Patronus, custos, & defensor coloniæ. Cic. Iustitiæ patronus. Cic. Patronus & Cliens, contraria. Ouid. Propugnator & patronus. Cic. Adoptare patronum. Cic. Constituere alicui causæ patronum. Cic. Delata ad patronos dissensio. Cic. Dare patronum alicui causæ. Cic. Alicui causæ patronum existere. Cic. Patronus. Alfenus. He that manumiseth or maketh free a seruant or bondman.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
pātrōnus, i, m. [pater]. I.Lit., a protector, defender, patron (of individuals, or of cities and entire provinces; also, the former master of a freedman); PATRONVS SI CLIENTI FRAVDEM FECERIT SACER ESTO, Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 6, 609; quot enim clientes circa singulos fuistis patronos, tot nunc, etc., Liv 6, 18, 6: ego me patronum profiteor plebis, id. 6, 18, 14; civitatum et nationum, Cic. Off. 1, 11, 35; id. Pis. 11, 25; cf.: tum conventus ille Capuae, qui me unum patronum adoptavit, etc., id. Sest. 4, 9; Inscr. A. U. C. 742, Marin. Fratr Arv. p. 782; see also Inscr. Orell. 956; 1079; 3056 sq.: patronus, defensor, custos coloniae, Cic. Sull. 21, 60; id. Div. in Caecil. 1, 2.—Of the former master of a freedman or freedwoman: volo me placere Philolachi, meo patrono, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 11: civis Romani liberti hereditatem Lex XII. Tabularum patrono defert, si intestato sine suo herede libertus decesserit, Ulp. Fragm. tit. 29, 1; cf. Gai. Inst. 3, 40; Cic. Fam. 13, 21, 2: corrupti in dominos servi, in patronos liberti, Tac. H. 2, 2.—II.Transf., a defender before a court of justice, an advocate, pleader (syn.: advocatus, causidicus, procurator, cognitor): judicis est semper in causis verum sequi, patroni nonnumquam verisimile, etiamsi minus sit verum, defendere, Cic. Off. 2, 14, 51; id. de Or. 2, 69, 280: patronus alicui causae constitui, id. Mur. 2, 4; cf.: his de causis ego huic causae patronus exstiti, id. Rosc. Am. 2, 5; Lex. Servil. lin. 9: patronus partis adversae, Quint. 4, 1, 11; cf.: patronus adversarii, id. 4, 1, 11; Tac. Or. 1.—B. In gen., a defender, advocate: eam legem a vestrorum commodorum patrono esse conscriptam, Cic. Agr. 3, 1, 3: foederum ac foederatorum, id. Balb. 10, 25: justitiae, id. Lael. 7 fin.: qui modo patronus nunc cupit esse cliens, Ov. A. A. 1, 88.—Comically: video ego te, propter malefacta qui es patronus parieti, i. e. standing like a patron in front of the wall (of one who, for fear of blows, places himself with his back to the wall, Plaut. Truc. 4, 3, 48; cf. id. Ps. 2, 2, 12. —As an affectionate and respectful form of address: mi patrone, immo potius mi pater, Plaut. Rud. 4, 8, 2; 16.