nē-dum — Lewis & Short
nē-dum,
I conj. (lit. while not), by no means, much less, still less, not to speak of (class.), used to indicate that whereas a certain thing is not, another thing can still less be.
A With a preceding negation:
satrapes si siet Amator, numquam sufferre ejus sumptus queat: Nedum tu possis,Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 43:
optimis temporibus nec P. Popillius, nec Q. Metellus vim tribuniciam sustinere potuerunt, nedum his temporibus sine vestrā sapientiā salvi esse possimus,Cic. Clu. 35, 95; id. Planc. 37, 90: nulla simulacra urbibus suis, nedum templis, sinunt, Tac. H. 5, 5:
ne voce quidem incommoda, nedum ut ulla vis fieret,Liv. 3, 14 fin.—With vix or aegre in the place of the preceding negative:
vix in ipsis tectis et oppidis frigus infirmā valetudine vitatur: nedum in mari,Cic. Fam. 16, 8, 2; id. Agr. 2, 35, 97:
puerum vixdum libertatem, nedum dominationem modice laturum,Liv. 24, 4, 1:
et aegre inermem tantam multitudinem, nedum armatam, sustineri,Liv. 6, 7, 3.—
B Without a preceding negation, which, however, lies in the thought expressed:
erat enim multo domicilium hujus urbis aptius humanitati tuae, quam tota Peloponnesus, nedum Patrae,Cic. Fam. 7, 28, 1:
quippe secundae res sapientium animos fatigant: nedum illi corruptis moribus victoriae temperarent,Sall. C. 11, 8: Tac. A. 13, 20.—
II Transf. (post-Aug.), affirmatively, not to say, much more:
adulationes etiam victis Macedonibus graves, nedum victoribus,much more should they prove victors, Liv. 9, 18, 4:
Quintius, quem armorum etiam pro patriā satietas teneret, nedum adversus patriam,id. 7, 40; 45, 29; 26, 26:
satis mihi jam videbaris animi habere, etiam adversus solida mala, nedum ad istas umbras malorum, quibus, etc.,Sen. Ep. 99, 3; Quint. 12, 1, 39:
ornamenta etiam legioni, nedum militi, satis multa,Val. Max. 3, 2, 26.—So, by transposition, beginning the sentence (very rare): nedum hominum humilium, sed etiam amplissimorum virorum, not to speak of, I need not say, Balb. et Opp. ap. Cic. Att. 9, 7, A, 1.