rōbur — Lewis & Short
rōbur (rōbor, v. rōbus, ŏris, n.cf. Sanscr. radh-as, abundance; Gr. r(w/nnumi for r(w/qnumi, to strengthen, r(w/mh,
Lucr. p. 140 Lachm.; also an older form Cato, R. R. 17, 1; Col. 2, 6, 1; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 264 Müll.),I a very hard kind of oak (cf.:
quercus, ilex),Plin. 16, 6, 8, § 19; 16, 7, 10, § 28; 16, 38, 73, § 186; 16, 40, 76, § 204; 16, 40, 77, § 218.— Hence,
I Lit.
1 In gen., a very hard kind of tree or wood:
morsus roboris,i. e. of the wild olive, Verg. A. 12, 783 (a little before: foliis oleaster amaris Hic steterat);
so of the same,id. G. 2, 305; cf.:
solido de robore myrtus,id. ib. 2, 64:
annoso validam robore quercum,i. e. of an old and sturdy trunk, id. A. 4, 441; so,
annoso robore quercus,Ov. M. 8, 743:
antiquo robore quercus,with ancient trunk, Verg. G. 3, 332:
Massyla, i. e. citri,Stat. S. 3, 3, 94; also,
Maurorum,id. ib. 4, 2, 39.—
2 Absol., usu., an oak-tree, an oak in gen.:
fixa est pariter cum robore cervix,i. e. was pinned fast to the oak, Ov. M. 3, 92:
agitata robora pulsant (delphines),id. ib. 1, 303.—
3 Oak-wood, oak:
naves totae factae ex robore,Caes. B. G. 3, 13; cf.:
(sapiens) non est e saxo sculptus aut e robore dolatus,Cic. Ac. 2, 31, 101; and with this cf. id. Div. 2, 41, 85. — Poet.:
illi robur et aes triplex Circa pectus erat,Hor. C. 1, 3, 9; cf.:
o saxis nimirum et robore nati!Stat. Th. 4, 340. —
II Transf.
A Of things made of oak or of any other hard wood.
1 In gen.:
Lacedaemonii cottidianis epulis in robore accumbunt,i. e. on oaken, hard benches, Cic. Mur. 35, 74.— So of the wooden horse before Troy:
sacrum,Verg. A. 2, 230; of a lance:
ferro praefixum,id. ib. 10, 479; Sil. 2, 244; 267; of a club, Ov. M. 12, 349; Mart. 9, 44, 4 et saep.:
aratri,i. e. the oaken plough, Verg. G. 1, 162; Val. Fl. 7, 555.—
2 In partic., the lower and stronger part of the prison at Rome, built by Servius Tullius, was called Robur (also Tullianum):
Robus in carcere dicitur is locus, quo praecipitatur maleficorum genus, quod ante arcis robusteis includebatur, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. robum, p. 264 Müll.: in robore et tenebris exspiret,Liv. 38, 59 fin.:
robur et saxum minitari,Tac. A. 4, 29; Val. Max. 6, 3, 1:
verbera, carnifices, robur,Lucr. 3, 1017; Hor. C. 2, 13, 19 (v. carcer and Tullianum).—
B Hardness, strength, firmness, vigor, power (cf. vires; v. Fabri ad Liv. 21, 1, 2).
1 Lit.:
duri robora ferri,Lucr. 2, 449; so,
ferri,Verg. A. 7, 609:
saxi,Lucr. 1, 882:
navium,Liv. 37, 30: omnia pariter crescunt et robora sumunt, gain strength, Lucr. 5, 820; 895; cf.:
qui si jam satis aetatis atque roboris haberet, ipse pro Sex. Roscio diceret,Cic. Rosc. Am. 51, 149:
paululum jam roboris accessit aetati,id. Cael. 30, 73:
solidaeque suo stant robore vires,Verg. A. 2, 639; Vulg. Judic. 8, 21:
si quod est robur,Flor. 2, 1, 1.—
2 Trop., power, strength, force, vigor (very freq.):
alter virtutis robore firmior quam aetatis,Cic. Phil. 10, 8, 16:
in animi excelsi atque invicti magnitudine ac robore,id. Off. 1, 5, 14; so,
animi (with magnitudo),id. de Or. 2, 84, 343; id. Tusc. 1, 40, 95:
robur incredibile animi,id. Mil. 37, 101:
quantum in cujusque animo roboris est ac nervorum,id. Fam. 6, 1, 3:
multo plus firmamenti ac roboris,id. Imp. Pomp. 4, 10; so (with firmamentum) id. Mur. 28, 58; (with firmitas) id. Fin. 5, 5, 12:
hi tot equites Romani quid roboris hujus petitioni attulerunt?id. Planc. 8, 21:
pectus robore fultum,Ov. Tr. 5, 12, 11:
te mea robora fallunt,id. H. 16, 367:
velocitate pari, robore animi virumque praestanti,Liv. 24, 26, 11:
verba quanti roboris plena,Sen. Ep 10, 3:
qui robur aliquod in stilo fecerint,Quint. 10, 3, 10; cf.:
robur oratorium adicere sententiis,id. 10, 5, 4; 8, prooem. § 3:
illi robur et aes triplex Circa pectus erat,Hor. C. 1, 3, 9; cf.:
O saxis nimirum et robore nati,Stat. Th. 4, 340. —
b Authority: nostrarum constitutionum, Just. Inst. prooem. 6.—
c Concr., the strongest, most effective, or best part, the pith, kernel, strength of any thing; of soldiers, the flower of the troops, choice troops, etc. (freq. and class.):
versaris in optimorum civium vel flore vel robore,Cic. Or. 10, 34: et robur et suboles militum interiit, Asin. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 33; cf.:
quod fuit roboris, duobus proeliis interiit,Caes. B. C. 3, 87:
quod roboris ea provincia habuerat,Liv. 30, 2; Ov. M. 14, 454 al.:
senatūs robur,Liv. 5, 39. — Plur.:
tunc C. Flavius Pusio, Cn. Titinnius, C. Maecenas, illa robora populi Romani,Cic. Clu. 56, 163:
haec sunt nostra robora,id. Att. 6, 5, 3; Liv. 7, 7; 12; 21, 54; 22, 6; 23, 16; 25, 6 init.:
robora pubis,Verg. A. 8, 518; Ov. M. 7, 510:
ingentia robora virorum,Plin. Pan. 34, 3:
conferta robora virorum,Curt. 3, 5, 13: betae, i. e. stalks, Col. poët. 10, 326. — Of a place, a stronghold:
quod coloniam virium et opum validam robur ac sedem bello legisset,Tac. H. 2, 19.—Absol.: robus, the name of an excellent kind of wheat:
quoniam et pondere et nitore praestat,Col. 2, 6, 1.