sapientia
δυοῖν κακοῖν προκειμένοιν τὸ μὴ χεῖρον βέλτιστον → the lesser of two evils, the less bad thing of a pair of bad things, better the devil you know, better the devil you know than the devil you don't, better the devil you know than the devil you don't know, better the devil you know than the one you don't, better the devil you know than the one you don't know, the devil that you know is better than the devil that you don't know, the devil we know is better than the devil we don't, the devil we know is better than the devil we don't know, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
săpĭentĭa: ae, f. sapiens.
I (Acc. to sapiens, A.) Prop., good taste, i. e. good sense, discernment, discretion, prudence, intelligence (class.; syn. prudentia): pellitur e medio sapientia, vi geritur res, Enn. ap. Gell. 20, 10, 4 (Ann. v. 272 Vahl.): non aetate verum ingenio adipiscitur sapientia, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 88; id. Mil. 4, 6, 36: fac participes nos tuae sapientiae, id. Ep. 2, 2, 73; cf.: neque habet (erus meus) plus sapientiae quam lapis, id. Mil. 2, 2, 81; id. Capt. 2, 3, 53; cf. id. ib. 2, 3, 50: sedulo Moneo, quae possum, pro meā sapientiā, Ter. Ad. 3, 3, 73: quanta mea sapientia est, Plaut. Stich. 1, 2, 62: erum anteëo sapientiā, Ter. Phorm. 2, 1, 17: re enim iniquum est, sed tuā sapientiā fit aequissimum, Cic. Deiot. 2, 4: numquam enim temeritas cum sapientiā commiscetur, id. Marcell. 2, 7: quid virtus et quid sapientia possit, etc., Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 17: sapientia prima (est), stultitiā caruisse, id. ib. 1, 1, 41; cf. id. A. P. 396: insaniens sapientia, id. C. 1, 34, 2.—
II (Acc. to sapiens, B.) Wisdom, = σοφία> (so predominantly in the class. per., e. g. in Cic.): nec quisquam sophiam, sapientia quae perhibetur, In somnis vidit, etc., Enn. ap. Fest. p. 325 Müll. (Ann. v. 227 Vahl.); cf.: Sophiam vocant me Graii, vos Sapientiam, Afran. ap. Gell. 13, 8, 3; and: princeps omnium virtutum illa sapientia, quam σοφίαν Graeci vocant, Cic. Off. 1, 43, 153: ad sapientiam hujus nimius nugator fuit, Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 25: ita fit, ut mater omnium bonarum rerum sit sapientia, a cujus amore Graeco verbo philosophia nomen invenit, Cic. Leg. 1, 22, 58: sapientia hominis custos, id. Fin. 4, 1, 1; id. Lael. 2, 7; 6, 20; 9, 30: omnem spem salutis ad clementiam victoris et sapientiam contulisse, id. Marcell. 6, 18: quorum vobis pro vestrā sapientiā, Quirites, habenda est ratio diligenter, id. Imp. Pomp. 7, 17: sapientiae vocem audire, id. Phil. 13, 3, 6: studia sapientiae, Tac. A. 14, 56: doctores sapientiae, philosophers, id. ib. 14, 16. —With gen.: admirari soleo cum ceterarum rerum tuam excellentem, M. Cato, perfectamque sapientiam tum, etc., in other things, Cic. Sen. 2, 4.—In <number opt="n">plur.</number>, sarcastically: qui (sapientes) si virtutes ebullire volent et sapientias, nihil aliud dicent, nisi, etc. (the <number opt="n">plur.</number> denoting their perpetual speaking of wisdom), a saying referred to Epicurus, Cic. Tusc. 3, 18, 42.—
B In partic., of single departments of knowledge, science, or wisdom, practical wisdom, knowledge of the world, philosophy, Lucr. 5, 10: sapientia est, ut a veteribus philosophis definitum est, rerum divinarum et humanarum causarumque, quibus eae res continentur, scientia, Cic. Off. 2, 2, 5: sapientia, quae ars vivendi putanda est, id. Fin. 1, 13, 42 (for which: ars est philosophia vitae, id. ib. 3, 2, 4).—Of jurisprudence: istam oscitantem sapientiam Scaevolarum et ceterorum beatorum otio concedamus, Cic. de Or. 2, 33, 144; cf.: his temporibus audaciā pro sapientiā liceat uti, id. Fam. 1, 10 init. —Of eloquence: hanc cogitandi pronunciandique rationem vimque dicendi veteres Graeci sapientiam nominabant, Cic. de Or. 3, 15, 56.—Of statesmanship, policy: sapientia constituendae civitatis, Cic. de Or. 2, 37, 154; cf.: qui propter ancipitem, quae non potest esse sejuncta, faciendi dicendique sapientiam florerent, id. ib. 3, 16, 59. —Of mathematics: sapientiae professor, Suet. Tib. 14.
