atrox

ā̆trox, ōcis, adj. [from ater, as ferox from ferus, velox from velum. Atrocem hoc est asperum, crudelem, quod qui atro vultu sunt, asperitatem ac saevitiam prae se ferunt, Perott.; cf. Doed. Syn. I. p. 38 sq.], dark, gloomy, frowning, horrible, hideous, frightful, dreadful; and trop., savage, cruel, fierce, atrocious, harsh, severe, unyielding (of persons and things; while saevus is used only of persons; v. Doed. as cited supra; very freq. and class.): exta, Naev. ap. Non. p. 76, 6: (fortunam) insanam esse aiunt, quia atrox, incerta, instabilisque sit, Pac. ap. Auct. ad Her. 2, 23 (Trag. Rel. p. 125 Rib.):

sic Multi, animus quorum atroci vinctus malitiā est, Att., Trag. Rel. p. 141 Rib.: re atroci percitus,

Ter. Hec. 3, 3, 17:

res tam scelesta, tam atrox, tam nefaria credi non potest,

Cic. Rosc. Am. 22, 62:

saevissimi domini atrocissima effigies,

Plin. Pan. 52 fin.:

Agrippina semper atrox,

always gloomy, Tac. A. 4, 52; 2, 57:

filia longo dolore atrox,

wild, id. ib. 16, 10:

hiems,

severe, Plin. 18, 35, 80, § 353:

nox,

Tac. A. 4, 50:

tempestas,

id. ib. 11, 31:

flagrantis hora Caniculae,

Hor. C. 3, 13, 9:

atrocissimae litterae,

Cic. Fam. 9, 25, 3:

bellum magnum et atrox,

Sall. J. 5, 1:

facinus,

Liv. 1, 26:

non alia ante pugna atrocior,

id. 1, 27:

periculum atrox,

dreadful, id. 33, 5; so,

negotium,

Sall. C. 29, 2:

imperium (Manlii),

harsh, Liv. 8, 7:

odium,

violent, Ov. M. 9, 275 et saep.—Of discourse, violent, bitter:

tunc admiscere huic generi orationis vehementi atque atroci genus illud alterum... lenitatis et mansuetudinis,

Cic. de Or. 2, 49, 200:

Summa concitandi adfectūs accusatori in hoc est, ut id, quod objecit, aut quam atrocissimum aut etiam quam maxime miserabile esse videatur,

Quint. 6, 1, 15:

peroratio,

Plin. 27, 2, 2, § 4:

et cuncta terrarum subacta Praeter atrocem animum Catonis,

stern, unyielding, Hor. C. 2, 1, 24:

fides (Reguli),

Sil. 6, 378; so,

virtus,

id. 13, 369:

ut verba atroci (i. e. rigido) stilo effoderent,

Petr. 4, 3.—Hence of that which is fixed, certain, invincible:

occisa est haec res, nisi reperio atrocem mi aliquam astutiam,

Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 7 Lind. (perh. the figure is here drawn from the contest; the atrox pugna and atrox astutia are ludicrously contrasted with occidit res, the cause had been lost, if I had not come to the rescue with powerful art ).— Adv.: atrōcĭter, violently, fiercely, cruelly, harshly (only in prose):

atrociter minitari,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 62:

fit aliquid,

id. Rosc. Am. 53 fin.:

dicere,

id. Or. 17, 56:

agitare rem publicam,

Sall. J. 37, 1:

invehi in aliquem,

Liv. 3, 9:

deferre crimen,

Tac. A. 13, 19 fin.:

multa facere,

Suet. Tib. 59 al. — Comp.: atrocius in aliquem saevire, Liv. 42, 8; Tac. H. 1, 2; 2, 56:

atrocius accipere labores itinerum,

reluctantly, id. ib. 1, 23.— Sup.:

de ambitu atrocissime agere in senatu,

Cic. ad Q. Fr. 2, 16:

leges atrocissime exercere,

Suet. Tib. 58.