nātĭo — Lewis & Short
nātĭo, ōnis, f.nascor,
I a being born, birth; hence, transf.
I Personified, Natio, the goddess of birth:
Natio quoque dea putanda est, quae, quia partus matronarum tueatur, a nascentibus Natio nominata est,Cic. N. D. 3, 18, 47 (al. Nascio).—
II A breed, stock, kind, species, race (rare but class.;
syn.: genus, stirps, familia): in hominibus emendis si natione alter est melior, emimus pluris, etc.,Varr. L. L. 9, § 93 Müll.;
Auct. B. Alex. 7, 3: natio optimatium,Cic. Sest. 44, 96:
officiosissima candidatorum,id. Pis. 23, 55.—Also in a contemptuous sense, a race, tribe, set:
salvete, fures maritimi, Famelica hominum natio, quid agitis?Plaut. Rud. 2, 2, 6:
vestra natio (Epicureorum),Cic. N. D. 2, 29, 74:
ardelionum,Phaedr. 2, 5, 1.—Of animals:
praegnantes opere levant: venter enim labore nationem reddit deteriorem,Varr. R. R. 2, 6, 4; cf. id. L. L. 9, § 92 Müll.; and: in pecoribus quoque bonus proventus feturae bona natio dicitur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 167 Müll.—Transf., of things, a sort, kind (post-Aug.):
nationes in apium naturā diximus,Plin. 22, 24, 50, § 109:
cera natione Pontica,id. 21, 14, 49, § 83; cf. id. 12, 25, 55, § 125.—
B In a more restricted sense, a race of people, nation, people (used commonly in a more limited sense than gens, and sometimes as identical with it; cf.: gens, populus; usually applied by Cicero to distant and barbarous people): nam itast haec hominum natio;
in Epidamniis Voluptarii, etc.,Plaut. Men. 2, 1, 34:
omnes nationes servitutem ferre possunt: nostra civitas non potest,Cic. Phil. 10, 10, 20; cf.:
exteris nationibus ac gentibus ostendere, etc.,id. Font. 11, 25:
ne nationes quidem et gentes,id. N. D. 3, 39, 93; cf.
, in the reverse order: omnes exterae gentes ac nationes,id. Imp. Pomp. 11, 31:
per omnes gentes nationesque,Quint. 11, 3, 87:
eruditissima Graecorum natio,Cic. de Or. 2, 4, 18:
Judaei et Syri, nationes natae servituti,id. Prov. Cons. 5, 10:
immanes ac barbarae nationes,id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 9, § 27:
quod eas quoque nationes adire volebat,Caes. B. G. 3, 7:
Suevi majorem Germaniae partem obtinent, propriis adhuc nationibus nominibusque discreti,Tac. G. 38:
Gannascus, natione Canninefas,id. A. 11, 18:
patre Camissare, natione Care, matre Scythissā natus,Nep. Dat. 1, 1:
NATIONE CILIX,Inscr. Fabr. p. 495, n. 189; so in connection with names of cities: NATIONE ARRETIO, Inscr. Don. cl. 6, n. 181.—
2 Ad Nationes, the name of a portico in Rome, built by Augustus, where the images of all known nations were set up:
ante aditum porticūs Ad Nationes,Plin. 36, 5, 4, § 39; cf. Serv. Verg. A. 8, 721.—
3 In eccl. Lat., like gens, and the Gr. e)/qnos, opp. to Christians, the heathen:
per deos nationum,Tert. de Idol. 22.