fāma — Lewis & Short
fāma, ae, f.for, fa-ri, = fh/mh,
I the talk of the multitude, like rumor, either as relating or as judging (v. rumor; cf. also: nomen, gloria, laudatio; clamor, plausus; honos, dignitas, honestas, laus, etc.).
I That which people say or tell, the common talk, a report, rumor, saying, tradition (freq. and class.; plur. very rare); absol., or with a statement of the subject-matter annexed with de, or as an object-clause; rarely with gen.
a Absol.:
hascine propter res maledicas famas ferunt?Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 149: a Brundisio nulla adhuc fama venerat, Cic. Att. 9, 3, 2:
cum tristis a Mutina fama manaret,id. Phil. 14, 6, 15:
at fuit fama. Quotusquisque est, qui istam effugere potest in tam maledica civitate?id. Cael. 16, 38: magna illico fama surrexit, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 8, 2:
aliquod fama ac nuntiis afferre,Caes. B. G. 6, 30, 2:
hac fama ad Treviros perlata,id. ib. 5, 53, 2:
reliquos (deos) ne famā quidem acceperunt,id. ib. 6, 21, 2; cf.:
quam Eratostheni et quibusdam Graecis famā notam esse video,id. ib. 6, 24, 2:
concedamus famae hominum,Cic. Rep. 2, 2:
Daedalus, ut fama est, fugiens, etc.,Verg. A. 6, 14; cf.:
pulsis (vetus est ut fama) Sabellis,Hor. S. 2, 1, 36:
ita fama ferebat,Ov. M. 12, 197:
duplex inde fama est,a twofold tradition, Liv. 1, 1, 6.— In plur.:
inhonestas famas adjungere diis,Arn. 7, 219:
per omnem provinciam magnae atrocesque famae ibant,Sall. H. 1, 67 Dietsch, ex conj.—
b Stating the subject-matter or contents.
(a) With de:
si quis quid de republica a finitimis rumore aut fama acceperit,Caes. B. G. 6, 20, 1:
si quid ipsi audistis communi fama atque sermone de vi, de manu, de armis, etc.,Cic. Fl. 6, 13:
de interitu P. Clodii,id. Mil. 35, 98:
de Afranio fama est,id. Att. 7, 26, 1:
de Titurii morte,Caes. B. G. 5, 39, 1; cf.:
de victoria Caesaris,id. ib. 5, 53, 1;
5, 51, 1: de proelio Dyrrhachino,id. B. C. 3, 80.—Plur.: ingentes esse famas de Regulo, Arrunt. ap. Sen. Ep. 114, 19 fin.—
(b) With an appos. clause:
ne mihi hanc famam differant, Me ... dedisse, etc.,Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 63;
v. differo, B. 2.: accipere fama et auditione, esse quoddam numen et vim deorum,Cic. N. D. 2, 37, 95:
quod tibi esse antiquissimum constante famā atque omnium sermone celebratum est,id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 8, § 24; so,
constans fama,Liv. 6, 25, 4:
cum esse praestantem Numam Pompilium fama ferret,Cic. Rep. 2, 13:
cum fama per orbem terrarum percrebuisset, illum, etc.,Caes. B. C. 3, 43 fin.:
fama nuntiabat, te esse in Syria,Cic. Fam. 12, 4, 2:
fama incerta duos equites venisse,a vague rumor, Liv. 27, 50, 6:
capsis quem (Cassium) fama est esse librisque Ambustum propriis,Hor. S. 1, 10, 63 al.—
(g) With gen.:
vix ad aures meas istius suspicionis fama pervenit,Cic. Sull. 4, 12:
propter incertam famam aeris alieni,an unsupported rumor, Liv. 6, 27, 3.—
B Personified: Fama, a goddess, daughter of Terra, swiftfooted, all-seeing, growing as she runs:
Fama, malum qua non aliud velocius ullum,Verg. A. 4, 173 sq.; Ov. M. 12, 43 sq.; Val. Fl. 2, 116 sq.; Stat. Th. 3, 426 sq.; Ov. M. 8, 267; 9, 137; 14, 726; 15, 4; 853 al.
II The voice or judgment of the many, public opinion; more freq. objectively, the fame, character, reputation which a man has, either in general or in particular, as a good or bad reputation, etc. (very freq. and class.).
A In gen.:
famam atque rumores pars altera consensum civitatis et velut publicum testimonium vocat: altera sermonem sine ullo certo auctore dispersum, cui malignitas initium dederit, incrementum credulitas,Quint. 5, 3; cf.:
adversus famam rumoresque hominum si satis firmus steteris,Liv. 22, 39, 18:
contra opinionem militum famamque omnium videri proelium defugisse, magnum detrimentum afferebat,Caes. B. C. 1, 82, 2; cf. id. ib. 3, 56 fin.: fama popularis, popular fame or favor, Cic. Tusc. 3, 2, 4; 5, 16, 46:
forensis,Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 5, 17: de bona fama (quam enim appellant eu)doci/an, aptius est hoc loco bonam famam appellare quam gloriam), Cic. Fin. 3, 17, 57:
bona de Domitio, praeclara de Afranio fama est,id. Att. 7, 26, 1; cf.:
qui bonam famam bonorum, quae sola vere gloria nominari potest, expetunt,id. Sest. 66, 139; Sall. C. 7, 6:
si bonam famam mihi servasso, sat ero dives,Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 70 sq.:
bona,Cat. 61, 62:
bene loquendi fama,Cic. Brut. 74, 259:
eloquentiae,Quint. 7, 1, 41:
sapientiae,Cic. Lael. 4, 15:
pudica,Prop. 2, 32 (3, 30), 21:
alium mala fama et timor impediebat,Sall. J. 35, 4:
inconstantiae,Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 11:
vappae ac nebulonis,Hor. S. 1, 2, 12.—In plur.: inter arma civilia aequi boni famas petit, Sall. Fragm. ap. Sen. Ep. 114, 19 (Hist. inc. lib. 76 Dietsch).—
B In partic.
1 In a good sense, fair fame, reputation, renown, = existumatio, fama bona:
ut vos mihi domi eritis, proinde ego ero famā foris,Tert. Hec. 2, 1, 21: fundamentum est perpetuae commendationis et famae justitia, Cic. Off. 2, 20, 71:
fama et existimatio,id. Quint. 15, 50; cf.:
ut ante collectam famam conservet (for which, shortly after: habet existimationem multo sudore collectam),id. Div. in Caecil. 22, 71:
sic ejus (Archiae) adventus celebrabantur, ut famam ingenii exspectatio hominis superaret ... hac tanta celebritate famae cum esset jam absentibus notus, etc. (shortly before: celeriter antecellere omnibus ingenii gloriā contigit),id. Arch. 3, 5;
so corresp. to gloria,id. Tusc. 1, 46, 110:
fama ingeni abicienda,id. Fam. 9, 16, 3;
with the latter cf.: anxius de fama ingenii,Quint. 11, 1, 50; 74:
de alicujus fama detrahere,Cic. Fam. 3, 8, 5:
famam in tuto collocare,Quint. 12, 11, 7:
ejus scripta tantum intra famam sunt,id. 11, 3, 8:
ad famam populi Romani pertinere, eos consules esse, etc.,Liv. 10, 24, 17:
(ut amicorum) aut caput agatur aut fama,Cic. Lael. 17, 61:
loco, fortuna, fama superiores,id. ib. 25, 94:
virtus, fama, decus divitiis parent,Hor. S. 2, 3, 95:
cui gratia, fama, valetudo, contingat abunde,id. Ep. 1, 4, 10:
famam dicendi fortius quaerunt,Quint. 2, 12, 9: Evadne ... Occidit Argivae fama pudicitiae, the glory or pride of Argive chastity, i. e. of the chaste women of Argos, Prop. 1, 15, 22.—Esp.: magna fama, great reputation, fame, glory:
magnam famam attulisse Fabio Tarentum rebatur,Liv. 27, 25, 11:
magnam famam sui relinquere,Nep. Lys. 1, 1:
habere,Plin. 36, 21, 39, § 149.—
2 In a bad sense, illfame, infamy, scandal, = infamia, fama mala (rare): opplere (aliquem) famā ac flagitiis, Turp. ap. Non. 306, 2; Ter. Ad. 2, 3, 10:
neque specie famāve movetur, Nec jam furtivum Dido meditatur amorem,Verg. A. 4, 172; Sall. C. 3, 5; Tac. A. 12, 49; Plin. Pan. 28, 1; cf.:
laeta apud plerosque, apud quosdam sinistra fama,Tac. A. 11, 19.