vetus

vĕtus, ĕris (ante-class. collat. form of the nom. sing. vĕter, Enn. and Att. ap. Prisc. p. 607 P.; cf. Varr. L. L. 6, § 2 Müll.; abl. regularly, vetere;

but veteri,

Juv. 6, 121; Stat. Th. 1, 360; 11, 582; 13, 374; comp. class. vetustior; archaic form veterior), adj. [Sanscr. vatsas, year; Gr. etos, Wetos].

I.

Adj.

A.

Old (opp. young), aged:

Acherunticus senex, vetus, decrepitus,

Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 20:

novus amator, vetus puer,

id. ib. 5, 4, 15:

poëta,

Ter. Heaut. prol. 22:

veteres ac moris antiqui memores,

Liv. 42, 27, 4: veteres et sancti viri, Sall. H. 2, 23, 5 Dietsch:

parentes,

Verg. A. 5, 576:

pecudes,

Varr. R. R. 2, 11, 2:

gallinae,

Plin. 10, 53, 74, § 146; Col. 8, 5, 14:

laurus,

Verg. A. 2, 513:

caput,

Tib. 1, 8, 42. —

B.

Old (opp. new), of long standing:

quam veterrumu'st, tam homini optimu'st amicus,

Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 71:

maceria,

id. ib. 2, 2, 50: Antemna veterior est Romā, Cato ap. Prisc. p. 716 P. (Orig. 1, fr. 25): quod si veteris contumeliae oblivisci vellet;

num etiam recentium injuriarum memoriam deponere posse?

Caes. B. G. 1, 14:

invidia et infamia non recens, sed vetus ac diuturna,

Cic. Verr. 1, 2, 5:

vetus atque usitata exceptio,

id. de Or. 1, 37, 168:

sphaerae illius vetus esse inventum,

id. Rep. 1, 14, 22:

amici veteres (opp. novi),

id. Lael. 18, 67:

veterrima (amicitia),

id. ib.:

naves,

Caes. B. G. 5, 15:

nobilitas,

Sall. J. 85, 4:

consuetudo,

id. C. 23, 3:

provinciae,

Liv. 21, 44, 7; 28, 39, 8.—Esp., of soldiers, veteran, experienced:

ille exercitatus et vetus (miles),

Cic. Tusc. 2, 16, 38; cf.

exercitus,

id. ib.; Caes. B. C. 1, 3; Liv. 41, 8, 5:

copiae,

Caes. B. G. 1, 27:

milites,

id. ib. 6, 40; Liv. 26, 41, 2:

legiones,

id. 27, 8, 15:

centuriones,

id. 4, 17, 10.—With gen. (post-Aug.):

gnaros belli veteresque laborum,

Sil. 4, 532:

militiae,

Tac. H. 4, 20:

regnandi,

id. A. 6, 44:

scientiae et caerimoniarum,

id. ib. 6, 12:

operis ac laboris,

id. ib. 1, 20:

armorum,

Sil. 17, 297.—With inf. ( poet. ):

hinc Fadum petit et veterem bellare Labicum,

Sil. 5, 565.—

C.

Old, of a former time (opp. present, existing), former, earlier, ancient, etc. (cf. antiquus):

veterem atque antiquam rem novam ad vos proferam,

Plaut. Am. prol. 118:

historia vetus atque antiqua,

id. Trin. 2, 2, 100 Brix ad loc.:

credendum est veteribus et priscis, ut aiunt, viris,

Cic. Univ. 11:

veterrimi poëtae Stoici,

id. N. D. 1, 15, 41:

multo vetustior et horridior ille (Laelius) quam Scipio,

archaic, antiquated, id. Brut. 21, 83:

in veterem revoluta figuram,

Verg. A. 6, 449:

fama veterum malorum,

id. ib. 6, 527:

injuria,

Phaedr. 1, 21, 6.—

II.

Substt.

A.

vĕtĕres, um, m., the ancients, men of a former time, the fathers, ancestors, forefathers:

majores nostri, veteres illi, admodum antiqui, leges annales non habebant,

Cic. Phil. 5, 17, 47.—Esp., of ancient authors, etc.:

nostri veteres,

Plin. 36, 7, 12, § 59:

quae veteres factitarunt,

Ter. Eun. prol. 43:

omnes veteres et Cicero praecipue,

Quint. 9, 3, 1; cf. id. 5, 4, 1:

antiqui veteres,

Front. Ep. ad Amic. 1, 5.—

B.

vĕtĕres, um, f. (sc. tabernae), the old booths on the south side of the Forum Romanum (opp. Novae, v. novus):

sub Veteribus,

Plaut. Curc. 4, 1, 19; Liv. 44, 16, 10; Plin. 35, 4, 8, § 25.—

C.

vĕtĕra, um, n., the old, old things, antiquity (opp. praesentia):

vetera semper in laude, praesentia in fastidio,

Tac. Or. 18; cf. id. ib. 15:

si vetera mihi ignota (sunt),

Cic. Sull. 18, 51:

vetera omittere,

to leave out of consideration, Sall. J. 102, 14:

vetera odisse, nova optare,

id. C. 37, 3:

vetera scrutari,

traditions, Cic. Tusc. 1, 13, 29. —Prov.:

vetera vaticinamini,

Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 129 Lorenz ad loc.