serpo

serpo, psi, ptum, 3 (serpsit antiqui pro serpserit usi sunt, Fest. p. 348 Müll.), v. n. [root serp, kindr. with herpô, repo], to creep, crawl (freq. and class.).

I.

Lit. (only of animals; while repo is also used of persons who creep or go slowly;

v. repo, I.): serpere anguiculos, nare anaticulas, evolare merulas, etc.,

Cic. Fin. 5, 15, 42:

alia animalia gradiendo, alia serpendo ad pastum accedunt,

id. N. D. 2, 47, 122:

serpentes quasdam (bestias), quasdam esse gradientes,

id. Tusc. 5, 13, 38:

(anguis) per humum,

Ov. M. 15, 689:

vipera imā humo,

id. P. 3, 3, 102:

draco In platanum,

id. M. 12, 13:

serpentia secla ferarum,

i. e. the serpents, Lucr. 6, 766.—In late Lat. pass.:

cum terra nullo serpatur angue,

was crawled over, Sol. 22, 10.—

B.

Transf., of things, to move slowly or imperceptibly, to creep along, proceed gradually, etc. (mostly poet. ):

has (stellas) inter, torvus Draco serpit, Cic. poët. N. D. 2, 42, 106: sol serpens,

Lucr. 5, 690.—

Of streams: an te, Cydne, canam, qui leniter... placidis per vada serpis aquis,

creepest, windest along, Tib. 1, 7, 14:

in freta vicina Numicius,

Ov. M. 14, 598: Ister tectis [p. 1681] in mare serpit aquis, id. Tr. 3, 10, 30:

in sicco serpentem pulvere rivum,

Luc. 9, 974:

lacrimae serpunt per vulnera,

Stat. Th. 11, 608:

exsistit sacer ignis et urit corpore serpens,

slowly spreading, Lucr. 6, 660; so,

flamma per continua,

Liv. 30, 6:

aestus aetheris,

Lucr. 5, 523; 6, 1120 (with repere):

fallacem patriae serpere dixit equum (Trojanum),

was creeping along, Prop. 3, 13 (4, 12), 64.—Of plants:

vitis serpens multiplici lapsu et erratico,

Cic. Sen. 15, 52; cf.:

lithospermos (herba) jacet atque serpit humi,

Plin. 27, 11, 74, § 99; so,

chamaeleon,

id. 22, 18, 21, § 45; cf.:

liber per colla,

Ov. M. 9, 389:

caules per terram,

Plin. 21, 16, 59, § 99:

rami in terram,

id. 27, 9, 58, § 82:

radices inter se,

id. 17, 20, 33, § 144:

sine tempora circum Inter victrices hederam tibi serpere lauros,

Verg. E. 8, 13; Laber. ap Macr. S. 2, 7; Col. 10, 119.—Of the growth of the hair:

per tua lanugo cum serpere coeperit ora,

Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 641.—Of fire:

dein per continua serpens (flamma) omnia incendio hausit,

Liv. 30, 6:

sive ipsi (ignes) serpere possunt quo cibus vocat,

Lucr. 5, 523; cf. id. 6, 660.—Of disease, etc.:

si ulcus latius atque altius serpit,

gradually spreads, Cels. 6, 18, 2 med.:

dira contagia per vulgus,

Verg. G. 3, 469:

cancer,

Ov. M. 2, 826:

carcinoma,

Plin. 29, 2, 10, § 37:

atra lues in vultus,

Mart. 1, 79, 2 al.:

per membra senectus,

Lucr. 1, 415:

quies,

Verg. A. 2, 269:

somnus,

Plin. 7, 24, 24, § 90.—

II.

Trop., to creep, crawl; to extend gradually or imperceptibly; to spread abroad, increase, prevail (a favorite trope of Cic.):

neque enim serpit, sed volat in optimum statum res publica,

Cic. Rep. 2, 18, 33:

serpere occulte coepisti nihil dum aliis suspicantibus,

id. de Or. 2, 50, 203:

(hoc malum) obscure serpens multas jam provincias occupavit,

id. Cat. 4, 3, 6:

malum longius,

id. Rab. Post. 6, 15; id. Phil. 1, 2, 5; id. Att. 1, 13, 3; id. de Or. 3, 24, 94:

serpit deinde res,

id. Lael. 12, 41; cf.:

ne latius serperet res,

Liv. 28, 15 fin.; so,

latius,

id. 40, 19 fin.; cf. Plin. Ep. 5, 4, 3:

serpit nescio quo modo per omnium vitas amicitia,

Cic. Lael. 23, 87:

si semel suscipimus genus hoc argumenti, attende quo serpat,

id. N. D. 1, 35, 98; 3, 20, 52:

quam facile serpat injuria et peccandi consuetudo,

id. Verr. 2, 2, 22, § 53; cf. id. Div. in Caecil. 21, 68:

serpit hic rumor,

id. Mur. 21, 45:

fama per coloniam,

Plin. Ep. 9, 33, 5:

per agmina murmur,

Verg. A. 12, 239:

murmura plebis,

Stat. Th. 1, 168:

cura altius,

Plin. 14, 11, 13, § 87:

serpente latius bello,

Flor. 2, 2, 15; 2, 9, 4.—Of a low, grovelling poetic style:

(poëta) Serpit humi tutus,

crawls along the earth, Hor. A. P. 28 (cf.:

sermones Repentes per humum,

id. Ep. 2, 1, 251 ).—Hence, serpens, entis ( gen. plur. serpentium, Vitr. 8, 4; 9, 6; Nep. Hann. 11, 5; Hor. Epod. 1, 20; Cels. 5, 27, 3; but also, mostly poet. and later, serpentum, Verg. A. 8, 436; 12, 848; Ov. M. 7, 534; Luc. 9, 608 al.), f. (sc. bestia); less freq. and mostly poet. and eccl. Lat., m. (sc. draco), a creeping thing, a creeper, crawler (cf. reptilis).

A.

Kat exochên, i. e. a snake, serpent (syn.: anguis, coluber); fem.:

quaedam serpentes ortae extra aquam, etc.,

Cic. N. D. 2, 48, 124; Lucr. 4, 60; 4, 638; Ov. M. 1, 447; 1, 454; 2, 652; id. Am. 2, 13, 13; Hor. C. 1, 37, 27; Luc. 9, 397; Nep. Hann. 10, 4 al.— Masc., Lucr. 5, 33; Verg. A. 2, 214; 5, 273; 11, 753; Ov. M. 3, 38; 3, 325; 4, 570; Hor. S. 1, 3, 27; Luc. 9, 324; cf. Sall. J. 89, 5, and Quint. 2, 4, 19:

igniti,

Vulg. Num. 21, 6.—

In apposition with draco,

Suet. Tib. 72.— Also neutr. plur. serpentia, Vulg. Act. 10, 12. —

2.

Transf., the Serpent, as a constellation.

a.

Between the Great and the Little Bear, = anguis and draco, Ov. M. 2, 173; Hyg. Astr. 3, 1.—

b.

In the hand of Ophiuchus (Anguitenens, Anguifer), = anguis, Vitr. 9, 6; Hyg. Astr. 2, 14; 3, 13; cf. Plin. 2, 25, 23, § 93.—

B.

A creeping insect on the human body, a louse, Plin. 7, 51, 52, § 172; App. Flor. p. 354, 4.