thesaurus

thēsaurus (old form thensaurus, Plaut. Trin. prol. p. ciii. Ritschl; cf. Marin. Fratr. Arv. p. 590; collat. form thensau-rum, n., Petr. 46, 8), i, m., = thêsauros.

I.

Any thing laid or stored up, a hoard, treasure, provision, store.

A.

Lit.:

TABVLARIVS THENSAVRORVM,

Inscr. Orell. 3247:

thensaurum effodere,

Plaut. Trin. 3, 3, 53; 4, 4, 8; id. Ps. 2, 2, 33; id. Aul. prol. 7:

thesaurum defodere... invenire,

Cic. Div. 2, 65, 134:

nec vero quemquam senem audivi oblitum, quo loco thesaurum obruisset,

id. Sen. 7, 21:

non exercitus neque thensauri praesidia regni sunt, verum amici,

Sall. J. 10, 4:

intactis opulentior Thesauris Arabum,

Hor. C. 3, 24, 2.—

2.

Law t. t., treasure trove:

thensaurus est vetus quaedam depositio pecuniae, cujus non exstat memoria, ut jam dominum non habeat,

Dig. 41, 1, 31, § 1; 41, 2, 3, § 3; Cod. 10, 15, 1.—

B.

Trop. (very rare):

thesaurus mali,

a great quantity, Plaut. Merc. 1, 2, 54: stupri, id. Fragm. ap. Non. 456, 19; cf.: augent ex pauxillo;

thensaurum inde pariunt,

id. Most. 4, 1, 8:

thesauros penitus abditae fraudis vultu laeto tegentes,

App. M. 5, p. 165, 15. —

2.

Of persons, a treasure, loved one, a valued or dear object: Di. Quid, amator novos quispiam? Ast. Integrum et plenum adortust thensaurum, Plaut. Truc. 4, 2, 13; cf. id. ib. 2, 1, 34:

eccum lenonem, incedit, thensaurum meum,

id. Curc. 5, 2, 76; cf.:

thensaurus copiarum,

id. As. 3, 3, 67.—

II.

A place where any thing is stored up, a storehouse, treasure - chamber, treasure - vault, treasury (cf.: cella, armarium).

A.

Lit.:

monedula condens semina in thesauros cavernarum,

id. 17, 14, 22, § 99; cf. poet., of the cells of bees, Verg. G. 4, 229:

admonent quidam, esse thesaurum publicum sub terrā saxo quadrato septum,

Liv. 39, 50, 3:

Proserpinae,

id. 29, 8, 9; 29, 18, 4; 31, 12, 1; cf. poet. of the Lower World: postquam est Orcino traditus thesauro, Naev. ap. Gell. 1, 24, 2.—

2.

Esp., a strong-box, treasure-chest:

cum thesaurum effregisset heres,

Plin. 34, 7, 17, § 37:

apertis thesauris suis,

Vulg. Matt. 2, 11.—

B.

Trop., a repository, conservatory, magazine, collection, Plaut. Poen. 3, 3, 12:

quid dicam de thesauro rerum omnium, memoria?

Cic. de Or. 1, 5, 18; Quint. 11, 2, 1; cf.:

thesauri argumentorum,

Cic. Part. Or. 31, 109:

suppeditat nobis Atticus noster de thesauris suis quos et quantos viros,

id. Fin. 2, 21, 67: thesauros oportet esse non libros, Plin. praef. § 17; cf.:

mihi quoties aliquid abditum quaero, ille thesaurus est,

a literary storehouse, Plin. Ep. 1, 22, 2.—

III.

The title of a Greek play by Philemon, upon which Plautus founded the Trinummus, Plaut. Trin. prol. 18.