priscus

of or belonging to former times, of many years ago, old, olden, ancient, primitive, antique. Like the Greek ἀρχαῖος, it denotes that which existed before our time, while pristinus is applied also to those things which have existed in our day (class.; cf.: vetus, antiquus).

Lit.: credendum est veteribus et priscis viris, Cic. Univ. 11: prisca illa et antiqua rei publicae forma, Vell. 2, 89, 3: illud erat insitum priscis illis, quos cascos appellat Ennius, Cic. Tusc. 1, 12, 27: nam Joves pluris in priscis Graecorum litteris invenimus, id. N. D. 3, 16, 42: severitas, id. Har. Resp. 13, 27: et illud quod loquitur priscum visum iri putat, id. de Or. 3, 11, 42: priscae sanctimoniae virgo, Tac. A. 3, 69: prisci Latini proprie appellati sunt ii, qui prius quam conderetur Roma, fuerunt, Paul. ex Fest. p. 226 Müll.: priscae Latinae coloniae appellatae sunt, ut distinguerent a novis, quae postea a populo dabantur, Fest. p. 241 Müll.: tempus, Ov. F. 1, 197.— Priscus has the accessory idea of venerable, and from the Augustan period is frequently applied to whatever dates from the earliest times, the golden age of Rome: prisca gens mortalium, Hor. Epod. 2, 2: priscus Inachus, id. C. 2, 3, 21: Pudor, id. C. S. 57: prisco more, Ov. F. 2, 282: prisco ritu, Plin. 12, 1, 2, § 3: priscum illud acumen, Brute, tuum, Juv. 4, 102: fides, Verg. A. 9, 79; Mart. 1, 40, 2.—Subst.: prisci, ōrum, m., the ancients: cum colerent prisci studiosius agros, Ov. F. 3, 779.—