truculentus¹

1. Atrox, trux, and truculentus, (from τρηχύς, ταράξαι), denote that which has an exterior exciting fear; that which makes an impression of terror on the fancy, and eye, and ear; atrox, indeed, as a property of things, but trux and truculentus as properties of persons; whereas dirus and sævus mean that which is really an object of fear, and threatens danger; dirus, indeed (from δέος), according to its own nature, as a property of things, means dreadful, δεινός; but sævus (from αἶ, heu!) according to the character of the person, as a property of living beings, means blood-thirsty, cruel, αἰνός. Plin. Pan. 53. Atrocissima effigies sævissimi domini. Mela ii. 7. Ionium pelagus . . . atrox, sævum; that is, looking dangerous, and often enough also bringing misfortune. 2. Trux denotes dreadfulness of look, of the voice, and so forth, in the tragic or heroic sense, as a mark of a wild disposition or of a cruel purpose; but truculentus, in the ordinary and comic sense, as a mark of ill-humor or trivial passion; the slave in Plautus is truculentus; the wrathful Achilles is trux. Sometimes, however, truculentior and truculentissimus serve as the comparative and superlative of trux. 3. Trux and truculentus vultus is a terrific, angry look, like τραχύς; torvus, merely a stern, sharp, and wild look, as τορόν, or ταυρηδὸν βλέπειν. Plin. H. N. xi. 54. Contuitu quoque multiformes; truces, torvi, flagrantes. Quintil. vi. 1. 43. (i. 40.)