V / Vĕnus
noun #618

Vĕnus

gen. Vĕnĕris · gender feminine · decl. 3rd
the goddess of Love; the goddess Venus; Æneas
gen. sing. VENERVS, Inscr. Orell. 1364), f. v. veneror, the goddess of Love, the goddess Venus, Cic. N. D. 3, 23, 59 sq.; id. Div. 1, 13, 23; id. Or. 2, 5; Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 60, § 135; Varr. R. R. 1, 1, 6; Lucr. 1, 2; Hor. C. 1, 30, 1: filius Veneris, i. e. Cupid, Ov. M. 1, 463; cf. puerum, id. Am. 1, 10, 17; also Æneas, Verg. A. 1, 325; and in jest, Venere prognatus, of C. Julius Cœar, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 15, 2: Veneris mensis, i. e. April, Ov. F. 4, 61.—
by extension
Love; sexual love; venery
Love, sexual love, venery (as euphemism freq.): sine Cerere et Libero friget Venus, Ter. Eun. 4, 5, 6: Venus trivio conmissa, Prop. 4 (5), 7, 19. Verg. G. 3, 97; Ov. M. 10, 80; 10, 434; 11, 306; 12, 198; App. M. 1, p. 106, 13; Quint. 8, 6, 24; Tac. G. 20; Col. 6, 27, 10.—
love; a beloved object; beloved
Like the Engl. love, to denote a beloved object, beloved: nec veneres nostras hoc fallit, Lucr. 4, 1185: mea Venus, Verg. E. 3, 68; Hor. C. 1, 27, 14; 1, 33, 13.—
Qualities that excite love; loveliness; attractiveness
Qualities that excite love, loveliness, attractiveness, beauty, grace, elegance, charms (sing. and plur.; not in Cic.): quo fugit venus? quo color? decens Quo motus? Hor. C. 4, 13, 17: ac bene nummatum decorat suadela venusque, id. Ep. 1, 6, 38; id. A. P. 42; Sen. Ben. 2, 28, 1: fabula nullius veneris sine pondere et arte, Hor. A. P. 320: sermo ipse Romanus non recipere videatur illam solis concessam Atticis venerem, Quint. 10, 1, 100: quod cum gratiā quādam et venere dicatur, id. 6, 3, 18; so (with gratia) id. 4, 2, 116.— Of paintings: deesse iis unam illam suam venerem dicebat, quam Graeci charita vocant, Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 79.—Plur.: profecto Amoenitates omnium venerum atque venustatum adfero, Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 5: Isocrates omnes dicendi veneres sectatus est, Quint. 10, 1, 79.—
The planet Venus
The planet Venus, Cic. N. D. 2, 20, 53; id. Rep. 6, 17, 17.—
The highest throw; the Venus throw
The highest throw at dice, when each of the dice presented a different number, the Venus throw, Prop. 4 (5), 8, 45; Hor. C. 2, 7, 25; Aug. ap. Suet. Aug. 71; cf. in the foll.—
belonging to Venus; belonging to sexual love; venereal
Derivv.: Vĕnĕrĕus or Vĕnĕrĭus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to Venus: sacerdos, Plaut. Rud. 2, 2, 23: antistita, id. ib. 3, 2, 10: nepotulus, id. Mil. 5, 20; 5, 28: nutricatus, id. ib. 3, 1, 54: servi, temple-slaves of the Erycinian Venus in Sicily, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 20, § 50; 2, 5, 54, § 141; v. also infra, B. 2.: res, voluptates, etc., of or belonging to sexual love, venereous, venereal, Cic. Sen. 14, 47; id. Div. 2, 69, 143: visa, Plin. 34, 18, 50, § 166; Col. 12, 4, 3; cf. in a pun: homo, belonging to Venus and lascivious (of Verres), Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 54, § 141: delphinus, wanton, Gell. 7, 8, 1: nostros quoque antiquiores poëtas amasios et Venerios fuisse, id. 19, 9, 9: pira, a kind of pear, Venus-pear, Col. 5, 10, 18; 12, 10, 4; Plin. 15, 15, 16, § 56.—
Substt
Substt.
the Venus-throw
Vĕnĕrĕus (Vĕnĕrĭus), i, m. (i. e. jactus), the Venus-throw at dice (v. supra, I. B. 5.), Cic. Div. 1, 13, 23; 2, 21, 48; 2, 59, 121; also Vĕnĕrĕum, i, n.: hoc Venereum est, Plaut. As. 5, 2, 55.—
the templeslaves of the Erycinian Venus
Vĕnĕrĕi (Vĕnĕrĭi), ōrum, m. (i. e. servi), the templeslaves of the Erycinian Venus (v. supra), Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 38, § 92; 2, 3, 25, § 61; id. Clu. 15, 43.—
a kind of mussels; Venus-shell
Vĕnĕrĕae (Vĕnĕrĭae), ārum, f. (i. e. conchae), a kind of mussels, Venus-shell, Plin. 9, 33, 52, § 103; 32, 11, 53, § 151.