certāmen — Lewis & Short
certāmen, ĭnis, n.id.,
I a contest, struggle, strife, whether friendly or hostile, physical or intellectual; most freq. of a pugilistic contest of any kind; but also of contention in war.
I A contest, struggle in games or otherwise.
A Lit.:
videmusne apud quos eorum ludorum, qui gymnici nominantur, magnus honos sit, nullum ab iis, qui in id certamen descendant, devitari dolorem?Cic. Tusc. 2, 26, 62; cf. id. de Or. 2, 78, 317:
Hac celebrata tenus sancto certamina patri,Verg. A. 5, 603; cf. Ov. M. 1, 446:
luctandi,Quint. 12, 2, 12:
saliendi,id. 10, 3, 6:
citharoedorum,id. 4, 1, 2:
sacra,id. 2, 8, 7 Spald.:
quinquennale triplex, musicum, gymnicum, equestre,Suet. Ner. 12; cf. id. Vit. 4; id. Dom. 4:
bijugum,Verg. A. 5, 144:
quadrigarum,Suet. Claud. 21:
pedum,Ov. M. 12, 304:
cursus,id. ib. 7, 792;
10, 560: disci,id. ib. 10, 177:
Veneris,id. Am. 2, 10, 29 et saep.—
2 Meton., poet., the object contended for, the prize, Ov. M. 13, 129:
pecoris magistris Velocis jaculi certamina ponit in ulmo,Verg. G. 2, 530 Heyne.—
B Trop., a rivalry, contest, struggle, emulation, etc.:
certamen honestum (Stoicorum et Peripateticorum),Cic. Fin. 2, 21, 68:
est mihi tecum pro aris et focis certamen,id. N. D. 3, 40, 94:
est alicui certamen cum aliquo de principatu,Nep. Them. 6, 3: certamen honoris et gloriae. Cic. Lael. 10, 34; cf. id. Off. 1, 12, 38; Sall. J. 41, 2; Quint. 10, 5, 5:
bona ratio cum perditā confligit. In ejus modi certamine ac proelio,Cic. Cat. 2, 11, 25:
pugna forensium certaminum,id. 5, 12, 22:
eloquentiae inter juvenes,Quint. 2, 17, 8:
verborum linguaeque,Liv. 10, 22, 6:
laboris ac periculi,id. 28, 19, 14:
amicitiae, benevolentiae,id. 37, 53, 7:
bonae artis ac virtutis,id. 37, 54, 19:
irarum,id. 1, 7, 2; cf. id. 3, 39, 3:
conferendi (pecuniam),id. 4, 60, 8:
patrum animos certamen regni ac cupido versabat,id. 1, 17, 1; cf. id. 21, 31, 6:
leti (inter mulieres Indas),Prop. 3 (4), 13, 19.
diu magnum inter mortales certamen fuit, vine corporis an virtute animi, etc.,Sall. C. 1, 5; cf. Tib. 4, 1, 37.—Rarely with gen. of adversary:
si in virtutis certamen venerint ( = cum virtute),Cic. Fin. 5, 24, 71 Madv. ad loc.—Poet.:
mite vini,a drinking bout, Tib. 3, 6, 11.—Also poet.: certamina ponere, syn. with certamina instituere = a)gw=na protiqe/nai, to order, arrange a fight or contest, Verg. A. 5, 66; 8, 639; cf. id. G. 2, 530 Wagn.—Of inanimate things:
Arboribusque datumst variis exinde per auras Crescendi magnum inmissis certamen habenis,Lucr. 5, 787.—
II Esp., a military strife, battle, engagement, contest, fight, combat.
A Subject. (diff. from the objective; cf.:
proeliam, pugna, bellum, etc.): horrida Romuleum certamina pango duellum,Enn. Ann. 1, 1; 1, 476; 2, 6; 5, 1295; Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 18, 2; Lucr. 4, 844; Ov. M. 12, 180; Liv. 36, 19, 13:
aeterno certamine proelia pugnasque edere,Lucr. 2, 117:
fit proelium acri certamine,Hirt. B. G. 8, 28; cf.:
proelii certamen,id. B. Alex. 16:
certamine,with zeal, emulously, earnestly, Verg. A. 5, 197; Curt. 9, 4; Sil. 10, 536; cf.:
nec magni certaminis ea dimicatio fuit,not severe, Liv. 21, 60, 7. —
B Object., = proelium, pugna, etc.:
vario certamine pugnatum est,Caes. B. C. 1, 46:
erat in celeritate omne positum certamen, utri, etc.,id. ib. 1, 70:
bella atque certamina,Sall. C. 33, 5:
ubi res ad certamen venit,id. J. 13, 4:
in certamine ipso,Liv. 2, 44, 11:
navalia,a naval engagement, sea-fight, id. 31, 14, 4:
classicum,Vell. 2, 85, 2:
saevit medio in certamine Mavors,Verg. A. 8, 700 et saep.—Hence.
C In the postAug. histt. for war in gen., Flor. 1, 20; Eutr. 1, 16; Just. 7, 2, 6; 7, 6, 6.