merces, ēdis (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.