I.freedom, liberty, leave to do as one pleases, license.
I. In gen.: Dae. Licet ... licet ... licet. Tr. Hercules istum infelicet cum sua licentia, Plaut. Rud. 4, 6, 21: “nobis nostra Academia magnam licentiam dat, ut, etc.,” Cic. Off. 3, 4, 20: “pueris non omnem ludendi licentiam damus,” id. ib. 1, 29, 103: “tantum licentiae dabat gloria,” id. de Sen. 13, 44: “absolvendi,” Tac. A. 14, 49: “lasciviendi permittere militibus,” Suet. Caes. 67.—
II. In partic.
A. Liberty which one assumes, boldness, presumption, license: “homo ad scribendi licentiam liber,” Cic. N. D. 1, 44, 123: “a Democrito omnino haec licentia,” id. ib. 1, 38, 107: “per intercalandi licentiam,” by arbitrary intercalation, Suet. Caes. 40.—Freq. of style: “poëtarum,” Cic. de Or. 3, 38, 153: “juvenilis quaedam dicendi impunitas et licentia,” id. Brut. 91, 316: “figurarum,” Quint. 10, 1, 28.—
2. In rhet. as a figure of speech, = παρρησία, boldness, freedom of speech, Auct. Her. 4, 36, 48: “poëtica,” Quint. 2, 4, 3; 4, 1, 58: “declamatoria,” id. 8, 3, 76.—
B. Unrestrained liberty, unbounded license, dissoluteness, licentiousness: “deteriores omnes sumus licentia,” Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 74: “nimia illaec licentia evadet in aliquod magnum malum,” id. Ad. 3, 4, 63: “omnium rerum infinita atque intoleranda licentia,” Cic. Agr. 1, 5, 5: “licentia libidoque,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 33, § 77: “cupiditatum,” id. Att. 10, 4, 1; id. Off. 2, 8, 28: “habere impunitatem et licentiam sempiternam,” id. Mil. 31, 84: “quorum licentiae nisi Carneades restitisset,” id. Div. 2, 72, 150: malle licentiam suam quam aliorum libertatem, Liv. 3, 37: “Sullani temporis,” lawlessness, Suet. Gram. 11: “militum,” Nep. Eum. 8: “indomitam Refrenare (licentiam),” Hor. C. 3, 24, 29: “licentiam coërcere,” Tac. H. 1, 35: “in libertatibus quoque dandis nimiam licentiam compescuit lex Fufia Caninia,” Gai. Inst. 2, 228.—Of inanimate things: magna gladiorum est licentia, the license of the sword is great, i. e. daring murders are prevalent, Cic. Fam. 4, 9, 12: “immensa licentia ponti,” Ov. M. 1, 309.—
C. Personified as a goddess: “templum Licentiae (for Libertatis),” Cic. Leg. 2, 17, 42; cf. Libertas.