servitium

servĭtĭum, ii, n. [servus].

I.

In abstr., the condition of a slave or servant, slavery, servitude (not so in Cic., who has servitus).

A.

Lit.: hoc tibi pro servitio debeo, as your servant, * Ter. And. 4, 1, 52:

cum secum ipse reputaret, quam gravis casus in servitium ex regno foret,

Sall. J. 62, 9: neque desistam abstrahere a servitio civitatem nostram, Brut. ap. Cic. Ep. ad Brut. 1, 16, 9:

militibus nostris Jugurthae servitium minari,

Sall. J. 94, 4:

genus servitii insolitum,

id. H. 2, 81 Dietsch:

servitii pretium,

id. ib. 3, 61, 20; 3, 61, 1;

4, 61, 11: ductus ab creditore in servitium,

Liv. 2, 23, 6:

justum pati servitium (just before: regia servitus),

id. 41, 6, 9:

cum domus Assaraci Phthiam Servitio premet,

Verg. A. 1, 285:

aliquem servitio levare,

to free from slavery, Hor. S. 2, 5, 99:

servitio exire,

Verg. E. 1, 41:

servitium subire,

Ov. Tr. 4, 6, 8.—

B.

Transf., in gen., servitude or subjection of any kind:

animi imperio, corporis servitio magis utimur,

Sall. C. 1, 2:

illi etiam tauros primi docuisse feruntur Servitium,

Tib. 2, 1, 41; 2, 4, 1; Ov. A. A. 3, 488; cf. Verg. G. 3, 168; Col. 8, 8, 4:

qui servitium (amoris) ferre fatentur,

Ov. Am. 1, 2, 18:

tanto infensius servitium,

Tac. A. 1, 81 fin. —

II.

In concr., a body of servants, the class of slaves (collect.; class. in sing. and plur.).

(α).

Sing.:

ita nunc servitium'st,

such are servants nowadays, Plaut. Curc. 2, 3, 21:

Lycurgus agros locupletium plebi, ut servitio, colendos dedit,

Cic. Rep. 3, 9, 16:

ut a servitio caveremus (cf. just before: examina tanta servorum immissa in populum Romanum),

id. Har. Resp. 12, 25:

nulline motus in Siciliā servorum Verre praetore... facti esse dicuntur?... coeptum esse in Siciliā moveri aliquot locis servitium suspicor,

id. Verr. 2, 5, 4, § 9:

ex omni faece urbis ac servitio,

id. Pis. 4, 9:

calonum servitiique tertia (pars),

Vell. 2, 82, 3; cf.:

servitii decem milia offerebat,

Tac. A. 12, 17:

qui (gladiatores) e servitio Blaesi erant,

id. ib. 1, 23 et saep.—

(β).

Plur.:

servitia ad caedem et inflammandam urbem incitavit,

Cic. Cael. 32, 78:

vincula soluta sunt et servitia incitata,

id. Leg. 3, 11, 25:

opera facessant, servitia sileant,

id. Fl. 38, 97; Sall. C. 24, 4; 46, 3; 50, 1; 56, 5; id. J. 66, 1; Liv. 2, 10; 6, 12; 28, 11; Col. 11, 1, 3 et al.—

B.

Transf., of drones among bees:

sunt autem fuci... quasi servitia verarum apium,

Plin. 11, 11, 11, § 27.—

2.

= servi, servants as individuals:

servitia regum superborum,

Liv. 2, 10, 8:

inopia servitiorum,

id. 28, 11, 9:

dilapsis etiam infimis servitiorum,

Tac. H. 3, 84.