lex (noun F) : perh. Sanscr. root lag-, lig-, to fasten; Lat. ligo, to bind, oblige; cf. religio
* A proposition or motion for a law made to the people by a magistrate, a bill (cf. institutum).
* Lit.: legem ferre: antiquare,Cic. Off. 2, 21, 73: rogare,id. Phil. 2, 29, 72: leges ac jura ferre,Juv. 2, 72: legem promulgavit pertulitque, ut, etc.,Liv. 33, 46: Antonius fixit legem a dictatore comitiis latam, qua, etc.,Cic. Att. 14, 12: legem sciscere de aliqua re,id. Planc. 14, 35: populus R. jussit legem de civitate tribuenda,id. Balb. 17, 38: repudiare,id. Lael. 25, 96.
* Transf.
* A bill which has become a law in consequence of its adoption by the people in the comitia, a law (cf.: jus, fas; decretum, edictum, scitum): legem constituere alicui, Cic. Caecin. 14, 40: legem gravem alicui imponere,id. Ac. 2, 8, 23: legem neglegere, evertere, perfringere,id. Cat. 1, 7, 18: neglegere, perrumpere,id. Leg. 1, 15, 42: leges ac jura labefactare,id. Caecin. 25, 70: legem condere,Liv. 3, 34: leges duodecim tabularum, the laws composed by the decemvirs, the foundation of Roman legislation, Liv. 3, 33 sq.: nunc barbaricā lege certumst jus meum omne persequi,i. e. by the Roman law, that of the Twelve Tables,Plaut. Capt. 3, 1, 32.
* In eccl. Lat. esp., the law of Moses: nolite putare quoniam veni solvere legem,Vulg. Matt. 5, 17; 11, 13; often called lex Moysi,id. Luc. 2, 22; id. Act. 15, 5; but more freq. lex Domini,id. Luc. 2, 23; id. Psa. 4, 2: lex Dei,id. 2 Esdr. 10, 28 sq.; also cf.: lex Altissimi,id. Eccl. 19, 21: lex tua,id. Psa. 39, 8; 118, 18: lex mea,id. Prov. 3, 1.—Also of a precept of the Mosaic law: ista est lex animantium,Vulg. Lev. 11, 46: istae sunt leges quas constituit Dominus,id. Num. 30, 17.
* Lege and legibus, according to law, by law, legally: ejus morte ea ad me lege redierunt bona,Ter. And. 4, 5, 4: Athenas deductus est, ut ibi de eo legibus fieret judicium,Nep. Phoc. 3, 4.
* In gen., a law, precept, regulation, principle, rule, mode, manner: qui disciplinam suam legem vitae putet,Cic. Tusc. 2, 4, 11: communis condicio lexque vitae,id. ib. 4, 29, 62; id. Balb. 7, 18: haec lex in amicitia sauciatur,id. Lael. 12, 40: quaero cur vir bonus has sibi tam gravis leges imposuerit,id. Ac. 2, 8, 23: lex veri rectique,id. ib. 2, 9, 27: aliquam legem vitae accipere,Sen. Ep. 108, 6: ad legem naturae revertamur,id. ib. 25, 4: leges in historia observandae,Cic. Leg. 1, 1, 5: quis nescit primam esse historiae legem, ne quid falsi dicere audeat?id. de Or. 2, 15, 62; id. Fam. 5, 12, 3: vetus est lex amicitiae, ut idem amici semper velint,id. Planc. 2, 5: hanc ad legem formanda est oratio,id. de Or. 3, 49, 190: versibus est certa quaedam et definita lex,id. Or. 58: legibus suis (i. e. philosophiae) parere,id. Tusc. 5, 7, 19: leges Epicuri,id. ib. 5, 37, 108; 4, 4, 7; Sen. Ep. 94, 15; Suet. Ner. 24: vetus lex sermonis,Quint. 1, 5, 29: contra leges loquendi,id. 1, 8, 13: lex et ratio loquendi,Juv. 6, 453: secundum grammaticam legem,Gell. 13, 21, 22: legem esse aiunt disciplinae dialecticae, etc.,id. 16, 2, 1: citharae leges,Tac. A. 16, 4: beneficii,Sen. Ben. 2, 10, 4: sic ingens rerum numerus jubet atque operum lex,Juv. 7, 102: scimus hujus opusculi illam esse legem, etc.,Plin. Ep. 4, 14, 5: qui titulus sola metri lege constringitur,id. ib. 4, 14, 8.—Of things: quā sidera lege mearent,by what law, what rule,Ov. M. 15, 71.—Hence, sine lege, without order, in confusion, confusedly: exspatiantur equi ... quaque impetus egit, Hac sine lege ruunt,Ov. M. 2, 204: jacent collo sparsi sine lege capilli,id. H. 15, 73: haec in lege loci commoda Circus habet,quality, nature,id. Am. 3, 2, 20; cf.: sub lege loci sumit mutatque figuras,id. Hal. 32.
* A contract, agreement, covenant: oleam faciundam hac lege oportet locare, etc.,Cato, R. R. 145: in mancipii lege,a contract of sale,Cic. de Or. 1, 39, 178; cf.: Manilianas venalium vendendorum leges ediscere,id. ib. 1, 58, 246: collegii Aesculapii, Inscr. ap. Fabrett. p. 724, n. 443.
* A condition, stipulation (cf. condicio).
* Fraudem legi facere, to evade the law: ut ne legi fraudem faciant aleariae, adcuratote ut, etc.,the law against dicing,Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 9: quod emancupando filium fraudem legi fecisset,Liv. 7, 16, 9; cf. Val. Max. 8, 6, 3; cf. also: facio fraudem senatus consulto,Cic. Att. 4, 12, 1.
* In gen. (mostly ante-class.): ego dabo ei talentum, primus qui in crucem excucurrerit, Set ca lege, ut offigantur bis pedes,Plaut. Most. 2, 1, 13: quia nequit, qua lege licuit velle dixit fieri,id. Stich. 3, 1, 58: estne empta mi haec? Pe. His legibus habeas licet, id. Ep. 3, 4, 39: hac lege tibi adstringo meam fidem,Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 22: legibus dictis,Liv. 9, 5, 3: dicta tibi est lex,Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 18: sed vos saevas imponite leges,Juv. 7, 229.
* Hence of conditions or terms of peace: pax data Philippo in has leges est,Liv. 33, 30: quibus ante dictum est legibus, pacem fecerunt,id. 30, 43: pacemque his legibus constituerunt,Nep. Tim. 2: se sub leges pacis iniquae Tradere,Verg. A. 4, 618: leges et foedera jungere,id. ib. 12, 822: in leges ire,Stat. S. 1, 1, 27.

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