vereor

1. Vereri and revereri mean, to feel reverence; whereas venerari, to show reverence. Tac. Ann. xiv. 13; comp. venerationem sui with matris reverentia. 2. Vereri (ὁρᾶν?) denotes respect bordering on fear and bashfulness; whereas revereri, fear and bashfulness arising from respect. In vereri, fear, in revereri, respect is the principal notion: hence verecundia is the dread of exposing one’s self before the person respected; whereas reverentia, the calm consciousness that some one is worthy of this reverential feeling. 3. Venerari (ἄντεσθαι?) is used (at least in Cicero) only for demonstrations of reverence towards the gods and sacred things; observare, only for such demonstrations towards men; colere, towards either. Cic. Rep. i. 12. Ut . . . Africanum ut deum coleret Lælius, domi vicissim Lælium observaret in parentis loco Scipio. And, N. D. i. 42. ii. 28. The venerans seeks only to express due reverence, and by self-humiliation to avert the anger of the gods; the colens (from κόλαξ) seeks by acts of courtesy, of service, and of respect, to win the affection of some one, and the fruits of it, as from a cultivated field. Veneratio shows itself more in prayer; cultus, more in sacrifice: veneratio is more a single, transient act; cultus more a permanent expression of respect. Tac. H. i. 10. Vespasianus . . . Titum filium ad venerationem cultumque (ejus) miserat; that is, that he might do homage to the new emperor, and then also remain in his circle of courtiers. 4. Observare (from ἐρύεσθαι) involves a mere negative notion, and denotes having regard for, in opp. to slighting; yet is not, on this account, colere a stronger, observare a weaker term. Colere, indeed, involves more palpable activity, operam; whereas observare, more tender regard, pietatem; hence sometimes the one, sometimes the other, is the stronger expression. 5. Adorare is the most general expression for any sort of worship; whereas veneratio consists more in gestures, precatio in words. 6. Reveremur validas auctoritates; admiramur raras virtutes; suspicimus excellentia dignitate. At the same time it appears to me, that the reverens is in a state of silent awe; the admirans with the expression of loud, or at least visible enthusiasm; the suspiciens, under the image of one looking up to another with an humble feeling of his own inferiority. Revereri refers especially to moral; admirari, to intellectual and moral; suspicere, to any, even adventitious, pre-eminences. (ii. 185.)

1. Vereri (ὁρᾶν?) like αἰδεῖσθαι, has its foundation in what is strikingly venerable; metuere and timere, like δεῖσαι; and φοβεῖσθαι, in the threatening danger of an object. The timens and metuens fear the danger; the verens, the disgrace and shame. Cic. Phil. xii. 12. Quid? veteranos non veremur? nam timeri ne ipsi quidem volunt. Sen. 11, 37. Metuebant eum servi, verebantur liberi, carum omnes habebant. Liv. xxxix. 37. Veremur quidem vos Romani et si ita vultis etiam timemus. Afran. ap. Gell. xv. 13. Ubi malunt metui, quam vereri se ab suis. Senec. Ir. iii. 32. Quibusdam timeamus irasci, quibusdam vereamur. 2. Metus (ματᾶν) is fear, only as the anticipation of an impending evil, and reflection upon it, the apprehension that proceeds from foresight and prudence, like δέος, synonymously with cautio; whereas timor (from τρέμω), the fear that proceeds from cowardice and weakness. Or, metus is an intellectual notion; fear, as from reflection, in opp. to spes; for instances, see Cic. Verr. ii. 54. Off. ii. 6. Liv. xxx. 9. Suet. Aug. 25. Tac. H. i. 18. Ann. ii. 12, 38. Sen. Ep. 5. Suet. Aug. 5. Cels. ii. 6. Curt. viii. 6:—whereas timor is a moral notion, fear as a feeling, in opp. to fiducia, animus. Cic. Divin. ii. 31. Att. v. 20. Rull. i. 8. Sallust. Jug. ii. 3. Tac. Hist. ii. 80. Plin. Ep. v. 17. 3. In the like manner are spes, hope, and fiducia, confidence, distinguished. Sen. Ep. 16. Jam de te spem habeo, nondum fiduciam. Tac. Agr. 2. Nec spem modo ac votum securitas publica, sed ipsius voti fiduciam ac robur assumpserit. Suet. Cl. 10. Aliquanto minore spe quam fiducia. Liv. x. 25. Curt. ix. 4, 25. 4. Timor denotes fear, as a temporary state; timiditas, fearfulness, as an habitual quality, which is connected with ignavia, as a more precise expression for the more general feeling. Lactant. iii. 17. Epicurus . . . ignavum prohibet accedere ad rem publicam, pigrum exercere, timidum militare. Ignavia is inaptitude for any noble action, and particularly for deeds of valor; timiditas is, under certain circumstances, excusable; ignavia is absolutely blamable. 5. Metus and timor have their foundation in reflection, whereby a person is made clearly aware of the object and ground of his apprehension; whereas horror and formido is an immediate feeling, which overpowers the understanding by the dreadful image of the nearness of some horrid object, and can give no account of the ground of its fear; formido (fremere) expresses this state immediately as a state of mind, like ὀῤῥωδία; whereas horror (χέρσος) as the bodily expression of this state, by the hair standing on end, the eyes wildly staring, etc., like φρίκη. Tac. H. iv. 45. Metus per omnes ac præcipua Germanici militis formido. (ii. 190.)