I.“Larium,” Liv. 40, 52), m. old Lat. Lases; Etrusc. Laran, Lalan; root las-; cf. lascivus, tutelar deities, Lares, belonging orig. to the Etruscan religion, and worshipped especially as the presiders over and protectors of a particular locality (cf. Otfr. Müll. Etrusc. 2, p. 90 sq.): “praestites,” the tutelar deities of an entire city, Ov. F. 5, 129 sq.: “mille Lares geniumque ducis, qui tradidit illos, urbs habet,” id. ib. 5, 145: “Puteolanae civitatis,” Inscr. Orell. 1670: “civitatum, Inscr. ap. Grut. p. 10, 2: vicorum,” Arn. 3, 41: “rurales, Inscr. ap. Grut. p. 251: compitales,” of cross - roads, Suet. Aug. 31; called also Lares compitalicii, Philarg. ad Verg. G. 2, 381: “viales,” worshipped by the road-side, Plaut. Merc. 5, 2, 24: “permarini,” tutelar deities of the sea, Liv. 40, 52: caelipotentes, Inscr. ap. Tert. de Spect. 5.—Sing.: “Lari viali,” Inscr. Orell. 1762; 1894: “eundem esse Genium et Larem, multi veteres memoriae prodiderunt,” Censor. 3, 2.—
II. Most commonly the Lares (as familiares or domestici), the tutelar deities of a house, household gods, domestic Lares (whose images stood on the hearth in a little shrine, aedes, or in a small chapel, lararium); as the tutelar deities of each particular dwelling, also in sing.: Lar , Laris, m.
(α).
In plur.: “rem divinam facere Laribus familiaribus,” Plaut. Rud. 5, 1, 17: “sanctis Penatium deorum Larumque familiarium sedibus,” Cic. Rep. 5, 5, 7; id. Quint. 27 fin.: “ad aedem Larum,” id. N. D. 3, 25, 63: “immolet aequis porcum Laribus,” Hor. S. 2, 3, 164: “Laribus tuum Miscet numen,” id. C. 4, 5, 34. —
(β).
In sing.: “ego Lar sum familiaris, ex hac familia,” Plaut. Aul. prol. 2: “haec imponuntur in foco nostro dari,” id. ib. 2, 8, 16: “familiae Lar pater, alium Larem persequi,” id. Merc. 5, 1, 5 sq.—
B. Meton., a hearth, dwelling, home (class.; usually in sing.): “larem corona nostrum decorari volo,” Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 1: “relinquent larem familiarem suum?” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 11, § 27: “ad suum larem familiarem redire,” id. ib. 2, 3, 54, § “125: nobis larem familiarem nusquam ullum esse?” Sall. C. 20: “paternus,” Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 51: “patrius,” id. S. 1, 2, 56; cf.: “avitus apto Cum lare fundus,” id. C. 1, 12, 43: “gaudens lare certo,” id. Ep. 1, 7, 58: “parvo sub lare,” id. C. 3, 29, 14: “conductus,” Mart. 11, 82, 2: “deserere larem,” to abandon one's home, Ov. F. 1, 478: “pelli lare,” to be driven from a place, id. ib. 6, 362: “alumnus laris Antenorei,” i. e. of the city of Padua, Mart. 1, 77, 2: ob eam rem tibi Lare commercioque interdico, Vet. Formul. ap. Paul. Sent. 3, 4, 7.—
