clementia

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

clēmentĭa: ae, f. 1. clemens.
I A calm, tranquil state of the elements, calmness, mildness, tranquillity (like clemens in this signif. mostly post-Aug.): clementia ventorum, tranquillitas maris, App. de Deo Socr. p. 52, 1: soli caelique, Flor. 3, 3, 18; cf.: emollit gentes clementia caeli, Luc. 8, 366: aestatis, Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 5: hiemis, Col. 5, 5, 6: nascentis anni, id. 11, 3, 9: diei, id. 9, 13, 4: Nili, Stat. Th. 3, 527.—
II (Acc. to clemens, II. B.) Indulgent, forbearing conduct towards the errors and faults of others, moderation, mildness, humanity, forbearance, benignity, clemency, mercy (the class. signif.; very freq., esp. in prose; syn.: benignitas, comitas, lenitas, mansuetudo, etc.): clementia (est), per quam animi temere in odium alicujus concitati invectio comitate retinetur, Cic. Inv. 2, 54, 164: clementia est temperantia animi in potestate ulciscendi, vel lenitas... in constituendis poenis, Sen. Clem. 2, 3: facilitas et clementia, * Ter. Ad. 5, 4, 7; cf. Cic. Off. 1, 25, 88: illam clementiam mansuetudinemque nostri imperii tantam in crudelitatem inhumanitatemque esse conversam, id. Verr. 2, 5, 44, § 115; id. Deiot. 15, 43; id. Lig. 3, 10: lenitas et clementia, id. Att. 14, 19, 2: clementia et probitas vestra, Sall. H. 1, 41, 1 Dietsch; Liv. 3, 58, 4; Ov. M. 8, 57; Quint. 9, 2, 28; Tac. H. 3, 19: juris, Quint. 7, 4, 18 Spald., and antith. to jus asperius, id. 9, 2, 90; opp. severitatem, Sen. Clem. 1, 1, 4: elephanti contra minus validos, Plin. 8, 7, 7, § 23: leonis in supplices, id. 8, 16, 19, § 48; and as an attribute of princes, id. 8, 7, 7, § 48; Vop. Aur. 44; whence a title of the emperors, v. IV.—Less freq.,
   B Kindness, sympathy: satrapes violare clementiam quam regis opes minui maluit, Nep. Alcib. 10, 3.—
III Clementia, personified as a deily, the goddess of grace, Plin. 2, 7, 5, § 14; Stat. Th. 12, 482 sq.; Claud. Laud. Stil. 2, 6 sq.—
A title of the emperor: Clementia tua, Your Grace, Lampr. Alex. Sev. 65; Spart. ap. Geta, I. init.