bellātor, ōris (ancient form duellā-tor, Plaut. Capt. prol. 68; cf. the letter B), m. bello. A warrior, soldier (as capable of fighting, while miles signifies a soldier by profession; class.): domi bellique duellatores optimi, Plaut. Capt. prol. 68: si tu ad legionem bellator clues, at ego in culinā Ares, id. Truc. 2, 7, 54; id. Mil. 4, 2, 85; id. Trin. 3, 2, 97; id. Curc. 4, 3, 21; id. Bacch. 4, 9, 3; id. Ep. 3, 4, 56; id. Truc. 2, 7, 68; Cic. Balb. 23, 54: quis est, qui aut bellatori, aut imperatori, aut oratori quaerat aliquid, etc., id. Tusc. 4, 24, 53; 4, 19, 43: ecqua pacifica persona desideretur an in bellatore sint omnia, id. Att. 8, 12, 4: adeo Sulla dissimilis fuit bellator ac victor, ut, etc., Vell. 2, 25, 3: primus bellator duxque, Liv. 9, 1, 2: fortes (opp. otiosi urbani), id. 5, 20, 6; 8, 8, 17; 7, 26, 13; 1, 59, 9; Tac. A. 1, 67; 4, 49; Ov. A. A. 3, 359; Juv. 8, 10; 13, 168; Claud. Cons. Stil. 3, 12; Vulg. Isa. 3, 2 al.

—Humorously of champion drinkers, Plaut. Men. 1, 3, 5.

— Esp. (like amator, arator, venator, etc.; v. Zumpt, Gr. § 102; in close apposition with another subst., and taking the place of an adj.), warlike, ready to fight, martial, valorous (mostly poet.): bellator Turnus, Verg. A. 12, 614: bellator deus, the war-god Mars, id. ib. 9, 721.

—So esp. freq. equus, a spirited, mettlesome horse, Verg. G. 2, 145; id. A. 10, 891; 11, 89; Ov. M. 15, 368; id. F. 2, 12; Val. Fl. 2, 385; Tac. G. 14.

—Also absol.: feroci Bellatore sedens, Juv. 7, 127: taurus, Stat. Th. 12, 603.

—Transf., of inanim. things: campus, the field of battle, Stat. Th. 8, 378: ensis, Sil. 13, 376; and of a stone used in play, Ov. A. A. 3, 359.