1. vărĭus — Lewis & Short
vărĭus, a, um, adj.,
I diverse, different, manifold, changing, varying, various (cf.: diversus, distinctus).
I Lit.
A Of color, etc., variegated, party-colored, mottled, etc.:
arietis lingua nigra aut varia, vestis,Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 4:
variā veste exornatus fuit,Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 16;
so of color: uvae,Cato, R. R. 33, 4; 33, 73:
lynces,Verg. G. 3, 264:
serpens,Ov. M. 6, 114:
anguis,id. ib. 4, 619:
pica,Petr. 28 fin.:
flores,Tib. 1, 7, 45; Ov. M. 10, 123:
plumae,Hor. A. P. 2:
lapides,id. S. 2, 4, 83:
columnae,of variegated marble, id. Ep. 1, 10, 22:
auctumnus purpureo colore,id. C. 2, 5, 12:
colores,Ov. M. 1, 270; cf.:
vestra latera loris faciam ut valide varia sint,i. e. black and blue, Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 12; id. Mil. 2, 2, 61: tergum varium, Pomp. ap. Non. 19, 31 (Com. Rel. v. 139 Rib.): sparsa quoque in vario passim miracula caelo videt, diversified, i. e. with constellations of various forms, Ov. M. 2, 193.—
2 Subst.: vărĭa, ae, f. (i. e. bestia, a mottled animal).
a A panther, Plin. 8, 17, 23, § 63 sq.—
b A kind of magpie, Plin. 10, 29, 41, § 78.—
B In rural lang.:
terra,wet above and dry beneath, Col. 2, 4, 5:
sulcus,Cato, R. R. 61, 2; Plin. 18, 19, 49, § 174.—
II Trop., diverse, different, manifold, changing, varying, changeable, various, etc.: varium poëma, varia oratio, varii mores, varia fortuna;
voluptas etiam varia dici solet,Cic. Fin. 2, 3, 10:
(qualitates) variae et quasi multiformes,id. Ac. 1, 7, 26:
et ea, quae videntur acerba, quae multa et varia in hominum vitā fortunāque versantur,id. Off. 1, 20, 67:
curricula multiplicium variorumque sermonum,id. Or. 3, 12:
res varia et multiplex,id. Fl. 3, 6:
multae, copiosae variaeque rationes,id. de Or. 1, 51, 222; cf.:
varia et diversa genera et bellorum et hostium,id. Imp. Pomp. 10, 28; cf. id. de Or. 3, 16, 61; 1, 61, 262:
varium jus et dispar condicio,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 19, § 49:
eventus varii fortunae,Caes. B. G. 2, 22: victoria, wavering, = anceps, Sall. J. 5, 1; Liv. 2, 6, 10; so,
bellum,Flor. 4, 12, 26. —Of opinions: varias esse opiniones intellego: sunt qui putant, etc., i. e. divergent opinions, differences where there is yet substantial agreement (while diversae opiniones are opposite views), Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 25. —
2 Varium est, with a rel.-clause:
quales sint (dii), varium est,various opinions prevail, Cic. N. D. 2, 5, 13.—
B Esp., of persons, etc.
1 Of abilities, versatile:
Plato et varius et multiplex et copiosus fuit,Cic. Ac. 1, 4, 17; cf.:
antequam scirem quam varium, quam flexibile quam multiplex (ejus ingenium) esset,Plin. Ep. 1, 16, 1:
Antonius ingenio varius,Flor. 4, 3, 4.—
2 Of character, fickle, inconstant, changeable, untrustworthy: miror quid sit, quod pater tuus, homo constantissimus, te nobis varium reliquit (beaten black and blue, and fickle-minded,) Cic. Fragm. ap. Quint. 6, 3, 48:
animus audax, subdolus, varius,Sall. C. 5, 4:
varius incertusque agitabat,id. J. 74, 1:
voltu et oculis pariter atque animo varius,agitated, irresolute, id. ib. 113, 3:
Pausanias magnus homo, sed varius in omni genere vitae fuit,Nep. Paus. 1, 1; cf.:
varium et mutabile semper Femina,a fickle thing, Verg. A. 4, 569.—Hence, adv.: vărĭē.
A Lit., with diverse colors, in a variegated manner:
mithrax gemma multicolor, contra solem varie refulgens,Plin. 37, 10, 63, § 173:
smaragdi Cyprii varie glauci,id. 37, 5, 18, § 67. —
B Trop., variously, changeably, diversely, differently, in various ways:
varie moveri,Cic. Div. 2, 42, 89:
qui (sermones) ab his, qui illum audierunt, perscripti varie et copiose sunt,id. Ac. 1, 4, 16:
numerus hujus generis late et varie diffusus est,id. Sest. 45, 97:
varie sum affectus tuis litteris,id. Fam. 16, 4, 1:
postea decernitur, ac non varie, sed prope cunctis sententiis,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 65, § 145:
ita varie per omnem exercitum laetitia, maeror, luctus atque gaudia agitabantur,Sall. C. 61, 9:
in Aequis varie bellatum,Liv. 5, 28, 5:
agere varie, rogando alternis suadendoque coepit,id. 2, 2, 9:
hiemem aut negotia varie causari,Tac. A. 1, 47:
sagittarios varie passimque collocare, Auct. B. Afr. 60: disserere,Tac. A. 1, 11.—With a punning allusion to 1. Varia: Ep. Perpetuon' valuisti? Th. Varie. Ep. Qui varie valent, caprigenum hominum non placet mihi neque pantherinum genus, Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 15.