aemulatio

aemŭlātĭo, ōnis, f. [aemulor], an assiduous striving to equal or excel another in any thing, emulation (it denotes rather the mental effort, while imitatio regards more the mode of action; but rivalitas is a jealous rivalry, and therefore used only in a bad sense, while aemulatio is employed both in a good and bad sense) Cic. thus explains this word: aemulatio dupliciter illa quidem dicitur, ut et in laude et in vitio nomen hoc sit;

nam et imitatio virtutis aemulatio dicitur... et est aemulatio aegritudo, si eo, quod concupierit, alius potiatur, ipse careat,

Cic. Tusc. 4, 8, 17. So,

I.

In a good sense, emulation:

laudis,

Nep. Att. 5; Vell. 1, 17: gloriae, Just. praef.; Tac. A. 2, 44, id Agr. 21; Suet. Calig. 19; id. Tib. 11:

secundum aemulationem,

in zeal, Vulg. Phil. 3, 6.— Transf., of the imitation of nature in painting:

pictura fallax est et in aemulatione naturae multum degenerat transcribentium sors varia,

Plin. 25, 2, 4, § 8.—

II.

In a bad sense, jealousy, envy, malevolence, duszêlia:

aemulatio vitiosa, quae rivalitati similis est,

Cic. Tusc. 4, 26, 56:

infensa,

Tac. A. 13, 19:

municipalis,

id. H. 3, 57:

adversariorum,

Suet. Ner. 23; cf. id. 33:

aemulatio nasci tur ex conjunctione, alitur aequalitate, exardescit invidiā, cujus finis est odium,

Plin. Pan. 84 al.: ad aemulationem eum provocaverunt, to jealousy (said of God), Vulg. Psa. 77, 58. contentiones, aemulationes, rivalries, ib. 2 Cor, 12, 20.