I.gen. sing. CAELESTAE, Inscr. Neapol. 2602; abl. sing. regularly, caelesti: “caeleste,” Ov. H. 16, 277; id. M. 15, 743; cf.: bimestris, cognominis, perennis, patruelis, etc.; gen. plur. caelestum, but caelestium, Enn. Epigr. v. 9 Vahl.; Att. ap. Cic. N. D. 3, 26, 68, or id. Trag. Rel. v. 209 Rib.; Varr. L. L. 6, § 53 Müll.; Lucr. 6, 1274; Cat. 64, 191; 64, 205; Verg. A. 7, 432; Ov. M. 1, 150), adj. caelum, pertaining to heaven or to the heavens, found in heaven, coming from heaven, etc., heavenly, celestial (class. and very freq.): “ignis fulminis,” Lucr. 2, 384; cf.: “turbine correptus et igni,” id. 6, 395: “flammae,” id. 5, 1093: “urbes igne caelesti flagrasse,” Tac. H. 5, 7: “arcus,” the rainbow, Plin. 11, 14, 14, § 37; Suet. Aug. 95: “nubes,” Ov. A. A. 2, 237: “aqua,” rain, Hor. C. 3, 10, 20; cf. “aquae,” id. Ep. 2, 1, 135; Liv. 4, 30, 7; Col. 3, 12, 2; 7, 4, 8; Plin. 17, 2, 2, § 14; Dig. 39, 3, 1: “imbres,” Col. 3, 13, 7: “templa,” Lucr. 5, 1203; 6, 388; 6, 671: “solum,” Ov. M. 1, 73: “plagae,” id. ib. 12, 40 al.: “astra,” id. ib. 15, 846: “aërii mellis dona,” Verg. G. 4, 1: “prodigia,” Liv. 1, 34, 9; cf. “minae,” Tac. H. 1, 18: caelestia auguria vocant cum fulminat aut tonat, Paul. ex Fest. p. 64, 8 Müll.: “fragor,” Quint. 12, 10, 4: “orbes, quorum unus est caelestis,” Cic. Rep 6, 17, 17.—Subst.: caelestĭa , ĭum, n., the heavenly bodies: “cogitantes supera atque caelestia, haec nostra, ut exigua et minima, contemnimus,” Cic. Ac. 2, 41, 127; Tac. H. 5, 4; id. A. 4, 58.—
II. Meton.
A. Divine; and subst., the deity (most freq. like caeles in plur.), the gods.
1. Adj., numen, Cat. 66, 7; Tib. 3, 4, 53; Ov. M. 1, 367: “animi,” Verg. A. 1, 11: aula, Ov F 1, 139: irae. Liv. 2, 36, 6: “ira,” Sen. Herc. Oet. 441: “origo,” Verg. A. 6, 730: “ortus,” Quint. 3, 7, 5: “stirps,” Ov. M. 1, 760; cf. “species,” id. ib. 15, 743: “nectar,” id. ib. 4, 252; cf. “pabula,” id. ib. 4, 217: “sapientia,” Hor. Ep 1, 3, 27: “auxilium,” of the gods, Ov. M. 15, 630: “dona,” id. ib. 13, 289 al.: “cognitio caelestium et mortalium,” Quint. 1, 10, 5; cf. id. 10, 1, 86.— * Comp neutr.: “nihil est caelesti caelestius,” Sen. Ep. 66, 11—
2. Subst.: caelestis , is, m., a deity: quicumque dedit formam caelestis avarae, Tib 2, 4, 35.—Mostly plur., the gods: “divos et eos qui caelestes semper habiti colunto,” Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 19: “caelestum templa,” Lucr. 6, 1273: “in concilio caelestium,” Cic. Off. 3, 5, 25; so id. Phil. 4, 4, 10; Liv. 1, 16, 7; 9, 1, 3; Tac. G. 9; id. H. 4, 84; Cat. 64, 191; 64, 205; 68, 76; Tib. 1, 9, 5; Verg. A. 1, 387; 7, 432; Ov. M. 1, 150; 4, 594; 6, 72, 6, 171.—
3. Caelestis , is, f., a female divinity in Carthage, Tert. Apol. 24, Capitol. Pert. 4, 2; Macrin. 3, 1; Treb. Pol. Trig. Tyr. 29, 1.—
4. caelestĭa , ĭum, n., heavenly objects, divine things: “haec caelelestia semper spectato, illa humana con-t emnito,” Cic. Rep. 6, 19, 20: “sapientem non modo cognitione caelestium vel mortalium putant instruendum,” Quint. 1, 10, 5; Tac. H. 5, 5.—
B. As in most languages, an epithet of any thing splendid or excellent, celestial, divine, god-like, magnificent, preeminent, etc. (so most freq. since the Aug. per., esp. as a complimentary term applied to eminent persons and their qualities; “in Cic. only once): caelestes divinaeque legiones,” Cic. Phil. 5, 11, 28: “quem prope caelestem fecerint,” Liv. 6, 17, 5: “ingenium,” Ov. A. A. 1, 185: “mens,” id. F. 1, 534: “in dicendo vir (sc. Cicero),” Quint. 10, 2, 18; cf.: “caelestissimum os (Ciceronis),” Vell. 2, 66, 3: “ju dicia,” Quint. 4 prooem. § 4 “Spald.: praecepta,” Vell. 2, 94, 2: “anima,” id. 2, 123: “animus,” id. 2, 60, 2: “caelestissimorum ejus operum,” id. 2, 104, 3: quos Elea domum reducit Palma caelestes, glorified, like the gods, Hor C. 4, 2, 18.—Adv. not in use.
