witness (subs.) Copy link Outline I. The person witnessing1. testis2. auctor (a warrant, voucher)3. arbĭter, tri, m. (one who is present to hear or see)4. spectātor (a beholder)II. The evidence given • witness (subs.): I. The person witnessing: 1. testis: with me, as with a good judge, arguments have more weight than witnesses, apud me, ut apud bonum judicem, argumenta plus valent quam testes, Cic. Rep. 1, 38, 59: I will produce you w.s, dabo tibi testes, ib. 1, 37, 58: to summon w.s, t. citare, id. Verr. 2, 59, 146: I call you as my w., testem te testor mihi, Pl. Rud. 5, 2, 51: what you owe, Rome, to the Neros, the river Metaurus is w., quid debeas, O Roma, Neronibus testis Metaurum flumen, Hor. Od. 4, 4, 38. 2. auctor (a warrant, voucher): when this from one w. had made its way to many, one passing it on to another, there seemed to be many w.s to the fact, hoc ubi uno auctore ad plures permanaverat, atque alius alii transdiderat, plures auctores ejus rei videbantur, Caes. B. C. 2, 29. 3. arbĭter, tri, m. (one who is present to hear or see): Pomponius rose, and having removed all w.s, bade the young man come to him, Pomponius surrexit remotisque arbitris ad se adolescentem jussit venire, Cic. Off. 3, 31, 112. 4. spectātor (a beholder): a w. of the contest, spectator certaminis, Liv. 1, 28: v. eyewitness, spectator. II. The evidence given: testĭmōnium: to bear w. against any one, testimonium in aliquem dicere, Cic. Rosc. Am. 36, 102: false w., falsa testimonia, Pl. Rud. prol. 13: to deliver by way of w., dicere pro testimonio, Cic. Rosc. Am. 35, 101: v. evidence. Phr.: to invoke as w.: testari, testificari: I invoke all men and gods as w.s, omnes homines deosque testor, Cic. Caecin. 29, 83: he invoked as w.s men, she a goddess, ille homines, haec est testificata deam, Ov. H. 20, 160: to call as w. to a summons, antestari (of the plaintiff when summoning the defendant into court: cf. Hor. S. 1, 9, 76): to bear w., testari, testificari: v. to witness.