I.inf. confiterier, Plaut. Cist. 1, 3, 22), v. dep. fateor, to acknowledge, confess, own, avow (an error, mistake, or a fact previously denied or doubted, etc., implying a sacrifice of will or a change of conviction; while fateor expresses a simple acknowledgment, and profiteor a voluntary avowal), to concede, allow, grant (class. in prose and poetry): “quid confitetur, atque ita libenter confitetur, ut non solum fateri sed etiam profiteri videatur?” Cic. Caecin. 9, 24; cf.: hic ego non solum confiteor, verum etiam profiteor, id. Fragm. ap. Non. p. 434, 30: “tacendo loqui, non infitiando confiteri videbantur,” id. Sest. 18, 40.
I. In gen.
(α).
With acc.: “et genus et divitias meas,” Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 52: “peccatum suum,” Cic. N. D. 2, 4, 11: “amorem nutrici,” Ov. M. 14, 703; cf.: “amorem patris nutrici,” Quint. 9, 2, 64: “crimen,” Curt. 6, 11, 31: “facinus,” id. 8, 8, 2: singula, * Cat. 86, 2: se, to make one's self known (sc. Jovem), Ov. M. 3, 2; cf. “deam,” Verg. A. 2, 591.—With two accs.: “se victos, Cacs. B. C. 1, 84: se imperitum,” Quint. 1, 10, 19: “causam Caesaris meliorem,” id. 5, 11, 42: “hoc de statuis,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 60, § 149: “summam infirmitatem de se,” Quint. 2, 4, 28: “de se quid voluerit,” id. 8, 4, 23.—
(β).
With acc. and inf.: “hoc confiteor jure mi obtigisse,” Ter. And. 3, 5, 1; id. Heaut. 2, 3, 97; 5, 3, 12: “me abs te cupisse laudari aperte atque ingenue confitebar,” Cic. Fam. 5, 2, 2; 1, 9, 18; id. N. D. 1, 7, 44; Lucr. 1, 271; 1, 826; 2, 691 al.; Quint. 2, 17, 19; 11, 1, 85; Suet. Caes. 52 et saep.—
(γ).
Absol.: “ut eampse vos audistis confiterier,” Plaut. Cist. 1, 3, 22; Ter. Heaut. 5, 3, 13; id. Phorm. 5, 9 (8), 46: “confitentem audire Torquatum,” Cic. Fin. 2, 7, 21; Ov. M. 2, 52; 13, 270; Curt. 6, 11, 14; Tac. A. 11, 28: “vere,” Ov. R. Am. 318; cf.: “confessae manus,” i. e. confessing defeat, id. M. 5, 215.—
(δ).
With de: “de maleficio,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 41, 119; so id. ib. 42, 123; Tac. A. 14, 59; cf. supra, a fin.—
b. Part. perf.: confessus , a, um, in a pass. signif.: aes, Lex XII. Tab. ap. Gell. 15, 13, 11, and 20, 1, 45; Dig. 42, 1, 15; v. under P. a.—Hence,
II. Esp., after the Aug. per., sometimes, to reveal, manifest, make known, show.
(α).
With acc.: “confessa vultibus iram,” Ov. M. 6, 35: “motum animi sui lacrimis,” Quint. 6, 1, 23: “admirationem suam plausu,” id. 8, 3, 3; 9, 4, 39: “cupidinem coëundi,” id. 1, 28, 2. —
III. In eccl. writers, to confess, own, acknowledge: Christum, Prud. στεφ. 5, 40.— With dat.: “tibi, Domine,” Vulg. Psa. 137, 1: “nomini tuo,” id. ib. 141, 8.—Absol., Cypr. Ep. 15.—confessus , a, um, P. a.
1. Act., confessing, that has acknowledged, pleaded guilty, etc.: “reus,” Ov. P. 2, 2, 56: “in judicio reus,” Dig. 48, 4, 4, § 1.—Subst.: confessi , ōrum, m., criminals who have confessed their guilt: “de confessis supplicium sumere,” Sall. C. 52, 36.—
2. Pass., lit., acknowledged; hence, undoubted, evident, certain, incontrovertible (most freq. in the post-Aug. per.): “ut omnes intellegant, quam improbam, quam manifestam, quam confessam rem pecuniā redimere conetur,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 56, § 130: “confessā in re,” Plin. 7, 49, 50, § 164; 20, 11, 45, § 116.—Esp., subst.: confessum , i, n., an undoubted, certain, acknowledged thing, matter: “a confessis transeamus ad dubiā,” Sen. Q. N. 2, 21, 1: “adhuc versamur in confessis,” Quint. 7, 1, 48: “de confessis disserere,” Plin. 10, 49, 70, § 138 al.—Hence the phrases: “ex confesso,” confessedly, beyond doubt, Quint. 3, 5, 3; Sen. Ep. 76, 12: “in confesso esse,” to be notorious, everywhere known, id. Ben. 3, 11, 2; id. Brev. Vit. 2, 3; id. Q. N. 2, 22, 2; Vell. 2, 85, 4; Plin. 35, 8, 34, § 54; Tac. Or. 25; 27: “vita cervis in confesso longa est,” Plin. 8, 32, 50, § 191; Amm. 21, 1, 3: “in confessum venire,” to be generally acknowledged, be well known, Plin. Ep. 10, 81 (85), 8; cf.: “ad liquidum confessumque perducere omnia,” Quint. 5, 14, 28: “pro confesso habere aliquid,” Lact. 2, 8.
