saevitia

saevĭtĭa, ae (collat. form acc. saevitiem, App. M. 6, p. 181 med. ), f. [saevus], a raging, rage, fierceness, ferocity.

I.

Lit., of animals:

sicut aves ad volatum, equi ad cursum, ad saevitiam ferae gignuntur,

Quint. 1, 1, 1:

canum,

Plin. 8, 40, 61, § 146. —

II.

Transf., for any violent, passionate excitement, fierceness, violence, harshness, savageness, cruelty, barbarity, severity, etc. (freq. and class.).

A.

Of persons:

num meam saevitiam veritus?

Ter. Eun. 5, 2, 15:

in judicio aut saevitiam aut clementiam judicis (sibi proponet),

Cic. Part. 4, 11; so (with immanitas) Plin. Ep. 2, 11, 2:

feneratorum (shortly before: violentia atque crudelitas),

Sall. C. 33, 1:

Iasidos,

Prop. 1, 1, 10; cf.

creditorum,

Tac. A. 11, 13:

ingenii,

Suet. Calig. 27:

hostium,

Sall. J. 7, 2; Tac. A. 1, 67; 2, 11; Liv. 2, 58:

secandi urendique,

Plin. 29, 1, 6, § 13; Cic. Off. 2, 7, 24:

saevitiam reprimere,

Suet. Calig. 6:

quantum saevitia glisceret,

Tac. A. 6, 19.—In plur.:

quibus saevitiis et maxime faenoris onere oppressa plebs,

Sall. H. 1, 9 Dietsch; cf. id. id. 2, 40 ib.—

B.

Of things:

maris,

Vell. 1, 2, 7; Plin. 9, 31, 51, § 100:

Scyllae,

id. 3, 8, 14, § 87:

undae,

Ov. H. 19, 23:

hiemis,

Col. 8, 17, 11; Plin. 19, 8, 51, § 166;

for which, temporis,

Sall. J. 37, 4:

tempestatum,

Plin. 2, 47, 47, § 125:

caeli,

Curt. 8, 4, 13:

maris,

id. 4, 3, 7:

ignea (i. e. sacri ignis),

Col. 7, 5, 16:

amoris,

id. 6, 37, 1:

annonae,

i. e. dearness, Tac. A. 2, 87.