1. merces — Lewis & Short
merces, ēdis (
I irreg. acc. mercem, Claud. 6; Cons. Hon. 578), f. mereo, what is deserved or earned; hence, hire, pay, wages, salary, fee, reward, etc. (syn.: pretium, stipendium; class.).
I Lit.:
manuum mercede inopiam tolerare,the wages of manual labor, Sall. C. 37, 7:
ne ars tanta abduceretur ad mercedem atque quaestum,Cic. Div. 1, 41, 92:
operae,Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 56, § 147:
veterum officiorum,Juv. 5, 13:
uti ab Arvernis Sequanisque Germani mercede arcesserentur,Caes. B. G. 1, 31:
haec merces erat dialecticorum,fee, Cic. Ac. 2, 30, 98:
Apollonius cum mercede doceret,id. de Or. 1, 28, 126:
mercedibus scenicorum recisis,the players' salaries, Suet. Tib. 34:
poscere mercedes,to work for hire, Juv. 8, 246:
sarcienda vestimenta mercede certa accipere,Gai. Inst. 3, 205.—Prov.:
dignus est operarius mercede suo,Vulg. Luc. 10, 7.—
B In partic., in a bad sense, an unrighteous reward, a bribe:
pretio atque mercede minuere majestatem rei publicae,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 20, § 50:
magnā mercede pacisci cum aliquo, ut,Liv. 25, 33: mercedem accipere ab aliquo, Cic. Rosc. Am. 29, 80:
lingua adstricta mercede,tied with a bribe, id. Pis. 13, 30:
iniquitatis,Vulg. 2 Pet. 2, 13.—
II Transf.
A A price for any thing, reward, wages; recompense, punishment; cost, injury, detriment; a stipulation, condition, etc.:
mercedem alicujus rei constituere,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 51, § 134:
alicui proponere,id. Q. Fr. 3, 3, 4:
alicui rei imponere,Juv. 7, 149:
exigere ab aliquo,Cic. Lael. 21, 80:
merces sanguinis atque laboris,Juv. 14, 164; 1, 42:
mercedem solvere,to make payment, id. 7, 157:
appellare,to demand payment, id. 7, 157, v. 158.—Prov.:
unā mercede duas res adsequi,to kill two birds with one stone, Cic. Rosc. Am. 29, 80:
non aliā bibam Mercede,condition, Hor. C. 1, 27, 13:
temeritatis merces,punishment, Liv. 39, 55:
qui metit mercedem accipit,reward, Vulg. Johan. 4, 36:
in molestiā gaudeo, te eam fidem cognoscere hominum non ita magnā mercede, quam ego maximo dolore cognōram,price, cost, Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 3:
non sine magnā mercede,not except at great cost, id. Tusc. 3, 6, 12:
victum illa mercede parare,Juv. 14, 273:
magnā quidem res tuas mercede colui,to my great disadvantage, Sen. Tranq. 11, 2.—
B Rent, revenue, income, interest:
mercedes Argileti et Aventini,Cic. Att. 12, 32, 2:
dotalium praediorum,id. ib. 15, 20, 4:
ex fundo,Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 50, § 119:
mercedes habitationum annuae,house-rents, Caes. B. C. 3, 21:
publicanos tertiā mercedum parte relevavit,farm-rent, Suet. Caes. 20: quinas hic capiti mercedes exsecat, interest or discount on capital, Hor. S. 1, 2, 14.