sale Copy link Outline I. Means or course of selling1. vendĭtio2. vēnus, ūs; or vēnum, i (only in forms, venui, veno, venum; the last of which is the only frequent one)3. in phr. for s.II. Public auction • sale: I. Means or course of selling: 1. vendĭtio: Cic. R. Am. 38, 110: Sen. 2. vēnus, ūs; or vēnum, i (only in forms, venui, veno, venum; the last of which is the only frequent one): to offer for s., venum dare, Liv. 24, 47: so, to go or be offered for s. (be sold), venum ire, id. 3, 55: incentives of luxury offered for s., posita veno irritamenta luxus, Tac. A. 14, 15; for which also, venui subjicere, Apul. 3. in phr. for s.: vēnālis, e: to have pleasure-grounds for s., hortos venales habere, Cic. Off. 3, 14, 58: so fig. of corrupt Rome, urbem venalem ..., Sall. Jug. 35, extr. (In same sense, but less good: promercalis, Suet.: Col.: and venalicius, Petr.) Other Phrr.: having a (ready) s., vendibilis (v. saleable): to advertise for s., proscribere, Cic. Off. 3, 16 (Claudius proscripsit insulam, vendidit); also [aedes venales] inscribere, Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 92 (the latter denoting an inscription UPON something, like our TO LET): to be (exposed) for s., prostare, Hor. Ep. 1, 20, 2 (liber prostat): formal contract of s. (strictly, purchase), mancipium, mancipatio: the exact terms of the contract being, mancipii (mancipi) lex, Cic. de Or. 1, 39, 178: piecemeal s., distractio (legal term), Ulp. Dig. 14, 3, 5, § 12. II. Public auction: meton. hasta; because a spear was planted in the ground as symbol of auction: endless s.s. (and confiscations), infinita h., Cic. Ph. 4, 4, 9. Or expr. by vendere, praeconis voci subjicere, etc.: v. to sell.