I.a stringed instrument, lyre, lute, cithern.
I. Lit.
A. In gen.
(α).
In plur. (only so in classic prose): Fides genus citharae, Paul. ex Fest. p. 89, 16 Müll.: “(hominis) omnis vultus omnesque voces, ut nervi in fidibus, ita sonant, ut a motu animi quoque sunt pulsae,” Cic. de Or. 3, 57, 216; “so different from nervi,” id. Div. 2, 14, 33; id. Leg. 2, 15, 39; id. Brut. 54, 199; id. Fin. 4, 27, 75 (v. Madv. ad h. l., p. 601 sq.): “ut in fidibus aut tibiis, atque in cantu ipso ac vocibus concentus est quidam tenendus ex distinctis sonis, etc.,” id. Rep. 2, 42; id. Fin. 4, 27, 75; cf. id. de Or. 3, 51, 197: Fi. Fides non reddis? Pe. Neque fides neque tibias, Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 77; “with tibiae,” Quint. 1, 10, 14; 20; 11, 3, 59: “Orpheus, Threïciā fretus citharā fidibusque canoris,” Verg. A. 6, 120: “fidibus cantare alicui,” Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 64: “fidibus canere praeclare,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 2, 4; id. Div. 2, 59, 122: “uti,” id. Tusc. 5, 39, 113: “dicere longum melos,” Hor. C. 3, 4, 4: “placare deos,” id. ib. 1, 36, 1: “discere,” Cic. de Sen. 8, 26: “docere aliquem,” id. Fam. 9, 22, 3: “scire,” Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 53: “vivunt commissi calores Aeoliae fidibus puellae,” Hor. C. 4, 9, 12: “fidibusne Latinis Thebanos aptare modos studet,” i. e. to imitate Pindaric odes in Latin poetry, id. Ep. 1, 3, 12.—
(β).
Sing. (poet.): “sume fidem et pharetram: fies manifestus Apollo,” Ov. H. 15, 23; so, “Teïa,” Hor. C. 1, 17, 18: “Cyllenea,” id. Epod. 13, 9: “quodsi blandius Orpheo moderere fidem,” id. C. 1, 24, 14.—
2. Prov.: vetus adagium est: Nihil cum fidibus graculo, i. e. ignoramuses have nothing to do with poetry, Gell. N. A. praef. § 19.—
