• LIGHT

1.

• s. Any shining substance, and the brightness produced by it, especially and usually daylight, lumen, lux (lumen is the cause of light, that which gives light, a luminous body; lux, the light, brightness. To the sun we apply lumen and lux; lumen so far as it gives light to the earth, lux so far as it is a luminous or bright body). [☞ The poetic jubar denotes the pure splendor of the heavenly bodies.] The light of the sun, of the moon, lumen, lux, solis, lunae: the light of day, lux diurna (Lucr., 6, 648), or usually, simply lux: with the light, cum prima luce; die illucescente; sub lucis ortum (toward break of day): the light of the eyes, lumina oculorum; lumina (☞ luces is poetical): to see the light of day (i. e., to be born), in lucem edi or suscipi; nasci: to come into the light of day, exire supra terram (PROP. to come to the surface of the earth from subterraneous places of persons or animals); in publicum prodire (rather figuratively, to appear in public); in lucem proferri, protrahi (PROP. and figuratively of things); detegi, patefieri (figuratively to be uncovered, made manifest): not to come to light, lucem non aspicere, publico carere (not to go out, of persons) jacere, in tenebris latere (PROP., to remain hidden; of things): to bring or draw to the light (of day), supra terram educere (from subterraneous places; of persons or animals, PROP., after Cic., N.D., 2, 37, 95); in lucem proferre, protrahere (PROP. and figuratively, to render visible or notorious; of things); aperire, patefacere, detegere, manifestum facere (figuratively to make known, reveal): to bring to light (figuratively = to make known or famous), in lucem vocare e tenebris (persons); illustrare et excitare (things, e.g. philosophiam): to bring a thing again to light, aliquid in lucem revocare (e.g., veteres scriptores): to give light to a thing, lumina immittere alicui rei (PROP., e.g., to a house); alicui rei lucem afferre; aliquid illustrare, explanare (figuratively to make clear): to give light (explanation) to a person in anything, docere aliquem aliquid, edocere aliquem aliquid, or de re (by teaching); explicare alicui aliquid (by explanation): to shed light upon a thing (figuratively), illustrare aliquid; lucem or lumen alicui rei afferre (☞ noi affundere): a room has light, cubiculum illustre est: to obstruct the light to anyone, alicujus caelo or luminibus officere (☞ not simply alicui officere); alicujus luminibus obstruere: to stand in the light, alicui officere (PROP. to take away the light from anyone by placing one’s self before him; hence, figuratively = to oppose one); alicui obesse, obstare (figuratively, to be in the way, to be a hindrance to any one, without the idea of hostility): to stand in one’s own light (figuratively), sibi, or utilitati suae, or commodis suis male consulere; sibi deesse: to place or set anything in a good or advantageous light, aliquid in bono lumine collocare (PROP., e.g., a painting; tabulas bene pictas collocare in bono lumine, Cic.; opposed to tabulam in alieno lumine collocare, Cic.; in a bad light); alicui rei lucem afferre; rem commendare, laudare (figuratively, to represent on the favorable side): to place or represent in an odious light, aliquem in invidiam adducere; aliquem deformare: to set anything in a false light, aliquid fallaci judicio videre: to look at anything in the light, aliquid ad lucem spectare (PROP., to hold against the light and look at); videre etiam atque etiam et considerare (figuratively to consider accurately): if you look at it in the right light, si vis veram rationem exsequi (figuratively, Ter., Hec., 3, 1, 26).
• In painting, as opposed to shade, lumen (opposed to umbra; e.g., in pictura lumen non alia res magis quam umbra commendat, Cic.): to observe light and shade, lumen et umbras custodire: light and shade set off a picture, lumen et umbra commendant picturam.
• That which is made or used for the purpose of giving light, lumen (general term); lucerna (especially of a lamp); candela (of wax or tallow); cereus (a wax taper); sebaceus (a tallow candle; Apul., Met. 4, p. 151, 18, Elm., or p. 281, Oud.): to look after a light, lumen quaerere: to bring a light, lumen afferre: my light will go out, lucerna me deserit (e.g., in writing; Cic., Att., 7, 7, extr.): my light is going out, candela consumpta exstringitur: lights in the streets, pernoctantia urbis lumina (Ammianus, 14, 1).

2. adj., opposed to dark, clarus (light, bright in itself); illustris (full of light); lucidus (that is full of light, and spreads light abroad); luminosus (to which the rays of light duly penetrate); albidus (somewhat white, of color); candidus (dazzling white).

3.

• adj., opposed to heavy, grave, etc.
• (A) PROP., not heavy, levis (opposed to gravis): a light burden, onus leve: light armor, armatura levis: a light weight, pondus leve (general term); pondus vulgari levius (lighter than usual).
• (B) figuratively (1) not heavy, of substance or strength; (a) in its component parts, levis: a light wine, vinum leve: light food, cibus levis (that gives slight nourishment); cibus facilis ad concoquendum (easy of digestion): a light garment, vestis tenuis: a light soil, solum tenue: (b) Trifling, inconsiderable, levis (opposed to gravis); parvus (opposed to magnus): to have a light complaint, leviter aegrotare: light pain, dolor levis, parvus: (2) That has nothing heavy on it; (a) light-armed, levis armaturae (☞ so also with Caes., who never, as Livy and later writers do, uses simply levis in this sense: the light cavalry, equites levis armaturae [only in Livy and later writers, milites leves]); velites (as a division of the Roman army before the time of the republic, called rorarii: These troops were divided into jaculatores, javelin-men, sagittarii, archers, and funditores, slingers, to whom belonged the ferentarii, armed with round pebbles or leaden balls in the form of an acorn and furnished with a prickle, and the balistarii or tragularii, armed with the hand-balista: ☞ milites expediti; all soldiers when they have laid aside their baggage, whether light or heavy-armed; hence Caes., B.G., 7, 80, expediti levis armaturae). (b) Lightly clothed, lightly loaded, expeditus (not encumbered by heavy baggage; opposed to impeditus); nudus (that has put off the upper garments): a light infantry man, pedes expeditus. Hence, (c) not unwieldy, or dull; swift, fleet, velox (opposed to tardus); pernix (nimble. ☞ Only poets use levis in this sense). A light walk, ingressus tener, tener ac mollis: a person is light of foot, inest in aliquo praecipua pedum pernicitas: to write a light hand, *manu veloci scribere: to paint with a light pencil, manu veloci pingere. (d) Not oppressed with cares, curis vacuus; curis liber solutusque (e.g., animus): my heart becomes lighter, animum recipio: to make one’s heart lighter, aliquem aegritudine or curis levare. (e) Easy, that demands little pains or exertion, facilis (opposed to difficilis); solutus, expeditus (not perplexed opposed to impeditus). (The words are found in this connection and order.) facilis et expeditus; solutus et expeditus; solutus et facilis; nullius negotii (opposed to magni negotii): very light, perfacilis; perexpeditus: it is a light thing, nihil est negotii; id nihil habet negotii; id facile effici potest.
• Trifling, gay, playful, petulans (of persons or things: ☞ procax and protervus, wanton, are too strong); levis (light-minded, of persons); parum verecundus (not modest; also of things; e.g., verba); lascivus (full of play, especially in love: first in the Silver Age in a bad sense; of persons and things): light jokes, joca petulantia, jocorum petulantia: in a light manner, petulanter; parum verecunde; lascive: the young woman is somewhat too light in her conduct, ingenium liberius quam virginem decet (Liv.).

4. v. collustrare (to impart its own light; only PROP.); illustrare (to illumine, enlighten; and figuratively, to set in the light); illuminare (to give light to a thing, especially figuratively, ☞ None of these words were used by the ancients of enlightening the mind). The sun lights everything, sol cuncta luce sua illustrat: to be lighted by the sun, sole illustrem esse: to light a town, in urbe pernoctantia lumina accendere (of the ordinary lighting of the streets; after Ammianus, 14, 1): lumina suspendere funalibus ordine ductis (to make an illumination with lights hung in rows on ropes; Claudian, De Nupt. Honor. et Mar., 206); accensas lucernas in fenestris ponere (to make an illumination with lights in the windows of the houses, Schol., Pers., Sat., 5, 180): a tower is lighted by night, turris collucet per noctem crebris luminibus (Tac., Hist., 3, 38, 1): the field of Mars lighted by torches, collucentes per campum Martis faces (Tac., Ann., 3, 4, 1): to light up, i. e., to kindle, accendere, incendere, succendere (PROP. and figuratively); inflammare (to set on fire).