lĭbellus — Lewis & Short
lĭbellus, i, m.dim.3. liber. *
I The inner bark of a tree, used for writing-tablets: levis in aridulo malvae descripta libello (carmina), Cinna ap. Isid. Orig. 6, 12. —
II Transf., a little book, pamphlet, esp. a book written in pages, and not in long rolls:
epistulae, quas primus videtur ad paginas et formam memorialis libelli convertisse (opp. transversa charta),Suet. Caes. 56.
A In gen.:
scripsi etiam illud quodam in libello,Cic. de Or. 1, 21, 94:
in quodam joculari libello,Quint. 8, 6, 73; 2, 13, 15:
quoi dono lepidum novum libellum,Cat. 1, 1:
horribilis et sacer,id. 14, 12:
quicquid hoc libelli est,id. 1, 8:
libellis eum (Scipionem) palaestraeque operam dare,to books, Liv. 29, 19 fin.:
nostri farrago libelli,Juv. 1, 86.—Of a single satire, Hor. S. 1, 10, 92.—
2 In plur., poet., a bookseller's shop:
te (quaesivimus) in omnibus libellis,Cat. 55, 4 (dub.; al. labellis); Mart. 5, 20, 8.—
B In partic., a writing of any kind.
1 A memorandumbook, journal, diary:
si quid memoriae causā retulit in libellum,Cic. Phil. 1, 8, 19:
in commentariolis et chirographis et libellis,id. ib. 1, 7, 16; Quint. 12, 8, 5; cf. id. 10, 7, 31; 11, 3, 142; 6, 2, 5.—
2 A memorial:
non illi in libellis laudationum decreta miserunt,Cic. Clu. 69, 197.—
3 A petition:
Atticus libellum composuit: eum mihi dedit, ut darem Caesari,Cic. Att. 16, 16, A, 4:
libellum alicui porrigere,Suet. Aug. 53:
supplices libelli,Mart. 8, 31, 3:
vitem posce libello,Juv. 14, 193: libellos signare, subnotare, to answer petitions:
libellos signare,Suet. Aug. 50:
subnotare libellos,Plin. Ep. 1, 10, 9; so,
ad libellum rescribere, Mos. et Rom. Leg. Coll. 3, 3, 5: libellos agere,to have the charge of answering petitions, Dig. 20, 5, 12: a libellis, the officer charged with receiving petitions:
Epaphroditum a libellis capitali poena condemnavit,Suet. Dom. 14; Inscr. Grut. 587, 9:
A LIBELLIS ADIVTOR,ib. 587, 7.—
4 A note of invitation, to hear a lecture, see a play, etc., a notice, programme:
gladiatorum libellos venditare,Cic. Phil. 2, 38, 97:
domum mutuatur et subsellia conducit et libellos dispergit,Tac. Or. 9: munerarius, the programme of a festival, Treb. Claud. 5.—
5 A public notification, announcement, placard, handbill:
edere per libellos,Suet. Caes. 41:
libellos Sex. Alfenus, procurator P. Quincti, deicit,tears down the auction handbills, Cic. Quint. 6, 27:
suspensum amici bonis libellum,Sen. Ben. 4, 12:
vestitur tota libellis porticus,Juv. 12, 100.—
6 A letter:
(laetitias) in libello hoc opsignato quas tuli pausillulo,Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 16 (cf. epistulam, id. ib. v. 26):
libellum ipsius habeo in quo, etc.,Cic. Att. 6, 1, 5: ut ex libellis ejus animadverti, Brut. ap. Cic. Fam. 11, 11, 1.—
7 A libel, lampoon, pasquinade (post-Aug.):
libellos aut carmina ad infamiam cujuspiam edere,Suet. Aug. 55; id. Caes. 80; id. Vit. 14:
sparsos de se in Curia famosos libellos,id. Aug. 55:
sive quis ad infamiam alicujus libellum aut carmen scripserit,Gai. Inst. 3, 220:
injuriam patimur ... famosis libellis,Paul. Sent. 5, 4, 1.—
8 A written accusalion or complaint (post-Aug.):
componunt ipsae per se formantque libellos,Juv. 6, 244; Dig. 48, 2, 3.—
9 A lawyer's brief:
quid causidicis praestent magno comites in fasce libelli?Juv. 7, 107.—
10 An attestation, certificate:
significent id libello manu sua subscripto,Dig. 39, 4, 4.