blanditia

blandĭtĭa, ae ( blandĭtĭes, ēi, in abl., App. M. 9, p. 230, 11), f. [blandus].

I.

The quality of one blandus; a caressing, flattering, flattery (mostly in an honorable sense; cf. on the contrary, assentatio and adulatio; class in prose and poetry; most freq. in plur.).

(α).

Sing.:

haec meretrix meum erum blanditiā intulit in pauperiem,

Plaut. Truc. 2, 7, 21:

viscus merus vostra'st blanditia,

id. Bacch. 1, 1, 16:

in cive excelso atque homine nobili blanditiam, ostentationem, ambitionem notam esse levitatis,

Cic. Rep. 4, 7, 7 (ap. Non. p. 194, 27):

nullam in amicitiā pestem esse majorem quam adulationem, blanditiam, adsentationem,

id. Lael. 25, 91:

occursatio et blanditia popularis,

id. Planc. 12, 29; cf. Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 11, 41; Prop. 1, 16, 16 al. —

(β).

Plur., flatteries, blandishments, allurements, = blandimenta: puerique parentum blanditiis facile ingenium fregere superbum, caresses, * Lucr. 5, 1018; Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 8:

quot illic (sc. in amore) blanditiae, quot illic iracundiae sunt!

id. Truc. 1, 1, 7:

ut blanditiis suis suam voluptatem expleat,

Ter. Hec. 1, 1, 11:

quam (benevolentiam civium) blanditiis et adsentando conligere turpe est,

Cic. Lael. 17, 61:

tantum apud te ejus blanditiae flagitiosae voluerunt, ut, etc.,

id. Verr. 2, 3, 26, § 65:

hereditates... malitiosis blanditiis quaesitae,

id. Off. 3, 18, 74; id. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 2, § 5:

blanditiis ab aliquo aliquid exprimere,

id. Att. 1, 19, 9:

muliebres,

Liv. 24, 4, 4:

virorum factum purgantium,

id. 1, 9, 16:

fallaces,

Tac. A. 14, 56:

verniles,

id. H. 2, 59; Suet. Aug. 53 al.; cf. also Tib. 1, 1, 72; 1, 2, 91; 1, 4, 71; 1, 9, 77; Prop. 4 (5), 6, 72; Ov. Am. 1, 4, 66; id. M. 1, 531; 4, 70; 6, 626; 6, 632; 6, 685; 7, 817; 10, 259; 12, 407; 14, 19; id. H. 13, 153; Plin. 8, 5, 5, § 14.—

II.

Trop., pleasure, delight, enticement, charm, allurement (cf. blandus, II. A., and blandior, II. B.):

blanditiis praesentium voluptatum deliniti atque corrupti,

Cic. Fin. 1, 10, 33: attrita cotidiano actu forensi ingenia optime rerum talium blanditia (i. e. lectione poëtarum) reparantur. Quint. 10, 1, 27.