Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.a doing, performing, acting, action, act.

I. In gen.: “non modo deos spoliat motu et actione divina, sed etiam homines inertes efficit,” Cic. N. D. 1, 37; 2, 16; “virtutis laus omnis in actione consistit,” id. Off. 1, 6; id. Fin. 5, 19, 54.—With subject. gen.: “ad eas res parandas, quibus actio vitae continetur,” active, practical life, id. Off. 1, 5: “corporis,” id. Div. 1, 32: “mentis,” id. N. D. 1, 17; and with object. gen.: itaque nec actio rerum illarum (the public performance of those things) apertā petulantiā vacat, id. ib. 1, 35, 127; ib. 1, 43: “actio ullius rei,” id. Ac. 2, 33, 108; and so plur.: periculosae rerum actiones sunt, Off. 1, 2, 4; “hence: actio gratiarum,” the giving of thanks, id. Fam. 10, 19 (cf.: gratias agere).—

II. Esp.

A. Public functions, civil acts, proceedings, or duties.

1. In gen., Cic. Fam. 9, 8: “tribunorum,” their official duties, Liv. 5, 11; so, “consularis,” id. 4, 55 al.: “actiones nostras scriptis mandamus,” Cic. Off. 2, 1; Caes. B. C. 1, 5.—Hence negotiation, deliberation: “discessu consulum actio de pace sublata est,” Cic. Att. 9. 9.—Esp.

2. Of judicial proceedings.

a. An action, suit, process (in abstr.), with a gen. more precisely defining it, e. g. actio furti, injuriarum; also with de: “actio de repetundis, de arboribus succisis, etc.: actionem alicui intendere,” Cic. Mil. 14: “instituere,” to bring an action against one, id. Mur. 9: multis actiones (processes, suits) et res (the property in suit) peribant, Liv. 39, 18 al.—

b. The accusation (in concr.), the statement of the crime, the indictment, charge, accusation: “Inde illa actio, OPE CONSILIOQVE TVO FVRTVM AIO FACTVM ESSE,” Cic. N. D. 3, 30, 74; cf. id. Caecin. 3; id. de Or. 1, 36, 167.—Hence, in gen., judicial forms (the omission of which rendered a suit null and void): actiones Manilianae, forms relative to purchase and sale; cf. Cic. de Or. 1, 58, 246: “Hostilianae,” ib. 1, 57, 245.—Hence,

c. A pleading of a case (spoken or written); so Cic. calls his Orats. against Verres, actiones, pleas, simply dividing them into actio prima and actio secunda: “actio causae,” Cic. Caecin. 2, 4; “actiones litium,” id. Phil. 9, 5, 11; so, “Suet. continuae actiones, Ner. 15: in prima parte actionis,” Quint. 10, 1, 20 al.—

d. Permission for a suit: “dare alicui actionem (which was the right or duty of the praetor or judge),” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 27.—

e. The judicial management of a suit, the trial, the day of trial: “prima, altera, tertia,” Cic. Verr. 1, 30; 2, 2, 6.—

B. Gesticulation connected with oral delivery.

1. Of an orator; the exterior air or bearing, the action, delivery: Demosthenem ferunt ei qui quaesivisset quid primum esset in dicendo, actionem; “quid secundum, idem et idem tertium respondisse,” Cic. Brut. 38; cf. id. de Or. 1, 18; “so that it often includes even the voice: actio ejus (Pompeii) habebat et in voce magnum splendorem et in motu summam dignitatem,” id. Brut. 68; cf. id. Or. 17: “est actio quasi sermo corporis,” id. de Or. 3, 59; cf. ib. 2, 17 al.—Hence, also —

2. Of an actor, action: “in quo tanta commoveri actio non posset,” id. de Or. 3, 26.—

C. In dramatic lang., the action, the connection or series of events, the plot, in a play: “habet enim (fabula) varios actus multasque actiones et consiliorum et temporum,” Cic. Fam. 5, 12, 6.