mĭnister — Lewis & Short
mĭnister, tra, trum, adj. (
I gen. plur. ministrūm, Stat. S. 3, 1, 86) [a double comp. in form, from minus and comp. ending -ter, Gr. ter-os; cf.: magister, sinister], that is at hand, that serves, ministers (as an adj. only poet. and later): lumina (i. e. oculi) propositi facta ministra tui, that further, promote; promotive, or in a subst. sense, Ov. H. 21, 114:
minister Grex,Sil. 11, 274:
ardor,Lucr. 5, 297:
ministro baculo,with the aid of a staff, Ov. Ib. 261.—
II Subst.
A mĭnister, tri, m., an attendant, waiter, servant; also a priest's attendant or assistant; likewise an inferior officer, underofficial; hence, transf., an aider in a good or bad sense, a furtherer, promoter, helper, an abettor, accomplice:
centum aliae (famulae), totidemque pares aetate ministri,Verg. A. 1, 705:
Phrygius,the cup-bearer Ganymede, Val. Fl. 5, 691; Mart. 12, 15, 7:
Falerni,a cup -bearer, Cat. 27, 1:
ministri publici Martis,Cic. Clu. 15, 43:
hostia Inter cunctantes cecidit moribunda ministros,Verg. G. 3, 488:
ministri imperii tui,inferior officers, under-officials, Cic. Q. Fr 1, 1, 3:
regni,an assistant in the regal government, a minister, Just. 16, 1, 3:
infimi homines ministros se praebent in judiciis oratoribus,i. e. inform the orators what the law is, Cic. de Or 1, 45, 146:
legum,a minister, administrator, id. Clu. 53, 198:
sermonum,a mediator, negotiator, Tac. H. 2, 99:
consiliorum suorum,Vell. 2, 129, 3:
Tiberius Alexander ... minister bello datus,Tac. A. 15, 28:
ministri ac servi seditionum,Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 13:
ministri ac satellites cupiditatum,id. Verr 2, 3, 8, § 21; so,
furoris alieni,agents, instruments, Lact. 5, 11:
libidinis, Cic Lael. 10, 35: socii scelerum atque ministri,Lucr. 3, 61:
Calchante ministro,with the help of Calchas, Verg. A. 2, 100:
ministrum esse in maleficio,Cic. Clu. 22, 60:
minister fulminis ales,i. e. the eagle, Hor. C. 4, 4, 1:
calidae gelidaeque (aquae) minister,one who serves, Juv. 5, 63:
me nemo ministro fur erit,by my aid, id. 3, 46.—Esp. (eccl. Lat.), a minister of religion, a preacher of Christ:
ut sim minister Christi,Vulg. Rom. 15, 16; id. Eph. 3, 7:
fidelis,id. ib. 6, 21:
Dei,id. 2 Cor. 6, 4:
optimus,Aug. Conf. 10, 26.—Of inanimate things:
sit anulus tuus non minister alienae voluntatis,Cic. Q. Fr 1, 1, 4:
taedae, ardore ministro, suppeditant novum lumen,Lucr. 5, 297.—
B mĭnistra, ae, f., a female attendant, maid-servant; a female assistant or minister, at religious worship (class. only in the trop. signif.).
1 Lit.:
una ministrarum,Ov. M. 9, 90; 306; 14, 705:
accipiat missas apta ministra notas,Ov. A. A. 3, 470:
ara deae certe tremuit, pariente ministrā,i. e. the Vestal Sylvia, id. F. 3, 47.—Also among Christians:
ancillae, quae ministrae dicebantur,i. e. deaconesses, Plin. Ep. 10, 97, 8.—
2 Trop., a servant, handmaid; in a bad sense, an aider, accessory, abettor:
ministra et famula corporis res familiaris,Cic. Tusc. 1, 31, 75:
voluptatum satellites et ministrae,id. Fin. 2, 12, 37:
Camilla delegit pacisque bonas bellique ministras,Verg. A. 11, 658.