mātĕrĭa — Lewis & Short
mātĕrĭa, ae (
I gen. materiāi, Lucr. 1, 1051), and mātĕrĭes, ēi (only in nom. and acc. sing., and once gen. plur. materierum, Lact. 2, 12, 1; v. Neue, Formenl. 1, p. 383), f. from same root with mater, q. v., stuff, matter, materials of which any thing is composed; so the wood of a tree, vine, etc., timber for building (opp. lignum, wood for fuel); nutritive matter or substance for food (class.).
I Lit.
A In gen.:
materia rerum, ex qua et in qua sunt omnia,Cic. N. D. 3, 39, 92; cf. id. Ac. 1, 6, 7:
materiam superabat opus,Ov. M. 2, 5:
materiae apparatio,Vitr. 2, 8, 7:
rudis,i. e. chaos, Luc. 2, 8; cf.: omnis fere materia nondum formata rudis appellatur, Cinc. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 265 Müll.:
(arbor) inter corticem et materiem,Col. 5, 11, 4:
crispa,Plin. 16, 28, 51, § 119:
materiae longitudo,Col. 4, 24, 3:
vitis in materiam, frondemque effunditur,id. 4, 21, 2:
si nihil valet materies,Cic. de Or. 2, 21, 88:
in eam insulam materiam, calcem, caementa, atque arma convexit,id. Mil. 27, 74:
caesa,Col. 11, 2, 11; cf. Caes. B. G. 4, 17; 5, 39:
cornus non potest videri materies propter exilitatem, sed lignum,Plin. 16, 40, 76, § 206:
materiae, lignorum aggestus,Tac. A. 1, 35:
videndum est ut materies suppetat scutariis,Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 35:
proba materies est, si probum adhibes fabrum,id. Poen. 4, 2, 93: imprimebatur sculptura materiae anuli, sive ex ferro sive ex auro foret, Macr. S. 7, 13, 11. —Plur.:
deūm imagines mortalibus materiis in species hominum effingere,Tac. H. 5, 5.—Of food:
imbecillissimam materiam esse omnem caulem oleris,Cels. 2, 18, 39 sqq.; cf. of the means of subsistence:
consumere omnem materiam,Ov. M. 8, 876; matter, in gen.:
materies aliqua mala erat,Aug. Conf. 7, 5, 2.—In abstract, matter, the material universe:
Deus ex materia ortus est, aut materia ex Deo,Lact. 2, 8.—
B Esp., matter of suppuration, pus, Cels. 3, 27, 4.—
II Transf., a stock, race, breed:
quod ex vetere materia nascitur, plerumque congeneratum parentis senium refert,Col. 7, 3, 15:
generosa (equorum),id. 6, 27 init. —
III Trop.
A The matter, subjectmatter, subject, topic, ground, theme of any exertion of the mental powers, as of an art or science, an oration, etc.: materiam artis eam dicimus in qua omnis ars et facultas, quae conficitur ex arte, versatur. Ut si medicinae materiam dicamus morbos ac vulnera, quod in his omnis medicina versetur;
item quibus in rebus versatur ars et facultas oratoria, eas res materiam artis rhetoricae nominamus,Cic. Inv. 1, 5, 17:
quasi materia, quam tractet, et in qua versetur, subjecta est veritas,id. Off. 1, 5, 16:
est enim deformitatis et corporis vitiorum satis bella materies ad jocandum,id. de Or. 2, 59, 239; 1, 11, 49; id. Rosc. Com. 32, 89; id. Div. 2, 4, 12:
sermonum,id. Q. Fr 1, 2, 1: materies crescit mihi, my matter (for writing about) increases, id. Att. 2, 12, 3: rei. id. Q. Fr. 2, 1, 1:
aequa viribus,a subject suited to your powers, Hor. A. P. 38:
infames,Gell. 17, 12, 1:
extra materiam juris,the province, Gai. Inst. 2, 191.—
B A cause, occasion, source, opportunity (cf. mater, II.):
quid enim odisset Clodium Milo segetem ac materiam suae gloriae?Cic. Mil. 13, 35 (for which shortly before:
fons perennis gloriae suae): materies ingentis decoris,Liv. 1, 39, 3:
non praebiturum se illi eo die materiam,id. 3, 46, 3:
major orationis,id. 35, 12, 10:
criminandi,id. 3, 31, 4:
omnium malorum,Sall. C. 10:
materiam invidiae dare,Cic. Phil. 11, 9, 21:
materiam bonitati dare,id. de Or. 2, 84, 342:
scelerum,Just. 3, 2, 12:
seditionis,id. 11, 5, 3:
laudis,Luc. 8, 16:
benefaciendi,Plin. Pan. 38:
ne quid materiae praeberet Neroni,occasion of jealousy, Suet. Galb. 9:
epistolae, quae materiam sermonibus praebuere,Tac. H. 4, 4:
praebere materiam causasque jocorum,Juv. 3, 147:
materiamque sibi ducis indulgentia quaerit,id. 7, 21.—
C Natural abilities, talents, genius, disposition:
fac, fuisse in isto C. Laelii, M. Catonis materiem atque indolem,Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 68, § 160:
in animis humanis,id. Inv. 1, 2, 2:
materiam ingentis publice privatimque decoris omni indulgentia nostra nutriamus,Liv. 1, 39, 3:
ad cupiditatem,id. 1, 46; Quint. 2, 4, 7.—Hence, one's nature, natural character:
non sum materia digna perire tua,thy unfeeling disposition, Ov. H. 4, 86.—
D A subject, argument, course of thought, topic (post-Aug.):
tertium diem esse, quod omni labore materiae ad scribendum destinatae non inveniret exordium,Quint. 10, 3, 14:
argumentum plura significat ... omnem ad scribendum destinatam materiam ita appellari,id. 5, 10, 9:
video non futurum finem in ista materia ullum, nisi quem ipse mihi fecero,Sen. Ep. 87, 11:
pulcritudinem materiae considerare,Plin. Ep. 3, 13, 2; 2, 5, 5:
materiam ex titulo cognosces,id. ib. 5, 13, 3 al. (materies animi est, materia arboris;
et materies qualitas ingenii, materia fabris apta,Front. II. p. 481 Mai.; but this distinction is not observed by class. writers).