(adjective) : lūdus, i, m.id.
* A play.
* Lit.
* In gen., a play, game, diversion, pastime: ad pilam se aut ad talos, aut ad tessaras conferunt, aut etiam novum sibi aliquem excogitant in otio ludum,Cic. de Or. 3, 15, 58: datur concessu omnium huic aliqui ludus aetati,id. Cael. 12, 28: campestris,id. ib. 5, 11: nec lusisse pudet, sed non incidere ludum,Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 36.
* Transf.
* Ludi, public games, plays, spectacles, shows, exhibitions, which were given in honor of the gods, etc.
* A place of exercise or practice, a school for elementary instruction and discipline (cf. schola): in ludum ire,Plaut. Pers. 2, 1, 6: fidicinus,music-school,id. Rud. prol. 43: litterarius,id. Merc. 2, 2, 32: litterarum ludi,Liv. 3, 44; 6, 25: ludus discendi,Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 4, 6: Dionysius Corinthi dicitur ludum aperuisse,id. Fam. 9, 18, 1: Isocrates, cujus e ludo, tamquam ex equo Trojano, meri principes exierunt,id. de Or. 2, 22, 94; id. Or. 42, 144: gladiatores, quos ibi Caesar in ludo habebat,Caes. B. C. 1, 14, 4: militaris,Liv. 7, 33, 1: litterarii paene ista sunt ludi et trivialis scientiae,Quint. 1, 4, 27: litterarium ludum exercere,Tac. A. 3, 66: obsides quosdam abductos e litterario ludo,Suet. Calig. 45: ibi namque (in foro) in tabernis litterarum ludi erant,Liv. 3, 44, 6: quem puerum in ludo cognōrat,Nep. Att. 10, 3: in Flavī ludum me mittere,Hor. S. 1, 6, 72; cf. Gell. 15, 11, 2; Suet. Gram. 4; id. Rhet. 1: sic veniunt ad miscellanea ludi,Juv. 11, 26.
* Stage-plays (opp. to the games of the circus): venationes autem ludosque et cum collegā et separatim edidit,Suet. Caes. 10.
* Also with gen. of place: eo ipso die auditam esse eam pugnam ludis Olympiae memoriae proditum est,Cic. N. D. 2, 2, 6.
* Play, sport, i. e. any thing done, as it were, in play, without trouble, mere sport, child's play: oratio ludus est homini non hebeti,Cic. de Or. 2, 17, 72: cum illa perdiscere ludus esset,id. Fin. 1, 8, 27: quibus (Graecis) jusjurandum jocus est, testimonium ludus,id. Fl. 5, 12.
* Sport, jest, joke, fun: si vis videre ludos jucundissimos, Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 78: ad honores per ludum et per neglegentiam pervenire,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 70, § 181: aliquem per ludum et jocum evertere,id. ib. 2, 1, 60, § 155: amoto quaeramus seria ludo,Hor. S. 1, 1, 27: vertere seria ludo,id. A. P. 226: nil per ludum simulabitur,Juv. 6, 324: ut ludos facit,Ter. Phorm. 5, 7, 52: ludos facere aliquem, to make sport of, make game of, to banter, jeer at, mock: ut nunc is te ludos facit,Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 47: quem, senecta aetate, ludos facias,id. Aul. 2, 2, 74.— With dat.: miris modis dī ludos faciunt hominibus,Plaut. Rud. 3, 1, 1; id. Truc. 4, 2, 46.—In pass.: ludos fieri,Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 72: hocine me aetatis ludos vis factum esse indigne?id. Bacch. 5, 1, 4: ludos aliquem dimittere, to send one away with scorn and derision, or, as in Engl., to send one off with a flea in his ear: numquam hercle quisquam me lenonem dixerit, si te non ludos pessimos dimisero,id. Rud. 3, 5, 11: ludos facis me,id. Am. 2, 1, 21: facere ludos aliquid, to make a jest or a trifle of any thing, to throw away, to lose: nunc et operam ludos facit, et retia, etc.,id. Rud. 4, 1, 9: ludos dare, praebere,to make one's self ridiculous,Ter. Eun. 5, 7, 9: ludos alicui reddere,to play tricks on,id. And. 3, 1, 21: dare ludum alicui, to give play to one, i. e. to humor, indulge, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 10, 7; id. Cas. prol. 25; id. Bacch. 4, 10, 9: amori dare ludum,Hor. C. 3, 12, 1: ludus aetatis, the pleasures of love: si frui liceret ludo aetatis, praesertim recto et legitimo amore,Liv. 26, 50.
* Ludus, the title of a work of Naevius: ut est in Naevii Ludo,Cic. de Sen. 6, 20; Fest. s. v. redhostire, p. 270, 22 Müll.—Also, Ludus de Morte Claudii, a work of Seneca.

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