Misericordia

mĭsĕrĭcordĭa, ae, f. [misericors], tender-heartedness, pity, compassion, mercy.

I.

Lit. (class.):

misericordia est aegritudo ex miseriā alterius injuriā laborantis,

Cic. Tusc. 4, 8, 18:

(Stoici) misericordiam, cupiditatem, metum, morbos animi appellant,

Lact. 6, 14:

misericordiam aliis commovere... misericordiā capi,

Cic. de Or. 2, 47, 195:

misericordiā commotus,

id. Mur. 31, 65:

mentes hominum ad lenitatem misericordiamque revocare,

id. de Or. 1, 12, 53: misericordiam implorare et exposcere, id. [p. 1151] Mil. 34, 92:

vestram misericordiam implorat,

id. Mur. 40, 86:

captare,

id. Phil. 2, 34:

populi concitare,

id. de Or. 1, 53, 227:

tribuere alicui,

to give, bestow, id. Planc. 1, 3:

adhibere,

to show, id. Rab. Perd. 2, 5:

praebere, Aug. Civ. Dei, 9, 5: exercere,

to exercise, Dig. 16, 3, 7:

misericordiam facere (eccl. Lat.),

Vulg. Gen. 20, 13 al.:

alienā misericordiā vivo,

on the compassion of others, Cic. Rosc. Am. 50, 145:

cum ipse patitur, miseria, cum aliis compatitur, misericordia dici solet,

Aug. Conf. 3, 2, 1:

ad misericordiam inducere,

to move, Cic. Brut. 50, 188:

ad misericordiam vocare,

id. Mur. 3:

misericordiam magnam habere,

to have, entertain, id. ib. 40, 86.— Plur.:

misericordias habere,

Plaut. Most. 2, 3, 115.—With gen.:

puerorum,

for the children, Cic. Att. 7, 12:

haec magnā cum misericordiā fletuque pronuntiantur,

with great pathos, Caes. B. C. 2, 12 fin.:

remotā misericordiā discutere,

without compassion, Aug. Conf. 9, 13, 1.— Esp., plur.:

misericordiae,

works of charity, Salv. adv. Avar. 2, 1.—

* B.

Transf., a condition to excite compassion, wretchedness, misery:

quantum misericordiae nobis tuae preces et tua salus allatura sit,

Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 8.—

II.

Personified: Mĭ-sĕrĭcordĭa, the goddess Mercy or Compassion, App. M. 1, p. 263, 38; cf. Quint. 5, 11, 38; Claud. B. Gild. 404.