merces

I. irreg. acc. mercem, Claud. 6; Cons. Hon. 578), f. mereo, what is deserved or earned; hence, hire, pay, wages, salary, fee, reward, etc. (syn.: pretium, stipendium; class.).

I. Lit.: manuum mercede inopiam tolerare, Sall. C. 37, 7: ne ars tanta abduceretur ad mercedem atque quaestum, Cic. Div. 1, 41, 92: operae, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 56, § 147: veterum officiorum, Juv. 5, 13: uti ab Arvernis Sequanisque Germani mercede arcesserentur, Caes. B. G. 1, 31: haec merces erat dialecticorum, Cic. Ac. 2, 30, 98: Apollonius cum mercede doceret, id. de Or. 1, 28, 126: mercedibus scenicorum recisis, Suet. Tib. 34: poscere mercedes, Juv. 8, 246: sarcienda vestimenta mercede certa accipere, Gai. Inst. 3, 205.—Prov.: dignus est operarius mercede suo, Vulg. Luc. 10, 7.—

B. In partic., in a bad sense, an unrighteous reward, a bribe: pretio atque mercede minuere majestatem rei publicae, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 20, § 50: magnā mercede pacisci cum aliquo, ut, Liv. 25, 33: mercedem accipere ab aliquo, Cic. Rosc. Am. 29, 80: lingua adstricta mercede, id. Pis. 13, 30: iniquitatis, Vulg. 2 Pet. 2, 13.—

II. Transf.

A. A price for any thing, reward, wages; recompense, punishment; cost, injury, detriment; a stipulation, condition, etc.: mercedem alicujus rei constituere, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 51, § 134: alicui proponere, id. Q. Fr. 3, 3, 4: alicui rei imponere, Juv. 7, 149: exigere ab aliquo, Cic. Lael. 21, 80: merces sanguinis atque laboris, Juv. 14, 164; 1, 42: mercedem solvere, id. 7, 157: appellare, id. 7, 157, v. 158.—Prov.: unā mercede duas res adsequi, Cic. Rosc. Am. 29, 80: non aliā bibam Mercede, Hor. C. 1, 27, 13: temeritatis merces, Liv. 39, 55: qui metit mercedem accipit, Vulg. Johan. 4, 36: in molestiā gaudeo, te eam fidem cognoscere hominum non ita magnā mercede, quam ego maximo dolore cognōram, Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 3: non sine magnā mercede, id. Tusc. 3, 6, 12: victum illa mercede parare, Juv. 14, 273: magnā quidem res tuas mercede colui, Sen. Tranq. 11, 2.—

B. Rent, revenue, income, interest: mercedes Argileti et Aventini, Cic. Att. 12, 32, 2: dotalium praediorum, id. ib. 15, 20, 4: ex fundo, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 50, § 119: mercedes habitationum annuae, Caes. B. C. 3, 21: publicanos tertiā mercedum parte relevavit, Suet. Caes. 20: quinas hic capiti mercedes exsecat, interest or discount on capital, Hor. S. 1, 2, 14.