1. lēnis — Lewis & Short
lēnis, e, adj.cf. lentus,
I soft, smooth, mild, gentle, easy, calm.
I Lit.:
sensus judicat dulce, amarum: lene, asperum,Cic. Fin. 2, 12, 36; id. N. D. 2, 58, 146:
vehemens fricatio spissat, lenis mollit,Plin. 28, 4, 14, § 53:
vinum hoc asperum est: aliud lenius, sodes, vide,Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 48:
lenibus venenis uti,Cic. Att. 2, 21, 1:
lenissimus ventus,id. ib. 7, 2, 1:
motus laterum,moderate, gentle, Quint. 11, 3, 92; 161:
leni igni sucus coquitur,Plin. 21, 18, 73, § 122.—Of the Nile:
postea lenis,Plin. 5, 9, 10, § 54:
tormentum,Hor. C. 3, 21, 13:
volatus,Ov. M. 12, 527:
somnus,Hor. C. 3, 1, 21.—Of heights, gently or gradually rising:
clivus,Liv. 6, 24; cf. id. 29, 33.— Comp.:
jugum paulo leniore fastigio ab ea parte quae, etc.,Caes. B. C. 2, 24;
so fastigium,Plin. 16, 36, 64, § 158.—
II Trop., gentle, moderate, mild, lenient, calm.
A In gen.:
servitutem lenem reddere,Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 5:
Ecce me. Opusne (erit tibi) leni? leniorem dices quam mutumst mare,id. Mil. 3, 1, 70:
homo lenis et facilis,Cic. Fam. 5, 2, 9:
populus Romanus in hostes lenissimus,id. Rosc. Am. 53, 154:
lenissima verba,id. Fam. 5, 15, 1:
lenissimum ingenium,id. Brut. 56, 204: lenior sententia, Caes. B. C. 1, 2: lene consilium dare, Hor C. 3, 4, 41.—
(b) With inf.:
non lenis precibus fata recludere Mercurius,Hor. C. 1, 24, 17.—
B In partic.
1 Of speech, mild, gentle:
oratio placida, submissa, lenis,Cic. de Or. 2, 43, 183:
lenis et fluens contextus orationis,Quint. 9, 4, 127:
leniores epilogi,id. 6, 1, 50.—
2 In gram.: spiritus, the spiritus lenis, the smooth or soft breathing (opp. the spiritus asper), Prisc. p. 572 P.— Hence, adv. in two forms.
A lēne (only poet.), softly, mildly, gently:
sectus humum rivo, lene sonantis aquae,Ov. F. 2, 704:
clivi lene jacentes,gently rising, Calp. Ecl. 7, 25:
lene fluens fons,Nemes. Ecl. 4, 47:
lene Notus spirat,Avien. Descript. Orb. 857.—
B lēnĭter (class.), softly, mildly, gently.
1 Lit.:
leniter arridens,Cic. Rep. 6, 12, 12:
leniter atterens Caudam,Hor. C. 2, 19, 30:
ventus leniter pluvius,Plin. 18, 34, 77, § 337:
leniter ire per excubias custodum,Ov. Am. 1, 6, 7: collis leniter acclivis, gradually or gently rising, Caes. B. G. 7, 19; so,
editus collis,Liv. 2, 50.—Comp.:
torrens lenius decurrit,Ov. M. 3, 568.—
2 Trop., quietly, calmly, gently, moderately, leniently.
a In gen.:
tentem leniter an minaciter?Plaut. Stich. 1, 2, 20:
petere quippiam ab aliquo dictis bonis,id. Am. prol. 25:
ferre aliquid,Ov. H. 5, 7:
traducere aevum,Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 97:
nimis leniter latam suam injuriam ratus,Liv. 29, 9 (al. leviter).—Sup.:
lenissime sentire,Cic. Fam. 5, 2, 9.—
b In partic.
(a) Of speech:
multa leniter, multa aspere dicta sunt,Cic. Brut. 44, 164:
agit versum Roscius quam leniter, quam remisse, quam non actuose,id. de Or. 3, 26, 102.—Comp.:
qui jamdiu multo dicis remissius et lenius quam solebas,Cic. de Or. 1, 60, 255.—
(b) Moderately, i. e. very little, not at all:
hoc leniter laudabitis,Plaut. Poen. 5, 3, 40; 3, 3, 9:
leniter qui saeviunt sapiunt magis,id. Bacch. 3, 3, 4.—
(g) In a bad sense, remissly, indolently:
si cunctetur atque agat lenius,too slowly, Caes. B. C. 1, 1.