fĭdēlis — Lewis & Short
fĭdēlis, e, adj.1. fides,
I that may be trusted or relied upon, trusty, faithful, sincere, true (class.; syn. fidus).
I Prop.
A Adj., constr. absol., with dat., or with in and acc.
(a) Absol.:
cum et civis mihi bonus et firmus amicus ac fidelis videretur,Cic. Cael. 6, 14: doctus, fidelis, Suavis homo, etc., Enn. ap. Gell. 12, 4 (Ann. v. 249 ed. Vahl.):
boni fidelesque socii,Liv. 22, 37, 4; 9, 2, 5; 29, 7, 2; 22, 37, 4 Drak. N. cr.; cf.:
sociis multo fidelioribus utimur,Cic. Att. 5, 18, 2:
est urbs Massilia fortissimorum fidelissimorumque sociorum,id. Font. 1, 3:
fidelissima conjux,id. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 3:
medicus multum celer atque fidelis,Hor. S. 2, 3, 147:
minister,id. C. 4, 4, 3:
seu visa est catulis cerva fidelibus,id. ib. 1, 1, 27:
multorum opes praepotentium excludunt amicitias fideles,Cic. Lael. 15, 54:
consilium,id. Agr. 2, 2 fin.; cf. id. Clu. 31, 85:
opera,id. Caecin. 5, 14; cf.:
operā Commii fideli atque utili,Caes. B. G. 7, 76, 1:
cura,Ov. H. 1, 104:
silentium,Hor. C. 3, 2, 25:
desideria (patriae),id. ib. 4, 5, 15:
lacrimae,i. e. true, genuine, Ov. H. 14, 127.—
(b) With dat.:
qui (Cn. Pompeius) unum Deiotarum fidelem populo Romano judicavit,Cic. Phil. 11, 13, 34:
cave tu illi fidelis potius fueris quam mihi,Plaut. Aul. 4, 2, 11:
illi fuisti quam mihi fidelior,id. Capt. 3, 5, 58:
habere aliquem fidelem sibi,id. Bacch. 3, 3, 87:
quem sibi fidelem arbitrabatur,Caes. B. G. 4, 21, 7; Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 1; Quint. 11, 2, 42.—
(g) With in and acc.:
quam fideli animo et benigno in illam fui,Ter. Hec. 3, 5, 22; cf. Cic. Mil. 10, 29:
in amicos,Sall. C. 9, 2 (others read: in amicis, v. Kritz. ad h. 1.).—
b Subst.: fĭdēlis, is, m., a trusty person, a confidant:
si quem tuorum fidelium voles, ad me mittas,Cic. Fam. 4, 1, 2.
II Transf., in gen., of things, to be depended upon, sure, safe, strong, firm, durable (rare but class.):
nam et doctrina et domus, et ars et ager etiam fidelis dici potest: ut sit, quomodo Theophrasto placet, verecunda tralatio,Cic. Fam. 16, 17, 1:
in nave tuta ac fideli,id. Planc. 41, 97:
lorica,Verg. A. 9, 707:
portus,Ov. Tr. 4, 5, 5:
materies terebinthi ad vetustatem,Plin. 13, 6, 12, § 54;
structura,Front. Aquaed. 123:
rimis explendis fidelior pice,Plin. 16, 36, 64, § 158:
fidelissimum glutinum,id. 28, 17, 71, § 236.—Hence, adv., in two forms: fĭdē-lĭter (class.) and fĭdēle (ante- and postclass.).
I Faithfully, trustily, certainly, surely, honestly.
(a) Form fideliter:
constanter et fideliter in amicitia alicujus permanere,Liv. 33, 35, 9:
vivere simpliciter, fideliter vitaeque hominum amice,Cic. Off. 1, 26, 92:
obtestatur per sua antea fideliter acta, etc.,Sall. J. 71 fin.:
aliquid fideliter curare,Cic. Att. 15, 20, 4: valetudini inservire, Tiro ap. Cic. Fam. 16, 17, 1:
colere amicos,Plin. Ep. 7, 31, 5:
discere artes ingenuas,Ov. P. 2, 9, 47:
retinent commissa (aures),Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 70; cf.:
ejus (memoriae) duplex virtus, facile percipere et fideliter continere,Quint. 1, 3, 1:
exstincta parum fideliter incendia,Flor. 3, 5 med.—
(b) Form fidele:
fac fidele sis fidelis,Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 79: militare, Prud. steg. 10, 428. —
b Comp.:
quo propior quisque est servitque fidelius aegro,Ov. M. 7, 563; Plin. Ep. 6, 24, 3.—
c Sup.: ut is optime te laudasse videatur, qui narraverit fidelissime, Plin. Pan. 56, 2.—
2 (Acc. to II.) Surely, strongly, firmly: per quorum loca fideliter mihi pateret iter, Planc. in Cic. Fam. 10, 23, 2:
oratoris futuri fundamenta fideliter jacere,Quint. 1, 4, 5:
quod fideliter firmum est, a primis statim actionibus arripere optimum est,firmly grounded, id. 6, 4, 14; cf. Gell. 15, 2, 6.—Comp.:
qui quartanum passus convaluerit, fidelius constantiusque postea valiturum,Gell. 17, 12, 3:
memoriae inhaerere fidelius,Quint. 10, 6, 2; cf. id. 10, 3, 2.—Sup.:
fortunae inaurato fidelissime simulacro,very solidly, durably, Plin. 33, 3, 19, § 61.