Varius

1.

vărĭus, a, um, adj., diverse, different, manifold, changing, varying, various (cf.: diversus, distinctus).

I.

Lit.

A.

Of color, etc., variegated, party-colored, mottled, etc.:

arietis lingua nigra aut varia, vestis,

Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 4:

variā veste exornatus fuit,

Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 16;

so of color: uvae,

Cato, R. R. 33, 4; 33, 73:

lynces,

Verg. G. 3, 264:

serpens,

Ov. M. 6, 114:

anguis,

id. ib. 4, 619:

pica,

Petr. 28 fin.:

flores,

Tib. 1, 7, 45; Ov. M. 10, 123:

plumae,

Hor. A. P. 2:

lapides,

id. S. 2, 4, 83:

columnae,

of variegated marble, id. Ep. 1, 10, 22:

auctumnus purpureo colore,

id. C. 2, 5, 12:

colores,

Ov. M. 1, 270; cf.:

vestra latera loris faciam ut valide varia sint,

i. e. black and blue, Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 12; id. Mil. 2, 2, 61: tergum varium, Pomp. ap. Non. 19, 31 (Com. Rel. v. 139 Rib.): sparsa quoque in vario passim miracula caelo videt, diversified, i. e. with constellations of various forms, Ov. M. 2, 193.—

2.

Subst.: vărĭa, ae, f. (i. e. bestia, a mottled animal).

a.

A panther, Plin. 8, 17, 23, § 63 sq.—

b.

A kind of magpie, Plin. [p. 1959] 10, 29, 41, § 78.—

B.

In rural lang.:

terra,

wet above and dry beneath, Col. 2, 4, 5:

sulcus,

Cato, R. R. 61, 2; Plin. 18, 19, 49, § 174.—

II.

Trop., diverse, different, manifold, changing, varying, changeable, various, etc.: varium poëma, varia oratio, varii mores, varia fortuna;

voluptas etiam varia dici solet,

Cic. Fin. 2, 3, 10:

(qualitates) variae et quasi multiformes,

id. Ac. 1, 7, 26:

et ea, quae videntur acerba, quae multa et varia in hominum vitā fortunāque versantur,

id. Off. 1, 20, 67:

curricula multiplicium variorumque sermonum,

id. Or. 3, 12:

res varia et multiplex,

id. Fl. 3, 6:

multae, copiosae variaeque rationes,

id. de Or. 1, 51, 222; cf.:

varia et diversa genera et bellorum et hostium,

id. Imp. Pomp. 10, 28; cf. id. de Or. 3, 16, 61; 1, 61, 262:

varium jus et dispar condicio,

id. Verr. 2, 5, 19, § 49:

eventus varii fortunae,

Caes. B. G. 2, 22: victoria, wavering, = anceps, Sall. J. 5, 1; Liv. 2, 6, 10; so,

bellum,

Flor. 4, 12, 26. —Of opinions: varias esse opiniones intellego: sunt qui putant, etc., i. e. divergent opinions, differences where there is yet substantial agreement (while diversae opiniones are opposite views), Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 25. —

2.

Varium est, with a rel.-clause:

quales sint (dii), varium est,

various opinions prevail, Cic. N. D. 2, 5, 13.—

B.

Esp., of persons, etc.

1.

Of abilities, versatile:

Plato et varius et multiplex et copiosus fuit,

Cic. Ac. 1, 4, 17; cf.:

antequam scirem quam varium, quam flexibile quam multiplex (ejus ingenium) esset,

Plin. Ep. 1, 16, 1:

Antonius ingenio varius,

Flor. 4, 3, 4.—

2.

Of character, fickle, inconstant, changeable, untrustworthy: miror quid sit, quod pater tuus, homo constantissimus, te nobis varium reliquit ( beaten black and blue, and fickle-minded,) Cic. Fragm. ap. Quint. 6, 3, 48:

animus audax, subdolus, varius,

Sall. C. 5, 4:

varius incertusque agitabat,

id. J. 74, 1:

voltu et oculis pariter atque animo varius,

agitated, irresolute, id. ib. 113, 3:

Pausanias magnus homo, sed varius in omni genere vitae fuit,

Nep. Paus. 1, 1; cf.:

varium et mutabile semper Femina,

a fickle thing, Verg. A. 4, 569.—Hence, adv.: vărĭē.

A.

Lit., with diverse colors, in a variegated manner:

mithrax gemma multicolor, contra solem varie refulgens,

Plin. 37, 10, 63, § 173:

smaragdi Cyprii varie glauci,

id. 37, 5, 18, § 67. —

B.

Trop., variously, changeably, diversely, differently, in various ways:

varie moveri,

Cic. Div. 2, 42, 89:

qui (sermones) ab his, qui illum audierunt, perscripti varie et copiose sunt,

id. Ac. 1, 4, 16:

numerus hujus generis late et varie diffusus est,

id. Sest. 45, 97:

varie sum affectus tuis litteris,

id. Fam. 16, 4, 1:

postea decernitur, ac non varie, sed prope cunctis sententiis,

id. Verr. 2, 4, 65, § 145:

ita varie per omnem exercitum laetitia, maeror, luctus atque gaudia agitabantur,

Sall. C. 61, 9:

in Aequis varie bellatum,

Liv. 5, 28, 5:

agere varie, rogando alternis suadendoque coepit,

id. 2, 2, 9:

hiemem aut negotia varie causari,

Tac. A. 1, 47:

sagittarios varie passimque collocare, Auct. B. Afr. 60: disserere,

Tac. A. 1, 11.—With a punning allusion to 1. Varia: Ep. Perpetuon' valuisti? Th. Varie. Ep. Qui varie valent, caprigenum hominum non placet mihi neque pantherinum genus, Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 15.

2.

Vărĭus, a, the name of a Roman gens; esp.,

I.

Q. Varius of Sucro, in Spain, called Hybrida, a tribune of the people A.U.C. 663, Cic. de Or. 1, 25, 117; id. Brut. 49, 182; 62, 221; Val. Max. 4, 3, 7.—

II.

L. Varius, a tragic poet, contemporary with Virgil and Horace, Verg. E. 9, 35; Hor. S. 1, 10, 44; Quint. 10, 1, 98; Mart. 8, 18, 7.