merces (noun F) : (
* 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.).
* Lit.: manuum mercede inopiam tolerare,the wages of manual labor,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,fee,Cic. Ac. 2, 30, 98: Apollonius cum mercede doceret,id. de Or. 1, 28, 126: mercedibus scenicorum recisis,the players' salaries,Suet. Tib. 34: poscere mercedes,to work for hire,Juv. 8, 246: sarcienda vestimenta mercede certa accipere,Gai. Inst. 3, 205.—Prov.: dignus est operarius mercede suo,Vulg. Luc. 10, 7.
* 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,tied with a bribe,id. Pis. 13, 30: iniquitatis,Vulg. 2 Pet. 2, 13.
* Transf.
* 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,to make payment,id. 7, 157: appellare,to demand payment,id. 7, 157, v. 158.—Prov.: unā mercede duas res adsequi,to kill two birds with one stone,Cic. Rosc. Am. 29, 80: non aliā bibam Mercede,condition,Hor. C. 1, 27, 13: temeritatis merces,punishment,Liv. 39, 55: qui metit mercedem accipit,reward,Vulg. Johan. 4, 36: in molestiā gaudeo, te eam fidem cognoscere hominum non ita magnā mercede, quam ego maximo dolore cognōram,price, cost,Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 3: non sine magnā mercede,not except at great cost,id. Tusc. 3, 6, 12: victum illa mercede parare,Juv. 14, 273: magnā quidem res tuas mercede colui,to my great disadvantage,Sen. Tranq. 11, 2.
* 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,house-rents,Caes. B. C. 3, 21: publicanos tertiā mercedum parte relevavit,farm-rent,Suet. Caes. 20: quinas hic capiti mercedes exsecat, interest or discount on capital, Hor. S. 1, 2, 14.

merces, for merx, v. h. v.

s. TLL