Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Versipellis

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

VERSIPELL'IS. Literally, one who changes his skin; thence, one who transforms himself, or is transformed into another person's figure, as of Jupiter into Amphitryon (Plaut. Amph. 121. Prol.); and so a wily, dissembling fellow, who can assume any character. (Id. Bacch. iv. 4. 12.) But the term designates more especially a man transformed into a wolf, pursuant to an ancient legend of Arcadia, that every member of a certain family was changed into a wolf for nine years, and after that period resumed his original shape. Plin. H. N. viii. 22. Pet. Sat. 62.