blandus

blandus, a, um, adj. [for mlandus; akin to meilichos, mollis, mulier; Goth. milds; Engl. mild], of a smooth tongue, flattering, fawning, caressing (class and very freq.).

I.

Lit.:

blanda es parum,

Plaut. Cas. 3, 3, 21:

nemini credo qui large blandu'st dives pauperi,

id. Aul. 2, 2, 19:

ut unus omnium homo te vivat numquam quisquam blandior,

Ter. Hec. 5, 4, 21:

scis me minime esse blandum,

Cic. Att. 12, 5, 4:

unum te puto minus blandum esse quam me,

id. ib. 12, 3, 1:

blandum amicum a vero secernere,

id. Lael. 25, 95:

(Alcibiades) affabilis, blandus, temporibus callidissime inserviens,

Nep. Alcib. 1, 3:

an blandiores (mulieres) in publico quam in privato et alienis quam vestris estis?

Liv. 34, 2, 10:

tum neque subjectus solito nec blandior esto,

Ov. A. A. 2, 411:

canes,

Verg. G. 3, 496:

catulorum blanda propago,

Lucr. 4, 999; Nemes. Cyneg. 215; 230:

columba,

Ov. Am. 2, 6, 56:

tigres,

Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 604; Quint. 9, 4, 133; 11, 1, 30; 11, 3, 72 al.—

b.

Poet. constr.

(α).

With gen.:

precum,

Stat. Achill. 2, 237.—

(β).

With acc.:

genas vocemque,

Stat. Th. 9, 155.—

(γ).

With inf.:

blandum et auritas fidibus canoris Ducere quercus,

Hor. C. 1, 12, 11; Stat. Th. 5, 456. —

(δ).

With abl.:

chorus implorat..doctā prece blandus ( = blande supplicans dis carmine quod poëta eum docuit. Orell. ad loc.),

Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 135.—

II.

Trop. (mostly of things).

A.

Flattering, pleasant, agreeable, enticing, alluring, charming, seductive (cf. blandior, II. B.; blanditia, II.): blandā voce vocare, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 20, 40 (Ann. v. 51 Vahl.):

ne blandā aut supplici oratione fallamur,

Cic. Phil. 7, 9, 26; Lucr. 6, 1245:

voces,

Verg. A. 1, 670; Cat. 64, 139:

preces,

Tib. 3, 6, 46; Hor. C. 4, 1, 8; id. A. P. 395; Ov. M. 10, 642:

querelae,

Tib. 3, 4, 75:

laudes,

Verg. G. 3, 185:

verba,

Ov. M. 2, 575; 6, 360:

dicta,

id. ib. 3, 375;

9, 156: os,

id. ib. 13, 555: pectus, Afran. ap. Non. p. 515.—So, voluptas, Lucr. 2, 966; 4, 1081; 4, 1259; 5, 179; Cic. Tusc. 4, 3, 6:

amor,

Lucr. 1, 20; Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 49:

Veneris blandis sub armis,

Prop. 4 (5), 1, 137:

amaracini liquor,

Lucr. 2, 847:

tura,

Tib. 3, 3, 2:

manus,

Hor. C. 3, 23, 18; cf. Ov. M. 2, 691:

aquae,

id. ib. 4, 344:

caudae,

id. ib. 14, 258 al.:

otium consuetudine in dies blandius,

Liv. 23, 18, 12:

blandiores suci,

Plin. 12, 1, 2, § 4; Suet. Tib. 27:

blandissima litora, Baiae,

Stat. S. 3, 5, 96; Plin. 9, 8, 9, § 32:

actio,

Quint. 7, 4, 27: ministerium, Cod. Th. 10, 10, 12, § 1.— With dat.:

et blandae superūm mortalibus irae,

Stat. Th. 10, 836:

neque admittunt orationes sermonesve... jucunda dictu aut legentibus blanda,

Plin. 1, prooem. § 12.—

2.

Of persons:

filiolus,

Quint. 6, prooem. § 8; cf.: nam et voluptates, blandissimae dominae ( the most alluring mistresses ), majores partes animi a virtute detorquent, Cic. Off. 2, 10, 37.—

B.

Persuading by caressing, persuasive:

nunc experiemur, nostrum uter sit blandior,

Plaut. Cas. 2, 3, 56. —Hence, adv., in three forms, soothingly, flatteringly, courteously, etc.

a.

Anteclass. form blandĭter, Plaut. As. 1, 3, 69; id. Ps. 5, 2, 3; Titin. ap. Non. p. 210, 6 (also id. ib. p. 256, 15), and ap. Prisc. p. 1010 P.—

b.

Class. form blandē, Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 9:

compellare hominem,

id. Poen. 3, 3, 72:

me adpellare,

id. Truc. 1, 2, 61:

adloqui,

Ter. Phorm. 2, 1, 22:

dicere,

id. Ad. 5, 4, 24; cf.:

blande, leniter, dulciter dicere,

Quint. 12, 10, 71;

and blande ac benedice,

Plaut. As. 1, 3, 54:

rogare,

Cic. Rosc. Com. 16, 49:

excepti hospitio ab Tullo blande ac benigne,

Liv. 1, 22, 5:

quaerere,

Suet. Calig. 32:

linguā lambere,

Lucr. 5, 1066:

et satiati agni ludunt blandeque coruscant,

id. 2, 320:

colere fructus,

to treat carefully, gently, id. 5, 1368 (cf. blandimentum, II. B.):

flectere cardinem sonantem,

softly, carefully, Quint. Decl. 1, 13 al. — Comp.:

blandius petere,

Cic. de Or. 1, 24, 112: ad aurem invocabat, Cael. ap. Quint. 4, 2, 124:

moderere fidem,

Hor. C. 1, 24, 13 al. — Sup.:

blandissime appellat hominem,

Cic. Clu. 26, 72.—

* c.

blandum = blande:

ridere,

Petr. 127, 1.