[Lucrum]; Emolumentum; Quæstus; Compendium. Lucrum and emolumentum denote gain, in any condition of life; lucrum (from lucar, locare,) gain deserved and earned by one’s self, in opp. to damnum; Cic. Fin. v. 30, etc.; like κέρδος; emolumentum (from molere) gain falling to one’s share without any exertion of one’s own, in opp. to detrimentum; Cic. Fin. i. 16, like ὠφέλημα; whereas quæstus and compendium denote gain in the course of trade; quæstus, rather the steadily continued gains of a regular occupation, earnings, in opp. to sumptus; Cic. Parad. vi. 3. Hor. Sat. i. 2. 19, like χρηματισμός; compendium, more a single gain of considerable amount, in opp. to dispendium. (v. 257.)
Luctus, see [Dolor].
[Luculentus]; Illustris. Luculentus means, what may be seen, and need not shun the light, synonymously with probabilis; whereas illustris (from λεύσσω) what makes itself seen, attracts the eye, and spreads its rays, synonymously with excellens. Hence luculentus never implies emphatic praise. Cic. Off. iii. 14, 60. Hoc quidem satis luculente, that is, it is probable enough. And Fin. ii. 5, 15. Cum Græce ut videor luculenter sciam, without presumption; just like, sic satis. (ii. 84.)
Lucus, see [Silva].
Ludio, see [Actor].
[Ludus]; Schola. Ludus is a lower school for boys, who are compelled to learn; schola, a higher school for youths and men, who wish to learn. Ludus supposes discipulos, ludi-magistrum, and school-discipline; schola supposes auditores, doctorem, and academical regulations. (vi. 203.)
[Ludus]; Lusus; Ludicrum; Jocus. 1. Ludus (from λοίδορος) denotes play in an objective sense, inasmuch as it is at hand for a man’s entertainment; whereas lusus, in a subjective sense, inasmuch as a man carries it on and produces it himself; further, ludus denotes play, as a means of recreation, in opp. to exertion; lusus, as a childish, useless pastime, in opp. to real business. Plin. Ep. ix. 33. 3. Pueri quos otium ludusque sollicitat: comp. with ix. 25. Lusus et ineptias nostras legis. Or, Cic. Flacc. 5, 12. Græci quibus jusjurandum jocus est, testimonium ludus; that is, to whom it is a mere trifle to bear false witness; compare with Sen. Contr. i. 2. Piratas . . . quibus omne fas nefasque lusus est; that is, to whom the distinction between right and wrong is a mere sporting with words. 2. The plur. ludi assumes the special meaning of public spectacles, and in this sense has a singular peculiar to itself in the word ludicrum. 3. Ludus and lusus have more a negative character, as mere pastimes and amusements, as a guard against ennui; whereas jocus more a positive character, as an utterance of humor and wit. The ludens wishes merely to be free from exertion, to do nothing serious, and to amuse himself; the jocans will be as active at the command of mirth, as others at the command of seriousness. (ii. 33.)
[Lues]; Contagium; Pestilentia; Pestis; Pernicies; Exitium; Interitus; Exitus. 1. Lues (from λοιμός) denotes epidemic disease, as proceeding from an impure morbid matter; contagium (from contingere? or κατατήκειν?) as contagious; pestilentia, as a disease reigning in the land, and especially as a pestilence. Sall. Cat. 10. Post ubi contagia quasi pestilentia invasit. Plin. H. N. xxiii. 28. Laurus folia pestilentiæ contagia prohibent. Lucan. vi. 86. Fluidæ contagia pestis. 2. Pestis is used for pestilence itself only by the poets; otherwise it denotes, like exitium and pernicies (from necare), that which destroys in general, without reference to disease; but pestis is, according to rule, used as a concrete, exitium and pernicies as abstract terms. Sen. N. Q. iii. pr. Philippi aut Alexandri . . . . qui exitio gentium clari non minores fuere pestes mortalium quam inundatio. 3. Pernicies has an active meaning, and denotes the destruction of a living being by murder; whereas exitium has a passive meaning, and denotes the destruction even of lifeless objects by annihilation; lastly, interitus has, like exitus, a neutral meaning, the destruction of living or lifeless objects by decay. Tac. Ann. xiv. 65. Poppæa non nisi in perniciem uxoris nupta; postremo crimen omni exitio gravius: and ii. 68. Cic. Cat. iv. 3. Cum de pernicie populi Romani, exitio hujus urbis cogitarit. Rull. ii. 4, 10. Extremi exitiorum exitus. 4. Exitium is a violent, exitus a natural end. Cic. Rull. ii. 4, 10. Qui civitatum afflictarum perditis jam rebus extremi exitiorum solent esse exitus, is, as it were, the last breath of a state that is being destroyed; like Verr. v. 6, 12 Exitus exitiales. (ii. 62. iii. 176.)
[Lumen]; Lux. Lumen (λευσσόμενον) is a luminous body, like φέγγος; lux (λευκή) a streaming mass of light, like φάος. Cic. Fin. iii. 14, 45. Ut obscuratur et offunditur luce solis lumen lucernæ. Curt. viii. 2, 21. Sed aditus specus accipit lucem; interiora nisi allato lumine obscura sunt. Cic. Acad. iv. 8, 28. Siista vera sunt, ratio omnis tollitur quasi quædam lux lumenque vitæ; that is, reason alone is in itself bright and light, and at the same time spreads brightness and light over life. Also, in a figurative sense, lumen denotes distinction, lux only clearness. Cicero (Man. 5.) calls Corinth, Græciæ totius lumen, but Rome (Catil. iv. 6.) Lucem orbis terrarum; Corinth is compared to a glimmering point of light; Rome is distinguished as that city in comparison with which all other cities lie in darkness. (ii. 66.)
Luridus, see [Luteus].