sagax

săgax, ācis, adj. [sagio; cf. salax, from salio], of quick perception, whose senses are acute, sagacious (class.).

I.

Lit.

A.

Chiefly of the acute sense of smelling in dogs, keen-scented:

sagax Nasum habet,

Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 17:

canes,

Cic. Div. 1, 31, 65; Ov. M. 3, 207:

catulus,

id. R. Am. 201. —With gen.:

naris sagax,

Luc. 7, 829.— Poet.:

virtus venandi,

Ov. Hal. 76.—

B.

Of other senses:

sollicitive canes canibusve sagacior anser,

Ov. M. 11, 599:

palatum in gustu sagacissimum,

Plin. 8, 37, 35, § 132. —

II.

Trop., intellectually quick, keen, acute, shrewd, sagacious (syn.: sollers, perspicax, acutus, subtilis).

(α).

Absol.:

(homo) animal hoc providum, sagax, multiplex, acutum, memor, plenum rationis et consilii,

Cic. Leg. 1, 7, 22; cf. id. Fin. 2, 14, 45:

mens,

id. Tusc. 5, 23, 67; Lucr. 5, 420; 1, 1021:

animus,

id. 2, 840; 4, 913:

ratio,

id. 1, 131; 1, 369:

homo sagax et astutus,

Mart. 12, 87, 4:

modo circumspectus et sagax, modo inconsultus ac praeceps,

considerate, Suet. Claud. 15:

mire sagaces fallere hospites,

Hor. C. 2, 5, 22:

curae,

id. ib. 4, 4, 75.—Of a soothsayer, knowing the future, Ov. M. 8, 316.—

(β).

Ad aliquid (class.):

ad suspicandum sagacissimus,

Cic. Cat. 1, 8, 19: ad haec pericula perspicienda, Plancus ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 23, 4.—

(γ).

With gen. ( poet. and in post-Aug. prose):

utilium sagax rerum et divina futuri,

Hor. A. P. 218:

fibrarum et pennae divinarumque flammarum,

skilled in, Sil. 3, 344; cf. in sup.:

prodigiorum (Joseph),

Just. 36, 2, 8; and: rerum naturae, Col. praef., § 22 (with non ignarus). —

(δ).

With in or simple abl. (post-Aug.):

vir in conjecturis sagacissimus,

Just. 1, 9, 14:

civitas rimandis offensis sagax,

Tac. H. 4, 11.—

(ε).

Inf.:

sagax quondam ventura videre,

Ov. M. 5, 146.—Hence, adv.: să-gācĭter.

a.

Quickly, sharply, keenly, with quickness of scent, with a fine sense of smell:

canes si advenientem sagaciter odorantur,

Col. 7, 12, 7.— Comp., Cic. Att. 6, 4, 3:

vultures sagacius odorantur,

Plin. 10, 69, 88, § 191; Hor. Epod. 12, 4.— Sup., Cic. de Or. 2, 44, 186; Plin. 11, 37, 50, § 137.—

b.

Trop., acutely, shrewdly, accurately, sagaciously:

sagaciter pervestigare,

Cic. de Or. 1, 51, 223:

intueri,

Quint. 2, 8, 4; Liv. 27, 28:

perspicere naturam alicujus,

Suet. Tib. 57 al.