aether, eris (sometimes Gr. gen. aetheros; acc. reg. Gr. aethera; and so Stat. S. 4, 225; id. Th. 3, 525; but poetry and prose of that per. also use aetherem, Tert. adv. Marc. 1, 13; cf. Serv. ad Verg. A. 1, 58; plur. in late Lat. aethera, Ven. Fort. Carm. 3, 9, 7), m., = αἰθήρ [v. aestas], the upper, pure, bright air, the ether. In gen. Lit. (opp. aer, the lower atmospheric air): restat ultimus omnia cingens et coercens caeli complexus, qui idem aether vocatur, extrema ora et determinatio mundi; in quo cum admirabilitate maxima igneae formae cursus ordinatos definiunt, Cic. N. D. 2, 40: (astra) oriuntur in ardore caelesti, qui aether vel caelum nominatur, id. ib. 2, 15.

— Transf., in the poets, Heaven: Id, quod nostri caelum memorant, Graii perhibent aethera, Pac. ap. Varr. L. L. 5, § 17 Mull. (Trag. Rel. p. 87 Rib.): famā super aethera notus, Verg. A. 1, 379: rex aetheris altus Juppiter, id. ib. 12, 140: regna profundi aetheros, Stat. Th. 3, 524.

— Air, in gen.: clamor ad caelum volvendus per aethera vagit, Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 104 Mull. (Ann. v. 520 Vahl.): ignem ignes procudunt aetheraque aether, Lucr. 2, 1115: ferar per liquidum aethera Vates, * Hor. C. 2, 20, 2: nudoque sub aetheris axe, Verg. A. 2, 512; 8, 28: apes liquidum trans aethera vectae, id. ib. 7, 65; Sil. 2, 513 al.

—* In opp. to the lower world, the upper world, the earth: aethere in alto duros perferre labores, Verg. A. 6, 436.

—* The brightness surrounding a deity: aethere plena corusco Pallas, Val. Fl. 5, 183.

— Aether personified, son of Chaos, and father of Caelum, Cic. N. D. 3, 17 al.; also Jupiter, Cic. Ac. 2, 41. So in the poets often: pater Aether, Lucr. 1, 250: pater omnipotens Aether, Verg. G. 2, 325.