wages Copy link Outline I. Of a labourer, soldier, etc.1. merces, ēdis., f.2. mănuprĕtium (price of handiwork, as distinguished from value of material)3. stīpendium (commonly of soldiers' w.)II. Fig.III. Fig.1. (rarely) merces2. stīpendium3. poena, supplicium • wages: I. Of a labourer, soldier, etc.: 1. merces, ēdis., f.: workmen's w., fabrorum m., Cic. Verr. 1, 56, 147: to support poverty by the w. of manual labour, manuum mercede inopiam tolerare, Sall. C. 37: good, fair w., merces magna, digna, aequa, Cic.: low, poor w., m. parva, iniqua, Cic.: to pay w., mercedem tribuere, Cic. Fam. 3, 10, 4; dare, id. Phil. 2, 17, 43; persolvere, id. Dom. 9, 23: to receive w., m. accipere, id. Rosc. Am. 29, 80: high w. are offered to us by you, magna m. proposita est nobis a te, id. Q. Fr. 3, 3, ad fin.: Laomedon deprived the gods of their promised w., Laomedon destituit deos mercede pacta, Hor. Od. 3, 3, 21: to raise, lower w., *mercedem augere, minuere: having lowered the players' wages, mercedibus scenicorum recisis, Suet. Tib. 34. 2. mănuprĕtium (price of handiwork, as distinguished from value of material): give me the gold, I will pay the workmen's w., cedo mi aurum, ego m. dabo, Pl. Men. 3, 3, 20. (This word is also written separately manûs pretium, Liv. 34, 7.) 3. stīpendium (commonly of soldiers' w.): v. pay. II. Fig.: any reward, recompense, etc.: merces, pretium, praemium: v. reward. III. Fig.: in a bad sense, punishment: 1. (rarely) merces: w. of folly, temeritatis m., Liv. 39, 55. 2. stīpendium: the w. of sin is death, s. peccati mors, Vulg. Rom. vi. 23. 3. poena, supplicium: v. punishment.