mēns

1. Anima denotes ‘the soul,’ physiologically, as the principle of animal life, in men and brutes, that ceases with the breath, like ψυχή: animus (ἄνεμος), psychologically and ethically, as the principle of moral personality, that ceases with the will, like θυμός. The souls of the departed also are called, in a mythological point of view, animæ, as shades; but, in a metaphysical point of view, animi, as spirits. Anima is a part of bodily existence; animus, in direct opposition to the body. Sen. Ep. 4. Difficile est animum perducere ad contemtionem animæ: and 58. Juven. xv. 148. Principio indulsit communis conditor illis tantum animas, nobis animum quoque. 2. Animus denotes also the human soul, as including all its faculties, and is distinguished from mens (μένος, μανθάνω, the thinking faculty, as a whole from one of its parts. Cic. Rep. ii. 40. Ea quæ latet in animis hominum, quæque pars animi mens vocatur. Lucr. iii. 615. iv. 758. Catull. 65, 3. Plaut. Cist. iii. 1, 6. As in practical life the energy of the soul is displayed in the faculty of volition, so animus itself stands for a part of the soul, namely, feeling and energy of will in co-ordinate relation to mens, the intellect or understanding. Tac. II. i. 84. Quem nobis animum, quas mentes imprecentur. Ter. Andr. i. 1. 137. Mala mens, malus animus. And, lastly, so far as thought precedes the will, and the will itself, or determination, stands as mediator between thought and action, in the same way as the body is the servant of the will, so mens is related to animus, as a whole to its part. Cic. Tusc. iii. 5. Mens, cui regnum totius animi a natura tributum est. Liv. xxxvii. 45. (v. 94.)