latro

Latro is a Latin noun meaning robber or brigand. In classical Latin it referred to a hired thief or plunderer, often one who operated against travelers, soldiers, or towns. The word is masculine and is typically treated as a third-declension noun; the common plural form is latrones, used for groups of robbers.

Derived terms and related concepts include latrocinor, latrocinari (to commit robbery), and latrocinium or latrocininii (brigandage, robbery). Latrocinium is another related noun denoting acts of brigandage or piracy. These derivatives retain a strongly negative sense and are widely attested in Latin literature, including both prose and poetry, where latro functions as a stock figure representing criminal violence.

Usage and nuance: latro appears in various authors as a concrete label for criminals and as a general term for those who prey on others. It can also be employed metaphorically to describe oppressive or predatory behavior by rulers or authorities. In medieval and later Latin, the term continued to carry its pejorative sense, though it is more common in scholarly or historical texts today than in everyday Latin.

In modern contexts, latro is primarily encountered in linguistic, historical, or philological discussions of Latin vocabulary related to crime, violence, and social order. The term is generally considered archaic outside of these scholarly contexts, and it is not used as a neutral contemporary descriptor. Latro may also appear as a proper name in some Latin texts, occasionally used to personify a robber figure.