I.the Phœnicians, i. e. the Carthaginians (descended from the Phœnicians): Poeni stipendia pendunt, Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 5, § 182 Müll. (Ann. v. 269 Vahl.); id. ap. Fest. p. 249 ib. (Ann. v. 278 Vahl.); Cic. Rep. 2, 4, 9: “Poeni foedifragi,” id. Off. 1, 12, 38: “Poenorum crudelitas,” id. N. D. 3, 32, 80: “ponuntque ferocia Poeni Corda,” Verg. A. 1, 302.—Gen. plur.: “Poenūm,” Sil. 7, 714; 17, 311.—In sing.: Poenus , i, m., a Carthaginian: Poenus plane est, he is a true Carthaginian, i. e. full of cunning, trickish, Plaut. Poen. prol. 113.—Pregn., for Hannibal, Cic. de Or. 2, 18, 77.—Collectively: “si uterque Poenus Serviat uni,” i.e. Carthaginians in Africa and Spain, Hor. C. 2, 2, 11.—Hence,
A. Poenus , a, um, adj., Punic, Carthaginian (poet.): “leones,” Verg. E. 5, 27: “columnae,” Prop. 2, 23 (3, 29), 3: “sermo,” Stat. S. 4, 5, 45: “vis saeva,” Sil. 6, 338: “miles,” Juv. 10, 155.—Comp.: “est nullus me hodie Poenus Poenior,” better versed in the Carthaginian tongue, Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 31.—
B. Pūnĭ-cus (Poen- ), a, um, adj., Punic, Carthaginian (the classical form): “CLASEIS. POENICAS OM(nes devicit), Inscr. Column. Rostr.: regna,” Verg. A. 1, 338: “lingua,” Plin. 4, 22, 36, § 120: “litterae,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 46, § 103: “laterna,” Plaut. Aul. 3, 6, 30: bellum primum, secundum, tertium, Cic. Off. 1, 13, 39; id. Brut. 14, 57; id. Verr. 2, 4, 33, § 73: fides, i. e. bad faith, perfidy, treachery (because the Romans considered the Carthaginians perfidious), Sall. J. 108, 3; cf. Liv. 21, 4 fin.; 42, 47; Flor. 2, 2, 6 and 17; Val. Max. 7, 4, ext. 4; so, “ars,” Liv. 25, 39: Punicum malum, or simply Punicum, i, n., a pomegranate, Plin. 13, 19, 34, § 112; 15, 11, 11, § 39; 15, 28, 34, § 112 et saep.: arbos, i. e. a pomegranate-tree, Col. poët. 10, 243: “cera,” exceedingly white, Plin. 21, 14, 49, § 83.—
2. Poet., transf., of the Phœnician color, purple color, purple-red: “punicarum rostra columbarum,” Prop. 3, 3 (4, 2), 32: “rostra psittaci,” Ov. Am. 2, 6, 22: punico Lugubre mutavit sagum, Hor Epod. 9, 27.—Hence, adv.: Pūnĭcē (Poen- ), in the Punic or Carthaginian manner or language: “adibo hosce atque appellabo Punice,” Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 22: “loqui,” in Punic, id. ib. 5, 2, 23: “salutare,” id. ib. 5, 2, 40.
