ritus

rītus, ūs ( gen. rituis, Varr. ap. Non. 494, 30; abl. rite nefasto, Stat. Th. 11, 285; v. rite), m. [etym. unknown], orig. belonging to relig. lang.

I.

Lit., the form and manner of religious observances; a religious usage or ceremony, a rite (cf. caerimonia):

Graeco ritu sacra non Romano facere,

Varr. L. L. 7, § 88 Müll.:

sacra diis aliis Albano ritu, Graeco Herculi facit,

Liv. 1, 7:

quo haec privatim et publice modo rituque flant, discunto ignari a publicis sacerdotibus,

Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 20; cf.:

morem ritusque sacrorum Adiciam,

Verg. A. 12, 836:

de more rituque priscae religionis,

Suet. Tit. 5:

ex patriis ritibus optuma colunto,

Cic. Leg. 2, 9, 21; 2, 16, 40:

tempestates, quae populi Romani ritibus consecratae sunt,

id. N. D. 3, 20, 51:

regina dei (sc. Bacchi) Ritibus instruitur,

Ov. M. 6, 591:

sacrificos docuit ritus,

id. ib. 15, 483:

profanos ritus exuere,

Tac. A. 2, 85 fin.:

lustrari magico ritu,

Ov. M. 10, 398.—

II.

Transf., in gen., a custom, usage, manner, mode, way:

ritus, mos vel consuetudo,

Fest. p. 273 Müll.; cf. id. p. 289 ib.

a.

Usually in abl. sing. and with a foll. gen., after the usage, wont, manner, or fashion of any thing.

(α).

With gen.:

more ferarum Quadrupedumque ritu,

Lucr. 4, 1265:

qui pecudum ritu ad voluptatem omnia referunt,

Cic. Lael. 9, 32:

pecudum, ferarumque,

Liv. 3, 47; 5, 44; Quint. 8, 3, 81; Ov. M. 6, 717; 15, 222:

latronum vivere,

Cic. Phil. 2, 25, 62:

juvenum,

Hor. A. P. 62:

Lucili,

id. S. 2, 1, 29:

Herculis (petiisse laurum),

id. C. 3, 14, 1; cf.

Dianae (cincta, etc.),

Ov. M. 1, 695; 9, 89; 10, 536:

fluminis,

Hor. C. 3, 29, 34:

tempestatis,

id. S. 2, 3, 268:

non hominis sed accipitris,

Just. 27, 2, 8:

volucri ritu flammarum,

Lucr. 1, 1102.—

(β).

With adj.:

haec mulier cantherino ritu astans somniat,

Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 46:

ritu barbarico esse,

id. Cas. 3, 6, 19:

res quaeque suo ritu procedit,

Lucr. 5, 923:

novo Sublime moliar atrium,

Hor. C. 3, 1, 46:

aleatorio,

Gell. 18, 13, 6; cf.:

rancida quo perolent projecta cadavera ritu,

in the way that, such as, Lucr. 6, 1157.—

b.

In other cases (mostly poet. and post-Aug.), habit, custom, usage:

cognosse Sabinae Gentis ritus,

Ov. M. 15, 5:

referre Cyclopum,

id. ib. 15, 93:

humanos,

id. ib. 9, 500:

in alienos ritus mores legesque verti,

Liv. 24, 3, 12:

ritus dissimiles habuere duo examina apium,

Plin. 11, 10, 10, § 23:

moresque tractamus innumeros,

id. 7, 1, 1, § 6:

externas caerimonias, Aegyptios Judiacosque ritus compescuit,

Suet. Tib. 36; Sil. 15, 40:

de ritu nuptiarum,

Dig. 23, tit. 2. [p. 1597]