serpo
serpo, to creep, crawl
- I Lit. (only of animals; while repo is also used of persons who creep or go slowly; v. repo, I.): serpere anguiculos, nare anaticulas, evolare merulas, etc., Cic. Fin. 5, 15, 42: alia animalia gradiendo, alia serpendo ad pastum accedunt, id. N. D. 2, 47, 122: serpentes quasdam (bestias), quasdam esse gradientes, id. Tusc. 5, 13, 38: (anguis) per humum, Ov. M. 15, 689: vipera imā humo, id. P. 3, 3, 102: draco In platanum, id. M. 12, 13: serpentia secla ferarum, i. e. the serpents, Lucr. 6, 766.—In late Lat. pass.: cum terra nullo serpatur angue, was crawled over, Sol. 22, 10.—
- B Transf., of things, to move slowly or imperceptibly, to creep along, proceed gradually, etc. (mostly poet.): has (stellas) inter, torvus Draco serpit, Cic. poët. N. D. 2, 42, 106: sol serpens, Lucr. 5, 690.— Of streams: an te, Cydne, canam, qui leniter ... placidis per vada serpis aquis, creepest, windest along, Tib. 1, 7, 14: in freta vicina Numicius, Ov. M. 14, 598: Ister tectis in mare serpit aquis, id. Tr. 3, 10, 30: in sicco serpentem pulvere rivum, Luc. 9, 974: lacrimae serpunt per vulnera, Stat. Th. 11, 608: exsistit sacer ignis et urit corpore serpens, slowly spreading, Lucr. 6, 660; so, flamma per continua, Liv. 30, 6: aestus aetheris, Lucr. 5, 523; 6, 1120 (with repere): fallacem patriae serpere dixit equum (Trojanum), was creeping along, Prop. 3, 13 (4, 12), 64.—Of plants: vitis serpens multiplici lapsu et erratico, Cic. Sen. 15, 52; cf.: lithospermos (herba) jacet atque serpit humi, Plin. 27, 11, 74, § 99; so, chamaeleon, id. 22, 18, 21, § 45; cf.: liber per colla, Ov. M. 9, 389: caules per terram, Plin. 21, 16, 59, § 99: rami in terram, id. 27, 9, 58, § 82: radices inter se, id. 17, 20, 33, § 144: sine tempora circum Inter victrices hederam tibi serpere lauros, Verg. E. 8, 13; Laber. ap Macr. S. 2, 7; Col. 10, 119.—Of the growth of the hair: per tua lanugo cum serpere coeperit ora, Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 641.—Of fire: dein per continua serpens (flamma) omnia incendio hausit, Liv. 30, 6: sive ipsi (ignes) serpere possunt quo cibus vocat, Lucr. 5, 523; cf. id. 6, 660.—Of disease, etc.: si ulcus latius atque altius serpit, gradually spreads, Cels. 6, 18, 2 med.: dira contagia per vulgus, Verg. G. 3, 469: cancer, Ov. M. 2, 826: carcinoma, Plin. 29, 2, 10, § 37: atra lues in vultus, Mart. 1, 79, 2 al.: per membra senectus, Lucr. 1, 415: quies, Verg. A. 2, 269: somnus, Plin. 7, 24, 24, § 90.—
- II Trop., to creep, crawl; to extend gradually or imperceptibly; to spread abroad, increase, prevail (a favorite trope of Cic.): neque enim serpit, sed volat in optimum statum res publica, Cic. Rep. 2, 18, 33: serpere occulte coepisti nihil dum aliis suspicantibus, id. de Or. 2, 50, 203: (hoc malum) obscure serpens multas jam provincias occupavit, id. Cat. 4, 3, 6: malum longius, id. Rab. Post. 6, 15; id. Phil. 1, 2, 5; id. Att. 1, 13, 3; id. de Or. 3, 24, 94: serpit deinde res, id. Lael. 12, 41; cf.: ne latius serperet res, Liv. 28, 15 fin.; so, latius, id. 40, 19 fin.; cf. Plin. Ep. 5, 4, 3: serpit nescio quo modo per omnium vitas amicitia, Cic. Lael. 23, 87: si semel suscipimus genus hoc argumenti, attende quo serpat, id. N. D. 1, 35, 98; 3, 20, 52: quam facile serpat injuria et peccandi consuetudo, id. Verr. 2, 2, 22, § 53; cf. id. Div. in Caecil. 21, 68: serpit hic rumor, id. Mur. 21, 45: fama per coloniam, Plin. Ep. 9, 33, 5: per agmina murmur, Verg. A. 12, 239: murmura plebis, Stat. Th. 1, 168: cura altius, Plin. 14, 11, 13, § 87: serpente latius bello, Flor. 2, 2, 15; 2, 9, 4.—Of a low, grovelling poetic style: (poëta) Serpit humi tutus, crawls along the earth, Hor. A. P. 28 (cf.: sermones Repentes per humum, id. Ep. 2, 1, 251).
- —Hence, serpens, entis (gen. plur. serpentium, Vitr. 8, 4; 9, 6; Nep. Hann. 11, 5; Hor. Epod. 1, 20; Cels. 5, 27, 3; but also, mostly poet. and later, serpentum, Verg. A. 8, 436; 12, 848; Ov. M. 7, 534; Luc. 9, 608 al.), f. (sc. bestia); less freq. and mostly poet. and eccl. Lat., m. (sc. draco), a creeping thing, a creeper, crawler (cf. reptilis).
- A κατʼ ἐξοχήν, i. e. a snake, serpent (syn.: anguis, coluber); fem.: quaedam serpentes ortae extra aquam, etc., Cic. N. D. 2, 48, 124; Lucr. 4, 60; 4, 638; Ov. M. 1, 447; 1, 454; 2, 652; id. Am. 2, 13, 13; Hor. C. 1, 37, 27; Luc. 9, 397; Nep. Hann. 10, 4 al.— Masc., Lucr. 5, 33; Verg. A. 2, 214; 5, 273; 11, 753; Ov. M. 3, 38; 3, 325; 4, 570; Hor. S. 1, 3, 27; Luc. 9, 324; cf. Sall. J. 89, 5, and Quint. 2, 4, 19: igniti, Vulg. Num. 21, 6.— In apposition with draco, Suet. Tib. 72.— Also neutr. plur. serpentia, Vulg. Act. 10, 12. —
- 2 Transf., the Serpent, as a constellation.
- a Between the Great and the Little Bear, = anguis and draco, Ov. M. 2, 173; Hyg. Astr. 3, 1.—
- b In the hand of Ophiuchus (Anguitenens, Anguifer), = anguis, Vitr. 9, 6; Hyg. Astr. 2, 14; 3, 13; cf. Plin. 2, 25, 23, § 93.—
- B A creeping insect on the human body, a louse, Plin. 7, 51, 52, § 172; Ap. Flor. p. 354, 4.
➳ sync. serpsit = serpserit P. Fest. 349, 6.
- 1. kruipen, sluipen [per humum]; ➤ (metaf.) somnus serpit komt aansluipen, nadert;
- 2. kronkelen; ➤ vitis, hedera serpens slingerend;
- 3. (metaf.) zich verspreiden, geleidelijk om zich heen grijpen, voortwoekeren; ➤ malum obscure serpens; flamma per continua serpens; per membra senectus serpit; serpit fama per coloniam; per agmina murmur serpit.
- SERP-, to creep, crawl(of animals): serpere anguiculos: animalia, alia serpendo ad pastum accedunt: imā vipera humo, O.: draco In platanum, O.—Of things, to move slowly, pass imperceptibly, creep along, proceed gradually: Ister tectis in mare serpit aquis, O.: vitis serpens multiplici lapsu: tempora circum hederam tibi serpere, V.: cancer, O.—Fig., to creep, crawl, extend gradually, grow imperceptibly, make way stealthily, spread abroad, increase, prevail: neque enim serpit, sed volat in optimum statum res p.: serpet hoc malum longius quam putatis: ne latius serperet res, L.: serpit hic rumor: per agmina murmur, V.—Rarely of a person: serpere occulte coepisti nihil dum aliis suspicantibus.—Of style, to crawl, be low: (poëta) Serpit humi tutus, H.
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…fertur ad terram, eadem, ut se erigat, claviculis suis quasi manibus quidquid est nacta complectitur, quam serpentem multiplici lapsu et erratico, ferro amputans coercet ars agricolarum, ne silvescat sarmentis et in omnis partis nimia fundatur…
M. Tullius Cicero, De Senectute
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…convertitur orbe. Et quo sit earum stellarum admirabilior aspectus, has inter veluti rapido cum gurgite flumen torvus Draco serpit supter supraque revolvens sese conficiensque sinus e corpore flexos. eius cum totius est praeclara species tum in primis aspicienda…
M. Tullius Cicero, de Natura Deorum
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…ipsi qui inridentur Aegyptii nullam beluam nisi ob aliquam utilitatem quam ex ea caperent consecraverunt ; velut ibes maximam vim serpentium conficiunt, cum sint aves excelsae cruribus rigidis corneo proceroque rostro ; avertunt pestem ab Aegypto, cum volucris anguis…
M. Tullius Cicero, de Natura Deorum
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…fecit hominem hominum adpetentem cumque iis natura et sermone et usu congruentem, ut profectus a caritate domesticorum ac suorum serpat longius et se implicet primum civium, deinde omnium mortalium societate atque, ut ad Archytam scripsit Plato, non…
M. Tullius Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum
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…. Est etiam admiratio non nulla in bestiis aquatilibus is quae gignuntur in terra ; veluti crocodili fluviatilesque testudines quaedamque serpentes ortae extra aquam simul ac primum niti possunt aquam persequuntur. quin etiam anitum ova gallinis saepe supponimus ; e…
M. Tullius Cicero, de Natura Deorum
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…, et in augurum precatione Tiberinum Spinonem Anemonem Nodinum alia propinquorum fluminum nomina videmus. Ergo hoc aut in inmensum serpet, aut nihil horum recipiemus ; nec illa infinita ratio superstitionis probabitur ; nihil ergo horum probandum est. Dicamus…
M. Tullius Cicero, de Natura Deorum
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…crucem, columnam tollere, locum illum sternendum locare quid quaeris heroica. sustulisse mihi videtur simulationem desideri adhuc quae serpebat in dies, et inveterata verebar ne periculosa nostris tyrannoctonis esset. nunc prorsus adsentior tuis litteris speroque meliora .…
Cicero, Epistulae ad Atticum
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…vitia, quae ipse norit, ceteri ignorent, pestilentes sint et habeantur salubres, ignoretur in omnibus cubiculis apparere serpentes, male materiatae sint, ruinosae, sed hoc praeter dominum nemo sciat ; quaero, si haec emptoribus venditor…
M. Tullius Cicero, De Officiis
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…Graii. hic pressu duplici palmarum continet Anguem, atque eius ipse manet religatus corpore torto ; namque virum medium Serpens sub pectora cingit. ille tamen nitens graviter vestigia ponit atque oculos urget pedibus pectusque Nepai. Septentriones autem sequitur…
M. Tullius Cicero, de Natura Deorum
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…, cum te nihil aliud profecisse arbitrarer, nisi ut homines tibi civem improbum defendenti ignoscendum propter necessitudinem arbitrarentur, serpere occulte coepisti, nihil dum aliis suspicantibus, me vero iam pertimescente, ut illam non Norbani seditionem, sed…
Cicero, de Oratore