I.a weight.
I. Lit.
A. In gen., a weight used in a scale, Cic. Tusc. 5, 24, 69: “pondera ab Gallis allata iniqua,” Liv. 5, 48 fin.: “utuntur taleis ferreis ad certum pondus examinatis pro numo,” Caes. B. G. 5, 12; Dig. 19, 1, 32: pondera publica, Paul. ex Fest. p. 246 Müll.—
2. In partic., the weight of a pound, a pound (very rare for the usual pondo): “dupondius a duobus ponderibus, quod unum pondus assipondium dicebatur. Id ideo, quod as erat libra pondus,” Varr. L. L. 5, § 169 Müll.: “argenti pondera quinque,” Mart. 7, 53, 12.—
B. Transf.
1. In abstr.
a. Heaviness, weight of a body: “moveri gravitate et pondere,” Cic. Fat. 11, 24; 10, 22; 20, 46; id. Tusc. 1, 17, 40: “magni ponderis saxa,” Caes. B. G. 2, 29; 7, 22: “emere aliquid pondere,” by weight, Plin. 12, 7, 14, § 29; 35, 17, 57, § 197; Tac. A. 6, 26; cf.: “in his quae pondere constant,” Dig. 18, 1, 35 med.; Gai. Inst. 2, 196: “id, quod pondere continetur,” Dig. 30, 1, 47.—
b. In plur.: pondera, balance, equipoise, equilibrium: “pendebat in aëre tellus Ponderibus librata suis,” Ov. M. 1, 13; so Luc. 1, 57; cf. Lucr. 2, 218 and 6, 574: “trans pondera (corporis) dextram Porrigere (= ultra libramentum sive aequilibrium corporis),” out of balance, Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 51; cf. Lachm. ad Lucr. II. p. 380 sq.; cf. “also: quis libravit in pondere montes et colles in staterā?” Vulg. Isa. 40, 12.—
2. In concr.
a. A heavy body, a weight, mass, load, burden: “in terram feruntur omnia suo nutu pondera,” Cic. Rep. 6, 17, 17: “grande auri pondus,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 17, § 45; so, “innumerabile pondus auri,” id. Sest. 43, 93: “magnum argenti pondus expositum,” Caes. B. C. 3, 96: “aeris magnum pondus,” id. ib. 3, 103; Stat. Th. 6, 648: “immania pondera baltei,” Verg. A. 10, 496: “Spartani pondera disci,” Mart. 14, 164, 1.—Poet., of the fruit of the womb, Ov. M. 9, 684; id. Am. 2, 14, 14; Prop. 4, 1, 96 (5, 1, 100); Mart. 14, 151; “of the privy parts,” Cat. 63, 5; Stat. S. 3, 4, 77.—
b. A quantity, number, multitude (anteclass. and very rare): magnum pondus omnium artificum, Varr. ap. Non. 466, 5.—
II. Trop.
A. Weight, consequence, importance, consideration, influence, authority, etc. (class.; cf. “momentum): persona non qualiscumque testimonii pondus habet,” Cic. Top. 19, 73: “grave ipsius conscientiae pondus est,” id. N. D. 3, 35, 85; cf.: “(honestas) aut sola expetenda est ... aut certe omni pondere gravior habenda quam reliqua omnia,” id. Off. 3, 8, 35: “id est maximi momenti et ponderis,” id. Vatin. 4, 9: “qui pondus habent,” id. Att. 11, 6, 1: habet vim in ingenio et pondus in vitā, id. de Or. 2, 74, 302: “magnum pondus accessit ad tollendum dubitationem, judicium et consilium tuum,” id. Fam. 11, 29, 1: “ut is intellegat, hanc meam commendationem magnum apud te pondus habuisse,” id. ib. 13, 25; cf.: “ut is intellegat meas apud te litteras maximum pondus habuisse,” id. Fam. 12, 27; 13, 35, 2: “tuae litterae maximi sunt apud me ponderis,” id. ib. 2, 19, 2: “ejus filius eodem est apud me pondere, quo fuit ille,” id. Att. 10, 1. 1.—Of style: “omnium verborum ponderibus est utendum,” Cic. de Or. 2, 17, 72: “fabula sine pondere et arte,” Hor. A. P. 320; cf.: “nugis addere pondus,” id. Ep. 1, 19, 42.—
B. Oppressive weight, burden (poet. for onus): “curarum,” Luc. 9, 951; Stat. Th. 4, 39: “rerum,” Ov. Tr. 2, 237; Mart. 6, 64, 14: “tauri ruentis In Venerem tolerare pondus,” Hor. C. 2, 5, 4: “amara senectae Pondera,” Ov. M. 9, 438: “Constantius, insolentiae pondera gravius librans,” Amm. 14, 5, 1.—
C. Weight of character, i. e. firmness, constancy (poet.): “nulla diu femina pondus habet,” Prop. 2, 25 (3, 20), 22: “nostri reverentia ponderis obstat,” Stat. Th. 1, 289: “hilaris, tamen cum pondere, virtus,” id. S. 2, 3, 65; cf. id. ib. 5, 3, 246.
