I.poverty, small means, moderate circumstances (opp. as well to egestas, inopia, penuria, as to abundantia and luxuria, v. Doed. Syn. 3, pp. 111 and 118; class.)
I. Lit.: pecuniaque erat parva; ab eo paupertas dicta, Varr. ap. Non. 43, 33: “non video quid aliud sit paupertas quam parvi possessio,” Sen. Ep. 87, 34; cf.: “non est paupertas, Nestor, habere nihil,” Mart. 11, 32, 8: “paupertas est non quae pauca possidet, sed quae multa non possidet,” Sen. Ep. 87, 35; cf. Scaev. Dig. 36, 1, 78, § 12: “paupertatem eri tolerare,” Plaut. Rud. 4, 2, 13: “paupertatem vel potius egestatem ac mendicitatem ferre,” Cic. Par. 6, 1, 45; id. Tusc. 3, 23, 56: “de paupertate agitur: multi patientes pauperes commemorantur,” id. ib. 3, 24, 57; cf.: “homines . . . patientiā paupertatis ornati,” id. Agr. 2, 24, 64: “me mea paupertas vitae traducat inerti,” Tib. 1, 1, 3 (5): “casta,” Sil. 1, 609:-paupertatem inopiā mutare, Val. Max. 4, 8, 2: “videbantur illis temporibus in magnā paupertate satis idoneae istae pecuniae poenae esse,” Gai. Inst. 3, 223.—
(β).
Plur.: potes animo advertere et horum temporum divitias et illorum paupertates, Varr. ap. Non. 162, 20 (nove positum numero plurali, Non.): “ex multis paupertatibus divitiae flunt,” Sen. Ep. 87, 36.—
B. Transf., for egestas, inopia, need, want, indigence, Cic. Fin. 5, 28, 84: “cum propter paupertatem sues puer pasceret,” id. Div. 1, 17, 31: “infelix,” Juv. 3, 152.—
II. Trop., poverty of language (post-Aug.): “paupertate sermonis laboramus,” Quint. 8, 3, 33; 12, 10, 34; 2, 1, 4.
