pro eo quoque ponit, quod Graeci chalepon appellant:

quod est cum difficile tum molestum quoque et incommodum et intractabile,

Gell. 4, 15:

quam arduum onus,

Tac. A. 1, 11.—

C.

Of fortune, difficult, adverse, inauspicious:

aequam memento rebus in arduis Servare mentem,

in adversity, Hor. C. 2, 3, 1.

► Comp. arduior: iter longius arduiusque erat, Cato ap. Prisc. p. 600 P.— Sup. arduissimus: asperrimo atque arduissimo aditu, Cato ap. Prisc. p. 600 P.; cf.: assiduus, egregius, industrius, perpetuus, and Rudd. I. p. 180, n. 58.— Adv. not used.