1. thēsaurus — Lewis & Short
thēsaurus (old form thensaurus, Plaut. Trin. prol. p. ciii. Ritschl; cf. Marin. Fratr. Arv. p. 590; collat. form thensau-rum, n., i, m., = qhsauro/s.
Petr. 46, 8),I Any thing laid or stored up, a hoard, treasure, provision, store.
A Lit.:
TABVLARIVS THENSAVRORVM,Inscr. Orell. 3247:
thensaurum effodere,Plaut. Trin. 3, 3, 53; 4, 4, 8; id. Ps. 2, 2, 33; id. Aul. prol. 7:
thesaurum defodere ... invenire,Cic. Div. 2, 65, 134:
nec vero quemquam senem audivi oblitum, quo loco thesaurum obruisset,id. Sen. 7, 21:
non exercitus neque thensauri praesidia regni sunt, verum amici,Sall. J. 10, 4:
intactis opulentior Thesauris Arabum,Hor. C. 3, 24, 2.—
2 Law t. t., treasure trove:
thensaurus est vetus quaedam depositio pecuniae, cujus non exstat memoria, ut jam dominum non habeat,Dig. 41, 1, 31, § 1; 41, 2, 3, § 3; Cod. 10, 15, 1.—
B Trop. (very rare):
thesaurus mali,a great quantity, Plaut. Merc. 1, 2, 54: stupri, id. Fragm. ap. Non. 456, 19; cf.: augent ex pauxillo;
thensaurum inde pariunt,id. Most. 4, 1, 8:
thesauros penitus abditae fraudis vultu laeto tegentes,App. M. 5, p. 165, 15. —
2 Of persons, a treasure, loved one, a valued or dear object: Di. Quid, amator novos quispiam? Ast. Integrum et plenum adortust thensaurum, Plaut. Truc. 4, 2, 13; cf. id. ib. 2, 1, 34:
eccum lenonem, incedit, thensaurum meum,id. Curc. 5, 2, 76; cf.:
thensaurus copiarum,id. As. 3, 3, 67.—
II A place where any thing is stored up, a storehouse, treasure - chamber, treasure - vault, treasury (cf.: cella, armarium).
A Lit.:
monedula condens semina in thesauros cavernarum,id. 17, 14, 22, § 99; cf. poet., of the cells of bees, Verg. G. 4, 229:
admonent quidam, esse thesaurum publicum sub terrā saxo quadrato septum,Liv. 39, 50, 3:
Proserpinae,id. 29, 8, 9; 29, 18, 4; 31, 12, 1; cf. poet. of the Lower World: postquam est Orcino traditus thesauro, Naev. ap. Gell. 1, 24, 2.—
2 Esp., a strong-box, treasure-chest:
cum thesaurum effregisset heres,Plin. 34, 7, 17, § 37:
apertis thesauris suis,Vulg. Matt. 2, 11.—
B Trop., a repository, conservatory, magazine, collection, Plaut. Poen. 3, 3, 12:
quid dicam de thesauro rerum omnium, memoria?Cic. de Or. 1, 5, 18; Quint. 11, 2, 1; cf.:
thesauri argumentorum,Cic. Part. Or. 31, 109:
suppeditat nobis Atticus noster de thesauris suis quos et quantos viros,id. Fin. 2, 21, 67: thesauros oportet esse non libros, Plin. praef. § 17; cf.:
mihi quoties aliquid abditum quaero, ille thesaurus est,a literary storehouse, Plin. Ep. 1, 22, 2.—
III The title of a Greek play by Philemon, upon which Plautus founded the Trinummus, Plaut. Trin. prol. 18.