vastus

vastus, a, um, adj. [cf.: vanus, vacuus], empty, unoccupied, i.e. waste, desert.

I.

Lit. (so rare but class.;

syn.: vacuus, desertus): genus agrorum propter pestilentiam vastum atque desertum,

Cic. Agr. 2, 26, 69:

lex erat lata vasto ac relicto foro,

id. Sest. 24, 53:

agrum vastum ac desertum habere,

Liv. 28, 11, 10:

vasta ac deserta urbs,

id. 24, 3, 11; 28, 7, 12: vasta incendiis ruinisque urbs, id. 5, 53, 1:

mons vastus ab naturā et humano cultu,

uncultivated, Sall. J. 48, 3:

urbs a defensoribus vasta,

without, Liv. 23, 30, 7 (al. ex conj. vacua).—

B.

Trop. (the fig. taken from tracts of country lying waste or untilled), uncultivated, unpolished, rude, rough, harsh:

vultu motuque corporis vasti atque agrestes,

Cic. de Or. 1, 25, 115:

vastus homo atque foedus,

id. ib. 1, 25, 117:

vasti quidam et insubidi,

Gell. 19, 9, 9:

fugiemus crebras vocalium concursiones, quae vastam atque hiantem orationem reddunt, ut hoc est: baccae aeneae amoenissimae impendebant,

Auct. Her. 4, 12, 18:

omnia vasta ac temeraria esse,

Liv. 24, 48, 7:

littera vastior,

too harsh-sounding, Cic. Or. 45, 153.—

II.

Transf.

A.

Desolate, deserted: abs te viduae et vastae virgines sunt, made lonely, Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 1, 52 (Trag. v. 279 Vahl.):

dies per silentium vastus,

Tac. A. 3, 4.—

B.

Wasted by destruction, laid waste, ravaged, devastated, destroyed (rare; cf.

vastatus): fit vasta Troja,

Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 130:

jam hanc urbem ferro vastam faciet Peleus, Att. ap. Fest. pp. 372 and 373: haec ego vasta dabo,

Verg. A. 9, 323:

nec solum modo vastum hosti relictum, sed castellis etiam vicisque illatus ignis,

Liv. 10, 12, 8.—

C.

With the predom. idea of extent, vast, immense, enormous, huge, monstrous (syn.: ingens, immanis).

1.

Of size: jamque fere pulvis ad caelum vasta videtur, Enn. ap. Non. 217, 11 (Ann. v. 286 Vahl.):

immani et vastae insidens beluae,

Cic. Rep. 2, 40, 67:

vasta et immanis belua,

id. Div. 1, 24, 49; cf.:

vastissimae beluae,

id. Rep. 2, 26, 49: elephanto beluarum nulla prudentior;

ad figuram quae vastior?

id. N. D. 1, 35, 97:

summa erat vasto atque aperto mari, difficultas navigandi,

Caes. B. G. 3, 12; cf.:

in vastissimo atque apertissimo Oceano,

id. ib. 3, 9, 7:

fossa vastissima,

Cic. Rep. 2, 6, 11:

solitudines,

id. ib. 2, 6, 19:

campi,

Verg. A. 3, 13:

Charybdis,

Lucr. 1, 722:

antiquus crater, quem vastum vastior ipse Sustulit Aegides,

Ov. M. 12, 236:

antrum,

Verg. A. 1, 52:

hiatus speluncae,

id. ib. 6, 237:

suspectus turris,

id. ib. 9, 530:

manus,

Ov. F. 2, 322:

arma,

Verg. A. 10, 768:

corpus,

Col. 7, 12, 3.—

2.

Transf., of degree, etc., immense, enormous, prodigious, vast, etc.:

iter,

i.e. on the vast ocean, Ov. M. 14, 438:

certamen,

Verg. A. 12, 553:

impetus,

Hor. C. 4, 14, 30:

pugnae Cannensis clades vastissima,

Gell. 5, 17, 5:

tempestas,

Col. 2, 20, 5; cf.:

vapores vastissimi,

id. 2, 20, 1:

clamor,

Verg. A. 10, 716; Ov. M. 12, 494:

murmur,

Verg. A. 1, 245:

latratus,

Col. 7, 12, 3:

tonitru,

Val. Fl. 1, 617:

pondus,

Verg. A. 5, 447; Ov. H. 9, 88.—

3.

Trop.:

vastus animus,

i.e. insatiable, Sall. C. 5, 4.—Rarely with abstr. nouns:

quam vasta potentia nostra est,

Ov. M. 2, 520:

varia vastaque scientia,

Col. 1, pr. 28:

nefas,

Sen. Herc. Oet. 767.— Adv.: vastē.

1.

(Acc. to vastus, I. B.) Rudely, harshly:

loqui non aspere, non vaste, non rustice, etc.,

Cic. de Or. 3, 12, 45:

ne vastius diducantur verba,

id. ib. 3, 43, 172.—

2.

(Acc. to II. B.) Widely, vastly, immensely, violently, enormously:

vaste cedentia litora,

Mel. 1, 1, 4:

vastius insurgens decimae ruit impetus undae,

Ov. M. 11, 530:

vastius podagra correpti,

Scrib. Comp. 107.