gravitas

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

grăvĭtas: ātis, f. gravis,
I weight, heaviness.
I Lit., in gen.: omnibus ejus (terrae) partibus in medium vergentibus nihil interrumpat, quo labefactari possit tanta contentio gravitatis et ponderum, Cic. N. D. 2, 45, 116; cf.: per inane moveri gravitate et pondere, id. Fat. 11, 24; Lucr. 3, 1054; cf. also: cuncta necesse est Aut gravitate sua ferri primordia rerum, Aut, etc., id. 2, 84: nostros propter gravitatem armorum, quod, etc., Caes. B. G. 5, 16, 1: tum etiam gravitate et tarditate navium impediebantur, id. B. C. 1, 58, 3: ignava nequeunt gravitate moveri, Ov. M. 2, 821: me mea defendit gravitas (corresp. to moles and pondus), id. ib. 9, 39.—
   B Transf.
   1    Of smell, rankness, offensiveness, fetidness: quorundam odorum suavitati gravitas inest, Plin. 21, 7, 18, § 37: a quibusdam vocatur cynozolon propter gravitatem odoris (shortly before: odore gravissimo), id. 22, 18, 21, § 47: animae, id. 20, 9, 35, § 91: halitus, id. 30, 6, 15, § 44: oris, id. 28, 12, 51, § 190.—
   2    Of bodily condition, health, severity, vehemence, violence, unwholesomeness; heaviness, dulness, faintness, sickness: corpore vix sustineo gravitatem hujus caeli, Cic. Att. 11, 22, 2: caeli aquarumque, Liv. 23, 34, 11: loci, id. 25, 26, 13: morbi, Cic. N. D. 3, 31, 76: pressus gravitate soporis, Ov. M. 15, 21; cf. id. ib. 11, 618: an quod corporis gravitatem et dolorem animo judicamus, animi morbum corpore non sentimus? painful, diseased condition, Cic. Tusc. 3, 1, 2 Kühn.; cf. membrorum, id. Fin. 4, 12, 31; and Lucr. 3, 478: capitis, Plin. 27, 12, 105, § 130: aurium, id. 20, 11, 44, § 115; cf. auditus, id. 23, 4, 42, § 85: audiendi, id. 28, 11, 48, § 176: oris et dentium, id. 37, 10, 54, § 143.—
   3    Pressure of price, dearness: annonae, Tac. A. 6, 13; 11, 4.—
   4    The burden of pregnancy: tendebat gravitas uterum mihi, Ov. M. 9, 287 (cf. onus, id. ib. 10, 504). —
II Trop.
   A In a bad sense, heaviness, slowness, severity: gaudere gravitate linguae sonoque vocis agresti, Cic. de Or. 3, 11, 42: injuria gravitate tutior est, severity, cruelty, Sall. Orat. Licin. (Hist. Fragm. 3, 22 Gerl.): fessi diuturnitate et gravitate belli, Liv. 31, 7, 3: crudelitatem quoque gravitati addidit, id. 24, 45, 13 Weissenb. —
   B In a good sense, weight, dignity, importance, seriousness, gravity (syn.: magnitudo, dignitas, auctoritas, pondus): hos cum Suevi propter amplitudinem gravitatemque civitatis finibus expellere non potuissent, importance, i. e. power, Caes. B. G. 4, 3, 4; cf. Cic. Agr. 2, 32: omnium sententiarum gravitate, omnium verborum ponderibus est utendum, importance, weight, id. de Or. 2, 17, 72; cf. id. Tusc. 5, 12, 34: genus hoc sermonum positum in hominum veterum auctoritate plus videtur habere gravitatis, id. Lael. 1, 4: quanta illa, di immortales, fuit gravitas! quanta in oratione majestas! id. ib. 25, 96: tristitia et in omni re severitas habet illa quidem gravitatem, id. ib. 18, 66; cf.: erat in illo viro comitate condita gravitas, id. de Sen. 4, 10: gravitate mixtus lepos, id. Rep. 2, 1; cf. also id. Q. Fr. 3, 9, 1: illud me praeclare admones, cum illum videro, ne nimis indulgenter et ut cum gravitate potius loquar, id. Att. 9, 9, 2; 9, 19, 3; id. Fam. 5, 16, 5: de virtute et gravitate Caesaris, quam in summo dolore adhibuisset, id. Q. Fr. 3, 8, 3: personae gravitatem intuentes, id. Tusc. 2, 21, 49; cf.: ego has partes lenitatis et misericordiae semper egi libenter: illam vero gravitatis severitatisque personam non appetivi, id. Mur. 3, 6: haec genera dicendi in senibus gravitatem non habent, id. Brut. 95, 326; id. Rep. 1, 10 fin.: majestas quam vultus gravitasque oris prae se ferebat, Liv. 5, 41, 8: (senarius) quantum accipit celeritatis, tantum gravitatis amittit, Quint. 9, 4, 140.

Latin > French (Gaffiot 2016)

grăvĭtās,⁸ ātis, f., (gravis),
1 pesanteur, lourdeur : armorum Cæs. G. 5, 16, 1 ; navium Cæs. C. 1, 58, 3, pesanteur des armes, des navires ; gravitate et pondere moveri Cic. Fato 24, se mouvoir sous l’effet de la pesanteur et du poids [atomes], cf. Cic. Nat. 2, 93
2 [fig.] a) importance, poids, force, vigueur : civitatis Cæs. G. 4, 3, 4, importance d’une cité ; sententiarum Cic. de Or. 3, 72, la force des pensées ; genus hoc sermonum plus videtur habere gravitatis Cic. Læl. 4, ce genre d’entretien paraît avoir plus de poids, cf. Cic. Leg. 3, 40 ; acrior verborum Cic. Off. 1, 136, une énergie plus accentuée dans les paroles ; cf. Cic. Att. 9, 9, 2 ; morbi Cic. Nat. 3, 76, force (violence) d’une maladie ; b) dignité, élévation, noblesse, solennité : personæ gravitatem intuentes Cic. Tusc. 2, 49, en considérant la grandeur du personnage ; verborum vel sententiarum Cic. Br. 35, noblesse de l’expression et des pensées ; c) fermeté et dignité de caractère : virtus et gravitas quam in summo dolore adhibuit Cic. Q. 3, 8, 3, le courage et la fermeté qu’il a montrés dans une douleur si cruelle, cf. Cic. Fl. 36 ; Nat. 1, 1 ; Ac. 3, 53 ; Att. 9, 19, 3