antiquitas

antīquĭtas, ātis, f. [antiquus], the quality of being antiquus, age, antiquity (class., but only in prose).

I.

In gen.:

antiquitas generis,

Cic. Font. 14, 31; so Nep. Milt. 1, 1:

non vestra (urbs) haec est, quae gloriabatur a diebus pristinis in antiquitate suā?

Vulg. Isa. 23, 7.—

II.

Spec., ancient time, antiquity.

A.

Lit.:

fabulae ab ultimā antiquitate repetitae,

Cic. Fin. 1, 20, 65:

habet ut in aetatibus auctoritatem senectus, sic in exemplis antiquitas,

id. Or. 50, 169:

antiquitas dat dignitatem verbis,

Quint. 8, 3, 24; Suet. Ner. 38 al.—

B.

Meton.

1.

The occurrences of antiquity, the history of ancient times, antiquity:

tenenda est omnis antiquitas,

Cic. de Or. 1, 5, 18:

memoria antiquitatis,

id. Brut. 59, 214:

antiquitatis iter,

id. de Or. 1, 60, 256 al.:

antiquitatis amator,

Nep. Att. 18, 1 Bremi and Dähne; cf. id. ib. 20 al.—In plur., a title of historical or archœological works, antiquities; cf. Plin. praef.; Gell. 5, 13:

Varro in antiquitatibus rerum humanarum scripsit, etc.,

id. 11, 1 et saep. —

2.

Men of former times, the ancients:

errabat multis in rebus antiquitas,

Cic. Div. 2, 33; cf. Hand, Wopk. Lectt. Tull. p. 209; Cic. Leg. 2, 11, 27:

antiquitas melius ea, quae erant vera, cernebat,

id. Tusc. 1, 12, 26:

fabulose narravit antiquitas,

Plin. 12, 19, 42, § 85; 19, 4, 19, § 1 al.—

3.

The condition [p. 133] or state of former times (eccl. Lat.):

Et soror tua Sodoma et filiae ejus revertentur ad antiquitatem suam,

Vulg. Ezech. 16, 55 ter. —

II.

Esp., with the access. idea of moral excellence (cf. antiquus, II. C.), the good old times, the honesty of the good old times, integrity, uprightness, etc.:

P. Rutilius documentum fuit virtutis, antiquitatis, prudentiae,

Cic. Rab. Post. 10:

his gravissimae antiquitatis viris probatus,

id. Sest. 3:

haec plena sunt antiquitatis,

id. Planc. 18, 45; Sall. H. Fragm. ap. Serv. ad Verg. G. 2, 209:

exemplar antiquitatis,

Plin. Ep. 5, 15, 1.