Lewis : equus

equus, ĕquus, i (gen. plur. equūm, Verg. G. 2, 542; Stat. Th. 4, 409 al.), m. Sanscr. acvas; Gr. ἵππος ( ἴκκος ); cf. Epŏna; root, ak-, to be sharp or swift; cf. Gr. ἄκρος, ὠκύς ; Lat. acus, ocior, a horse, steed, charger. Prop. In gen. (cf.: caballus, canterius, mannus), Varr. R. R. 2, 7; Col. 6, 27 sq.; Plin. 8, 42, 64, § 154 sq.; Pall. Mart. 13; Enn. ap. Cic. de Sen. 5, 14 (Ann. v. 441 ed. Vahlen); Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 39; id. Men. 5, 2, 109; Cic. Rep. 1, 43; 1, 7, 9 et saep.: equus = equa, Varr. R. R. 2, 7, 11.—Offered as a sacrifice to Mars, Paul. ex Fest. p. 81, 16, and p. 178, 24 sq. Müll.; cf. Prop. 4 (5), 1, 20; and v. October: EQVO PVBLICO ORNATVS, EXORNATVS, HONORATVS, etc.; or, ellipt., EQVO PVBLICO, very often in inscriptions; v. Inscr. Momms. 73; 459; 445; 1952; 2456; 2865 al.—In another sense: equi publici, post-horses, Amm. 14, 6.—Equo vehi, advehi, ire, desilire, equum conscendere, flectere, in equum ascendere, equo citato, concitato, etc., see under these verbs.

In partic. Of cavalry, in the phrase, equis virisque (viri = pedites; cf. eques and vir), adverb., with horse and foot, i. e. with might and main, with tooth and nail, Liv. 5, 37; Flor. 2, 7, 8; also: equis, viris, Cic. Phil. 8, 7, 21; id. Fam. 9, 7; cf. Nep. Hamilc. 4; and in the order, viris equisque, Cic. Off. 3, 33.

Transf., of race-horses: ego cursu corrigam tarditatem tum equis, tum vero, quoniam scribis poëma ab eo nostrum probari, quadrigis poeticis, i. e. in prose and poetry, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 15, a (see the passage in connection).

Transf. In plur. (like ἵπποι in Homer), a chariot, Verg. A. 9, 777.

The wind, Cat. 66, 54; Val. Fl. 1, 611.

In mal. part., Hor. S. 2, 7, 50; Petr. 24, 4; App. M. 2, p. 122; Mart. 11, 104, 14.

Prov.: equi donati dentes non inspiciuntur, we don't look a gift horse in the mouth, Hier. Ep. ad Ephes. prooem.

Meton. Equus bipes, a sea-horse, Verg. G. 4, 389; Auct. Pervig. Ven. 10: fluviatilis, a river-horse, hippopotamus, Plin. 8, 21, 30, § 73.

Equus ligneus, like the Homeric ἁλὸς ἵππος, a ship, Plaut. Rud. 1, 5, 10.

The Trojan horse, Verg. A. 2, 112 sq.; Hyg. Fab. 108; Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 12; Prop. 3 (4), 1, 25; Hor. C. 4, 6, 13 al.

* Trop., of a secret conspiracy, Cic. Mur. 37, 78.

A battering-ram, because shaped like a horse; afterwards called aries, Plin. 7, 56, 57, § 202.

The constellation Pegasus, Cic. N. D. 2, 43, 111 sq.; Col. 11, 2, 31; Hyg. Astr. 2, 18; 3, 17.

Equus Trojanus, the title of a play of Livius Andronicus, Cic. Fam. 7, 1, 2 al.