Samnitis

Samnĭum, ii, n. [contr. from Sabinium, from Sabini:

ab Sabinis orti Samnites,

Varr. L. L. 7, § 29 Müll.], an ancient country of Italy, in the neighborhood of Latium, whose inhabitants were an offshoot from the Sabines, Liv. 7, 32; Cic. Clu. 69, 197; id. Att. 14, 20, 2; 16, 11, 6; id. Rep. 3, 7 al.—Hence,

A.

Samnīs (collat. form of the nom. Samnītis, Cato ap. Prisc. p. 762; Prud. adv. Symm. 2, 515), ītis, adj., of or belonging to Samnium, Samnite:

ager,

Liv. 24, 20:

exercitus,

id. 10, 16 fin.:

bellum,

Plin. 34, 6, 12, § 26:

ursae,

Sil. 4, 560: habitator Samnitis (terrae), Prud. steph. 11, 207.— Subst., in plur.: Samnītes, ĭum ( gen. Samnitum, Cic. de Or. 2, 79;

but cf. Samnitium,

id. ib. 3, 23 Orell. N. cr.; and so usu. and very freq. in Liv., Plin., and Tac.), m., the inhabitants of Samnium, the Samnites, Varr. L. L. 7, 3, 86 fin.; Liv. 7, 19; 7, 29 sq.; 8, 1 sq.; 9, 1 sq.; Cic. Off. 1, 12, 38; 3, 30, 109; id. Sen. 16, 55 al.—Gr. acc. Samnităs, Flor. 1, 16, 7; Aur. Vict. Vir. Ill. 34, § 6.—In sing.: Samnīs, ītis, m., collect., the Samnites, Liv. 10, 35; Luc. 2, 137.—

2.

Transf., the name of Samnites was also given to a class of gladiators who were armed with Samnite weapons, Varr. L. L. 5, § 142 Müll.; Plin. 7, 20, 19, § 81; Liv. 9, 40; Cic. de Or. 2, 80, 325; 3, 23, 86; Inscr. Orell. 2569.—So in sing.: Samnīs, Lucil. ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 17, 41; and ap. de Or. 3, 23, 86.—

B.

Samnītĭcus, a, um, adj., Samnite:

bellum,

Suet. Vit. 1; Flor. 1, 16, 2:

vasa,

Capitol. Pertin. 8.