atrocitas

ā̆trōcĭtas, ātis, f. [atrox], the quality of atrox, harshness, horribleness, hideousness, hatefulness (having reference to the form, appearance, while saevitas relates to the mind; hence the latter is used only of persons, the former of persons and things; v. Doed. Syn. I. p. 40; syn.: saevitas, duritia, acerbitas, crudelitas).

I.

Lit. (class., but only in prose):

si res ista gravissima suā sponte videretur, tamen ejus atrocitas necessitudinis nomine levaretur,

Cic. Quinct. 16, 52:

ipsius facti atrocitas aut indignitas,

id. Inv. 2, 17, 53:

facinoris,

Suet. Calig. 12:

sceleris,

Sall. C. 22, 3:

temporum,

Suet. Tib. 48; id. Calig. 6:

poenae,

id. Dom. 11.—

II.

Of the mind or manners, agitation (like that of the sea, v. ater and atrocitas maris, Col. 8, 17, 10), tumult rage, savageness, barbarity, atrocity, cruelty, roughness:

ego quod in hac causā vehementior sum, non atrocitate animi moveor (quis enim est me mitior?) sed, etc.,

Cic. Cat. 4, 6:

hae litterae invidiosam atrocitatem verborum habent, id. ad. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 2, § 6. So, morum,

Tac. A. 4, 13:

consilium nefandae atrocitatis,

Suet. Calig. 48.—In phil. and jurid. lang. severity, harshness:

atrocitas ista quo modo in veterem Academiam irruperit, nescio,

Cic. Ac. 2, 44, 136:

atrocitas formularum,

the rigid strictness of judicial formulas, Quint. 7, 1, 37 Spald.—In plur., App. Met. 10, c. 28, p. 252.