I.a business, employment, occupation, affair (cf. munus).
I. Lit.: “negoti nunc sum plenus,” Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 146: “quamquam negotiumst, si quid vis, non sum occupatus, etc.,” id. Merc. 2, 2, 17: “qui deum nihil habere negotii volunt,” Cic. Off. 3, 28, 102: “in extremā parte muneris ac negotii tui,” id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 16, § 46: “forensia negotia,” id. de Or. 2, 6, 23: “qui omnibus negotiis interfuit,” id. Fam. 1, 6, 1: “negotium municipii administrare,” id. ib. 13, 11: “procurare,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 64, § 149: “suscipere,” id. Cat. 3, 2, 5: “mandare alicui,” id. Fam. 13, 26, 2: “versari in negotio,” id. Att. 5, 10, 3: “emergere ex negotiis,” id. ib. 5, 10, 3; Liv. 3, 4: “transigere negotium,” Cic. Phil. 2, 9, 21: “negotio desistere,” Caes. B. G. 1, 45: “in magno negotio habere aliquid,” to regard a thing as important, of great moment, Suet. Caes. 23: est mihi negotium cum aliquo, I have to do with one: “mirabar, quid hic negotii esset tibi,” Ter. Ad. 4, 5, 8; Cic. Fam. 8, 8, 9: “adparatus, quem flagitabat instans negotium,” Amm. 20, 10, 1.—Esp. with reference to affairs of state: “nostrum otium negotii inopia, non requiescendi studio constitutum est,” Cic. Off. 3, 1, 2; cf. Suet. Aug. 32: “publicis adfinis fuit an maritumis negotiis?” i. e. in farming the revenue or in private commerce, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 50.—Of the management of domestic concerns: “qui suum negotium gerunt otiosi,” Cic. Lael. 23, 86: “praeclare suum negotium gessit Roscius,” id. Rosc. Com. 12, 34: “suum negotium agere,” id. Off. 1, 9, 29; cf. id. ib. 1, 34, 125.—So of trade, traffic: “aes alienum negotii gerendi studio contractum,” Cic. Sull. 20, 58; id. Vat. 5, 12: “negotii gerentes,” tradesmen, id. Sest. 45, 97: “Trebonius ampla et expedita negotia in tuā provinciā habet,” id. Fam. 1, 3, 1: Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 33.—Of a lawsuit, Quint. 3, 5, 11; Suet. Calig. 40; id. Rhet. 6; cf. Plaut. Aul. 3, 4, 2.—
II. Transf.
A. Difficulty, pains, trouble, labor: “ita et hinc et illinc mi exhibent negotium,” give me trouble, Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 38: “huic exhibui negotium,” id. Men. 5, 9, 13; id. Poen. 1, 2, 30: “viden egestas quid negoti dat homini misero male,” id. Trin. 4, 2, 5: “satis habeo negotii in sanandis vulneribus,” Cic. Att. 5, 17, 6: “magnum negotium est navigare atque id mense Quintili,” id. ib. 5, 12: “negotium facessere alicui,” to give one trouble, id. Fam. 3, 10, 1: “negotium exhibere alicui,” id. Off. 3, 31, 112: “facere innocenti,” Quint. 5, 12, 13: “nihil est negotii libertatem recuperare,” Cic. Fam. 12, 2, 1: “Cato Siciliam tenere nullo negotio potuit,” id. Att. 10, 16, 3; id. Fam. 2, 10, 2: “non minori negotio,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 68, § 175: “quid negotii est haec poëtarum, portenta convincere?” id. Tusc. 1, 6, 11: facili negotio, with little trouble (post-class.), Aur. Vict. Caes. 39, 38; cf.: “levi negotio,” Amm. 20, 10, 2 al.: “magno negotio,” Cels. 7, 5 init.; “Auct. B. Aiex. 8, 4: plus negotii est, si acutus quoque morbus is factus est,” Cels. 4, 6.—
B. Like the Gr. πρᾶγμα, for res, a matter, thing: “quid est negoti?” Plaut. Most. 2, 2, 27; 3, 2, 54: “quid negoti est, quamobrem succenses mihi?” id. Capt. 3, 5, 11: “ineptum negotium et Graeculum,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 35, 86. —So of persons Teucris illa lentum negotium, a slow affair, Cic. Att. 1, 12, 1; cf. id. Q. Fr. 2, 13, 4: “elinguem, tardum, inhumanum negotium,” id. post Red. in Sen. 6, 14. —As transl. of τὸ πρᾶγμα, euphemism for sensual sins, Vulg. 1 Thess. 4, 6; ib. 2 Cor. 7, 11: “a negotio perambulante in tenebris,” some indefinable terror, ib. Psa. 90, 6.
