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nĕcessĭtas , ātis (
I.gen. plur. -ātium, Caes. B. G. 7, 89, 1), f. necesse, unavoidableness, inevitableness, necessity, compulsion, force, exigency.
I. Lit.: hinc exsistit illa fatalis necessitas, quam εἱμαρμένην dicitis, ut, quidquid accidat, id ex aeternā veritate, causarumque continuatione fluxisse dicatis, Cic. N. D. 1, 20, 55: “ut, etiam si naturā tales (i. e. feroces) non sint, necessitate esse coguntur,by the compulsion of circumstances, id. Fam. 4, 9, 3: “tempori cedere, id est necessitati parere, semper sapientis est habitum,id. ib. 4, 9, 2: “veniam necessitati dare,id. Off. 2, 16, 56: “necessitatem alicui afferre,id. Phil. 10, 1, 2. necessitas mihi obvenit alicujus rei, id. Off. 2, 21, 74: “ex necessitate aliquid facere,Tac. H. 3, 62: “ac nescio an majores necessitates vobis, quam captivis vestris, fortuna circumdederit,Liv. 21, 43: “extrema necessitas,” i. e. death, Sall. H. 1, 41, 15 Dietsch; Tac. A. 15, 61; id. H. 1, 72: “necessitate me, mala ut fiam, facis,Plaut. Pers. 3, 1, 54.—Prov.: “facere de necessitate virtutem,to make a virtue of necessity, Hier. in Ruf. 3, n. 2; id. Ep. 54, n. 6: “quam cum pecuniam profudisset, et sibi nihil non modo ad cupiditates suas, sed ne ad necessitatem quidem reliquisset,Cic. Clu. 25, 68.—
II. Transf.
D. For necessitudo, connection, relationship, friendship: “si nostram necessitatem familiaritatemque violāsset,Cic. Sull. 1, 2: “magnam necessitatem possidet paternus maternusque sanguis,bond of affection, intimacy, id. Rosc. Am. 24, 66: equidem mihi videor pro nostrā necessitate non labore defuisse, Caes. ap. Gell. 13, 3, 5 (cited ap. Non. 354, 11).—
E. Personified: Necessitas, the goddess of necessity, the Gr. Α᾿νάγκη: “te semper anteit saeva Necessitas,Hor. C. 1, 35, 17; cf. Macr. S. 1, 19; and v. clavus.
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hide References (30 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (30):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 4.9.3
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 7.89
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 7.89.1
    • Cicero, For Ligarius, 6.17
    • Cicero, Philippics, 10.1.2
    • Cicero, For Sextus Roscius of Ameria, 24.66
    • Cicero, For Aulus Cluentius, 25.68
    • Cicero, For Sulla, 1.2
    • Cicero, For Sestius, 21.47
    • Plautus, Persa, 3.1
    • Tacitus, Annales, 15.61
    • Tacitus, Annales, 1.11
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 1.72
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 3.62
    • Tacitus, Germania, 15
    • Suetonius, Divus Julius, 68
    • Suetonius, Tiberius, 47
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 23, 48
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 42
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 6, 15.9
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 21, 43
    • Seneca, de Beneficiis, 4.5.1
    • Cicero, De Fato, 17
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 1.20
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 1.49
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 1.5
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 2.16
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 2.21
    • Gellius, Noctes Atticae, 13.3.5
    • Cicero, De Inventione, 1.34
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