I.fellowship, association, union, community, society (implying union for a common purpose; cf.: conjunctio, consociatio; and not a mere assembly; cf.: circulus, coetus; conventus, sodalitas; freq. and class.).
I. In gen.: “hominum inter ipsos societas conjunctioque,” Cic. Leg. 1, 10, 28: “(nos) natos esse ad societatem communitatemque generis humani,” id. Fin. 4, 2, 4: “societas generis humani, quam conciliavit ipsa natura,” id. Lael. 5, 20: “fides et societas generis humani,” id. N. D. 1, 2, 4: “societas et communicatio utilitatum,” id. Fin. 5, 23, 65: “nulla societas nobis cum tyrannis, sed potius summa distractio est,” id. Off. 3, 6, 32: “societatem cum aliquo coire ... dirimere,” id. Phil. 2, 10, 24: “societatem coire de municipis cognitique fortunis cum alienissimo,” id. Rosc. Am. 31, 87: “quasi societatem coit conparandi cibi,” id. N. D. 2, 48, 123: “societatem confirmare,” id. Phil. 2, 35, 89: “nefarias pactiones societatesque conflare,” id. Har. Resp. 20, 42: “consiliorum omnium societas,” id. Brut. 1, 2; Hirt. B. G. 8, 3: “juris,” Cic. Rep. 1, 32, 49: “humanitatis,” id. ib. 2, 26, 48: “beate et honeste vivendi,” id. ib. 4, 3, 3: “gravitatis cum humanitate,” id. Leg. 3, 1, 1: “belli,” Sall. C. 40, 1: “omnium facinorum sibi cum Dolabellā societatem initam confiteri,” Cic. Phil. 13, 17, 36: “nominum,” names in common, Plin. 17, 24, 37, § 218 et saep.; cf.: nulla sancta societas nec fides regni est, Enn. ap. Cic. Off. 1, 8, 26, and id. Rep. 1, 32 (Trag. v. 411 Vahl.): “neque naturae est societas ulla cum somniis,” Cic. Div. 2, 71, 147.—
II. In partic.
A. A copartnership, association for trading purposes.
1. In abstr.: “qui societatem cum Sex. Naevio fecerit, etc.... fecit societatem earum rerum, quae in Galliā comparabantur,” Cic. Quint. 3, 11: “qui magnā fide societatem gererent, etc.,” id. ib. 3, 13: “cum annos jam compluris societas esset,” id. ib. 4, 14: “quae (pecunia) tibi ex societate debeatur,” id. Rosc. Com. 6, 16: “societatem contrahere,” Dig. 17, 2, 5; 17, 2, 74: “coire,” ib. 17, 2, 1 sq.; 17, 2, 5.—Plur.: “societates contrahuntur sive universorum bonorum, sive negotiationis alicujus, sive vectigalis, sive etiam rei unius,” Dig. 17, 2, 5.—
2. In concr., a company or society of the farmers of the public revenue: “nulla Romae societas vectigalium, nullum collegium aut concilium, etc.,” Cic. Sest. 14, 32; cf. id. Fam. 13, 9, 2: “si omnes societates venerunt, quarum ex numero multi sedent judices,” id. Mur. 33, 69: “provinciarum,” Caes. B. C. 3, 3 fin.: “maximarum societatum auctor,” Cic. Planc. 13, 32; Plin. 33, 7, 40, § 118. —
B. A political league, an alliance, confederacy: “cum Ptolemaeo societas erat facta,” Caes. B. C. 3, 107 fin.: “Ambiorigem sibi societate et foedere adjungunt,” id. B. G. 6, 2: “Leptitani Romam miserant amicitiam societatemque rogatum,” Sall. J. 77, 2; “so with amicitia,” id. ib. 83, 1: “impellere ad societatem belli,” id. C. 40, 1: “cum Lacedaemonii in societate non manerent,” Nep. Con. 2, 2: “Ioniam a societate averterunt Atheniensium,” id. Alcib. 4, 7: “societatem alicujus induere,” Tac. A. 12, 13.
