1. māter — Lewis & Short
māter, tris, f.root ma-; Sanscr. and Zend, to make, measure, like Gr. mh/thr, the maker, akin with Dor. ma/thr; Germ. Mutter; Engl. mother; cf.: materies, manus,
I a mother (dat. sing. matre, Corp. Inscr. Lat. 177; dat. plur. matris, Inscr. Grut. 90:
matrabus,Inscr. Orell. 2089).
I Lit.:
si quidem istius regis (sc. Anci Martii) matrem habemus, ignoramus patrem,Cic. Rep. 2, 18, 33:
cur non sit heres matri suae?id. ib. 3, 10, 17:
de pietate in matrem,id. Lael. 3, 11:
Sassia mater hujus Aviti,id. Clu. 5, 12:
Hecate, quae matre Asteria est,who has Asteria for her mother, id. N. D. 3, 18, 46:
musa, matre nati,id. ib. 3, 18, 45: mater esse de aliquo, to be a mother, i. e. to be pregnant by any one, Ov. H. 9, 48:
facere aliquam matrem,id. M. 9, 491: mater familias or familiae, the mistress of a house, matron (v. familia).—
B Transf., a nurse:
mater sua ... quae mammam dabat, neque adeo mater ipsa, quae illos pepererat,Plaut. Men. prol. 19:
puero opust cibo, opus est autem matri quae puerum lavit,id. Truc. 5 10:
lambere matrem,Verg. A. 8, 632.—As a title of honor, mother, applied to priestesses: jubemus te salvere, mater. Sa. Salvete puellae, Plaut. Rud. 1, 5, 5:
amice benigneque honorem, mater, nostrum habes,id. ib. 1, 5, 30.—To goddesses:
Vesta mater,Sen. Excerpt. Contr. 4, 2; Verg. G. 1, 498:
mater Matuta, v. h. v.: Flora mater,Lucr. 5, 739;
the same: florum,Ov. F. 5, 183: mater magna, or absol.: Mater, i. e. Cybele, the mother of all the gods:
matris magnae sacerdos,Cic. Sest. 26; cf. absol.: matris quate cymbala circum, Verg. G. 4, 64; id. A. 9, 108:
secreta palatia Matris,Juv. 9, 23:
matres ... cives Romanae, ut jus liberorum consecutae videantur,Paul. Sent. 4, 9, 1:
matris condicionem sequi,Gai. Inst. 1, 81; cf. §§ 67, 86.—Also, in gen., a woman, a lady; usu. in plur., women, ladies:
pilentis matres in mollibus,Verg. A. 8, 666:
matres atque viri,id. ib. 6, 306; cf. Ov. F. 1, 619.—Of the earth, as the mother of all:
exercitum Dis Manibus matrique Terrae deberi,Liv. 8, 6; cf. Cic. Leg. 2, 22, 56.—Of a country:
haec terra, quam matrem appellamus,Liv. 5, 54, 2:
amorum,i. e. Venus, Ov. H. 16, 201:
cupidinum,i. e. Venus, Hor. C. 1, 19, 1.—Of animals:
porci cum matribus,Varr. R. R. 2, 4:
excretos prohibent a matribus haedos,Verg. G. 3, 398:
ova assunt ipsis cum matribus, i. e. cum gallinis,Juv. 11, 70:
mater simia,id. 10, 195:
pullus hirundinis ad quem volat mater,id. 10, 232.—Of the trunks of trees, etc.:
plantas tenero abscindens de corpore matrum,Verg. G. 2, 23; Plin. 12, 5, 11, § 23.—Of a fountain, as the source of waters:
ex grandi palude oritur (fluvius), quam matrem ejus accolae appellant,Mel. 2, 1, 7.—Of a chief or capital city:
mater Italiae Roma,Flor. 3, 18, 5:
ut Graeci dicere solent, urbium mater, Cydona,id. 3, 7, 4:
(Cilicia) matrem urbium habet Tarsum,Sol. 38; cf. Metropolis.—
II Trop.
A The mother, i. e. maternal love:
simul matrem labare sensit,Ov. M. 6, 629: mater redit, Sen. ap. Med. 928.—
B Motherhood, maternity, Sen. Herc. Oet. 389.—
C A producing cause, origin, source, etc. (freq. and class.):
apes mellis matres,Varr. R. R. 2, 5:
mater omnium bonarum artium sapientia est,Cic. Leg. 1, 22, 58:
philosophia mater omnium bene factorum,id. Brut. 93, 322:
avaritiae mater, luxuries,id. de Or. 2, 40, 171:
voluptas, malorum mater omnium,id. Leg. 1, 17, 47; 1, 22, 58; id. Tusc. 1, 26, 64; id. Planc. 33, 80; Auct. Her. 2, 22, 34; Plin. 37, 6, 21, § 80; Quint. 9, 3, 89:
juris et religionis,Cic. Rep. 5, 2, 3:
justitiae imbecillitas mater est,id. ib. 3, 14, 23:
intemperantia omnium perturbationum mater,id. Ac. 1, 10, 39:
similitudo est satietatis mater,id. Inv. 1, 41, 76:
utilitas justi prope mater et aequi,Hor. S. 1, 3, 98; Lact. 3, 8, 32; Aug. in Psa. 83, 1.—Comically:
eam (sc. hirneam) ego vini ut matre fuerat natum, eduxi meri,i. e. as it came from the cask, without the addition of water, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 274.—
D The protector, shelter, home:
urbs Roma, virtutum omnium mater, Mos. et Rom. Leg. Coll. 5, 3, 1: illa Jerusalem quae est mater nostra,Vulg. Gal. 4, 26.