Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.shortness.

I. Lit., in space (cf. brevis, I.) (rare): “brevitas angusti freti,” the narrowness of the strait, Gell. 10, 27, 6: “hominibus Gallis prae magnitudine corporum suorum brevitas nostra contemptui est,” smallness of stature, Caes. B. G. 2, 30; cf.: “haec habilis brevitate suā est,” Ov. Am. 2, 4, 35: “spatii,” Caes. B. C. 1, 82, 3: “crurum,” Plin. 8, 34, 52, § 123: “chamaeplatani coactae brevitatis,” Plin. 12, 2, 6, § 13: “guttarum,” Vitr. 7, 8, 2.—More freq.,

B. Transf.

1. In time, shortness, brevity: “ita diei brevitas conviviis, noctis longitudo in stupris continebatur,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 10, § 26: “temporis,” id. Att. 1, 10, 1: “imperii,” Tac. H. 1, 47: “horae,” Sil. 3, 141: “vitae,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 38, 91; Sen. Brev. Vit. tit. et saep.—Absol.: confer nostram longissimam aetatem cum aeternitate; “in eādem propemodum brevitate quā illae bestiolae reperiemur,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 39, 94.—But most freq.,

2. Of discourse, brevity, conciseness: si brevitas appellanda est, cum verbum nullum redundat, brevis est L. Crassi oratio; “sin tum est brevitas, cum tantum verborum est, quantum necesse est, etc.,” Cic. de Or. 2, 80, 326 sq.; id. Brut. 13, 50; 17, 66; id. Inv. 1, 20, 28 sq.; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 40, § 103; id. Leg. 3, 18, 40: “cujus tanta in dicendo brevitas fuit,” id. Har. Resp. 19, 41: “et a me brevitas postulatur, qui mihimet ipsi amicissima est,” id. Quint. 10, 34: “nos brevitatem in hoc ponimus, non ut minus, sed ne plus dicatur quam oporteat,” Quint. 4, 2, 43: “illa Sallustiana brevitas,” id. 4, 2, 45; 10, 1, 32: “brevitas quoque aut copia non genere materiae sed modo constant,” id. 3, 8, 67; 10, 1, 46; 10, 5, 8; 6, 3, 45; “12, 10, 48: ea, quotiens causa poscit, ubertas, ea, quotiens permittit, brevitas,” Tac. Or. 23: “contionem imperatoriā brevitate pronuntiat,” id. H. 1, 18: est brevitate opus, ut currat sententia, * Hor. S. 1, 10, 9; Phaedr. 2, prol. 12; 3, 10, 60: brevitatis causā, gratiā, for the sake of brevity or conciseness, Cic. Off. 2, 12, 43; cf. Quint. 4, 2, 67: “gratiā,” Plin. 18, 25, 57, § 214.—

3. Of shortness of syllables: “fluit numerus tum incitatius brevitate pedum, tum proceritate tardius,” Cic. Or. 63, 212: “brevitas celeritas syllabarum,” id. ib. 57, 191: “contractio et brevitas dignitatem non habet,” id. ib. 57, 193.—In plur.: “omnium longitudinum et brevitatum in sonis... judicium, etc.,” Cic. Or. 51, 173.—

II. For exiguitas, parvitas (cf. brevis, II. C.), littleness, smallness: “cujusvis in brevitate corporis,” Lucr. 2, 483: “vineae,” Paul. Aug. 2: “doni,” Claud. Epigr. 20, 11.