I.wide extent, breadth, width, amplitude, size, bulk (class., but only in prose).
I. Lit.: “membrorum,” Varr. R. R. 2, 4, 3: “simulacrum modicā amplitudine,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 49: “urbis,” Liv. 7, 30: “oppidum stadiorum LXX. amplitudine,” Plin. 6, 26, 30, § 119: “platanus adolescit in amplitudinem,” id. 12, 1, 3, § 7: “corporis,” Plin. Ep. 6, 16, 3: “Apollo amplitudinis et artis eximiae,” Suet. Tib. 74: “margaritarum,” id. Caes. 47: “valli,” Tac. H. 4, 22: “numeri,” Gell. 19, 8, 12 al.—In plur.: “amplitudines bonorum,” Cic. Fin. 4, 7, 18.—
II. Trop.
A. With gen., greatness: “animi,” Cic. Tusc. 2, 26, 64: “harum rerum splendor, amplitudo,” id. Off. 1, 20, 67: “rerum gestarum,” Nep. Att. 18: fortunae, Plin. praef. 3: opum, id. 3, 4, 5, § 31.—In plur.: “amplitudines virtutum,” Gell. 4, 9.—
B. Absol., dignity, grandeur, distinction, consequence (more general than dignitas, auctoritas, etc.; cf. Manut. ad Cic. Fam. 1, 5; “Hab. Syn. 363): amplitudo est potentiae aut majestatis aut aliquarum copiarum magna abundantia,” Cic. Inv. 2, 55, 166: “homines, in quibus summa auctoritas est et amplitudo,” id. Rosc. Am. 1: “majestas est amplitudo et dignitas civitatis,” id. de Or. 2, 39: “ad summam amplitudinem pervenire,” id. Brut. 81, 281: “amplitudinem suam retinere,” id. Fam. 1, 4: “amplitudinem alicujus augere,” Liv. 39, 48 al.—
C. In rhet., copiousness and dignity of expression: “in his finis est amplitudo,” Cic. Inv. 2, 16 fin., which see in full: “uberi dignitas atque amplitudo est,” Gell. 6, 14, 3.—Specifically: “amplitudo Platonis,” Cic. Or. 1 fin., for the Gr. πλατύτης τῆς ἑρμηνείας (Diog. L. 3, 4), which is by Plin. Ep. 1, 10, more literally called Platonica latitudo.—So of metre: “amplitudo dactyli ac paeonis,” the fulness, richness, Quint. 9, 4, 136; cf. id. 5, 14, 30.
