senium

I. Lit., the feebleness of age, decline, decay, debility (cf. senectus; class.): tardigemulo senio oppressum, Laev. ap. Gell. 19, 7, 3: opus perfectum, quod omni morbo seniove careret, Cic. Univ. 5 fin.; (with aegritudo) id. Tusc. 3, 12, 27; cf.: senio debilis, Phaedr. 3, epil. 16: senio vel aliquā corporis labe insignes, Suet. Aug. 38: senio confectos gladiatores, id. Calig. 26 fin.: senium Galbae et juventa Othonis, Tac. H. 1, 22: principis, id. ib. 2, 1: curvata senio membra, id. A. 1, 34: fessus senio, id. ib. 2, 42: fluxa senio mens, id. ib. 6, 38; cf.: torpor mentis ac senium, Sen. Ben. 7, 26, 4; Sil. 16, 14: ita se ipse (mundus) consumptione et senio alebat sui, by its own consumption and decay, Cic. Univ. 6: lunae, i. e. waning, Plin. 7, 48, 49, § 155: lentae velut tabis, Liv. 7, 22, 5: senium repellere templis, decay, Sil. 3, 20: senium defendere famae, the growing old, passing away, Stat. Th. 9, 318: passus est leges istas situ atque senio emori, Gell. 20, 1, 10.—

II. Transf.

A. Concr., an old man, old fellow (very rare; anteclass. as an epithet of abuse): senex ad aetatem refertur, senium ad convicium. Sic Lucilius ait: At quidem te senium atque insulse sophista, Don. ad Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 11. And on account of its personal signif. with a masc. pron.: ut illum di deaeque senium perdant, qui hodie me remoratus est, Ter. l. l. (cf. scortum, II. fin.).—Once in Silius, without an odious access. signif., for senex, Sil. 8, 467.—

B. (Effectus pro causā.) Peevishness, moroseness; vexation, chagrin, mortification; grief, trouble, affliction produced by decay (syn.: maeror, aegritudo, etc.; class.): mors amici subigit, quae mihi est senium multo acerrimum, Att. ap. Non. 2, 23: hae res mihi dividiae et senio sunt, Plaut. Stich. 1, 1, 19; cf.: id illi senio est, id. Truc. 2, 5, 13: odio ac senio mihi nuptiae, Turp. ap. Non. 2, 33: luget senatus, maeret equester ordo, tota civitas confecta senio est, Cic. Mil. 8, 20: senio et maerore consumptus, Liv. 40, 54; Pers. 6, 16: surge et inhumanae senium depone Camenae, peevishness, moroseness, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 47; cf.: triste morum, Sen. Hippol. 917: en pallor seniumque! Pers. 1, 26.—Plur.: quot pestes, senia et jurgia emigrarunt, Titin. ap. Non. 2, 18.!*? The words ille senius, in Cic. de Or. 3, 38, 154, are doubtless corrupt; v. Orell. and Ellendt ad loc.