sodalitas

sŏdālĭtas, ātis, f. [sodalis].

I.

Lit., fellowship, companionship, brotherhood, friendship, intimacy; abstr. and concr. (class.; cf.

societas): sodalitas familiaritasque,

Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 37, § 94:

summā nobilitate homo, cognatione, sodalitate, collegio,

id. Brut. 45, 166:

intima sodalitas,

Tac. A. 15, 68.—Concr.:

nunc ego de sodalitate solus sum orator datus,

Plaut. Most. 5, 2, 5. — Plur.:

aliquem a sodalitatibus abducere,

Gell. 20, 4, 3.—

II.

Transf.

A.

A society, association of any kind, esp. for religious purposes (syn. sodalicium):

fera quaedam sodalitas et plane pastoricia germanorum Lupercorum,

Cic. Cael. 11, 26:

SODALITAS PVDICITIAE SERVANDAE,

Inscr. Orell. 2401.—

B.

A company assembled for feasting, a banqueting - club:

sodalitates autem me quaestore constitutae sunt sacris Idaeis... epulabar igitur cum sodalibus modice, etc.,

Cic. Sen. 13, 45.—

C.

In a bad sense, an unlawful secret society:

eodem die senatus consultum factum est, ut sodalitates decuriatique discederent, etc.,

Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 5; id. Planc. 15, 37.