procer

prŏcer, ĕris, in sing. only Juv. 8, 26, and Capitol. Max. 2; prŏcĕres, um (anteclass. collat. form prŏcus, i, in the gen. plur.:

procum patricium in descriptione classium quam facit, Serv. Tullius, significat procerum,

Fest. p. 249 Müll.; cf.:

jam (ut censoriae tabulae loquuntur) fabrum et procum audeo dicere, non fabrorum et procorum,

Cic. Or. 46, 156 ), m. [pro and root kar- of creo; cf. procērus].

I.

Lit., a chief, noble; plur., the leading men, chiefs, nobles, princes (class.; syn.: primores, optimates, primi): scindunt proceres Pergamum, the Grecian chiefs, princes, * Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 130:

audiebam nostros proceres clamitantes,

Cic. Fam. 13, 15, 1:

Latinorum,

Liv. 1, 45, 2:

Etruscorum,

id. 2, 10:

ego proceribus civitatis annumeror,

Tac. A. 14, 53:

Caecina Largus e proceribus,

Plin. 17, 1, 1, § 5:

delectos populi ad proceres,

Verg. A. 3, 58:

castrorum,

Luc. 7, 69:

in procerum coetu,

id. 8, 261; Juv. 2, 121; 3, 213:

proceres rerum,

Sil. 11, 142.— Transf., of bees:

procerum seditio,

Col. 9, 9, 6.—In sing.:

agnosco procerem,

Juv. 8, 26:

in pueritiā fuit pastor nonnumquam et procer,

a leader, captain, Capitol. Max. 2.—

II.

Trop., the foremost or most celebrated men, the masters in an art, science, etc. (post-Aug.):

proceres artis ejus (medicinae),

Plin. 29, 1, 8, § 26:

sapientiae,

id. 7, 30, 31, § 112:

gulae,

id. 9, 17, 30, § 66:

indicatis in genere utroque (pingendi) proceribus,

id. 35, 11, 40, § 138.