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vĭtĭum , ii (
I.gen. plur. vitiūm, Titin. ap. Non. p. 495, 13), n. from the same root with vieo, vitis, vitta; prop. a twist; hence, a fault, defect, blemish, imperfection, vice (syn. menda).
I. Lit.: quomodo autem in corpore est morbus, est aegrotatio, est vitium: sic in animo. Morbum appellant totius corporis corruptionem: aegrotationem morbum cum imbecillitate: vitium, cum partes corporis inter se dissident; “ex quo pravitas membrorum, distortio, deformitas. Itaque illa duo, morbus et aegrotatio, ex totius valetudinis corporis conquassatione et perturbatione gignuntur: vitium autem integrā valetudine ipsum ex se cernitur,Cic. Tusc. 4, 13, 29: “corporis,Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 118; Ov. F. 4, 148: “mancipii,Dig. 21, 1, 1, § 6: “jumenti,ib. 21, 1, 38 init.—In buildings, a breach, defect: “si nihil est in parietibus aut in tecto vitii,Cic. Fam. 9, 15, 5; cf.: “si aedes corruerunt vitiumve fecerunt,have received damage, become damaged, id. Top. 3, 15.—In plants, a blemish, vice: “sive illis (agris) omne per ignem Excoquitur vitium atque exsudat inutilis umor,Verg. G. 1, 88: “vitio moriens sitit aëris herba,id. E. 7, 57.—In fruits, the useless part, the core: “vitiumque cinctum fructu,Plin. 15, 28, 34, § 112.—
II. Trop.
A. In gen., a fault, defect, blemish: “acutius atque acrius vitia in dicente quam recta videre,Cic. de Or. 1, 25, 116; cf. “orationis,Quint. 1, 5, 1; 12, 1, 22: “sermonis,id. 1, 1, 13: “soloecismi,id. 1, 5, 53: “ingenii,id. 10, 1, 60: “mentis,id. 12, 1, 32: “Stoicae sectae,id. 11, 1, 70: “et illud mihi vitium'st maximum,my greatest fault, Ter. Hec. 1, 2, 37: “huc si perveneris, meum vitium fuerit,my fault, Cic. Ac. 2, 16, 49: “quamvis quis fortunae vitio, non suo decexisset,id. Phil. 2, 18, 44: “honorem vitio civitatis, non suo, non sunt adsecuti,id. Har. Resp. 26, 56: “male conjecta falsa sunt, non rerum vitio, sed interpretum inscientiā,id. Div. 1, 52, 118: animadverso vitio castrorum totā nocte munitiones proferunt, i. e. the faulty, unfavorable position (just before: “natura iniquo loco castra ponunt),Caes. B. C. 1, 81: “milites item conflictati et tempestatis et sentinae vitiis,the injurious effects, id. ib. 3, 28: “sese nihil adhuc arbitrari vitio factum eorum,id. ib. 3, 57: “vini vitio atque amoris feci,through the fault of, Plaut. Aul. 4, 10, 15.—
B. In partic.
1. A moral fault, failing, error, offence, crime, vice (the predom. signif. of the word in prose and poetry; cf.: “scelus, delictum): nullam quidem ob turpitudinem, nullum ob totius vitae non dicam vitium, sed erratum,Cic. Clu. 48, 133: “legibus et praemia proposita sunt virtutibus et supplicia vitiis,id. de Or. 1, 58. 247: “virtus est vitium fugere, Hor. ep. 1, 1, 41: senectus est naturā loquacior, ne ab omnibus eam vitiis videar vindicare,Cic. Sen. 16, 55: “in vitio esse,id. Off. 1, 19, 62: ne sibi vitio verterent, quod abesset a patriā, reckon it a fault, id. Fam. 7, 6, 1: “te laudem Sex. Roscio vitio et culpae dedisse,id. Rosc. Am. 16, 48; Matius ap. Cic. Fam. 11, 28, 2.—
b. In respect of female chastity (whether of maidens or wives), a violation: “quia pudicitiae hujus (Alcumenae) vitium me hic absente est additum,Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 179: “pudicitiae ejus nunquam nec vim nec vitium attuli,id. Ep. 1, 2, 7: “quoi misere per vim vitium obtulerat,Ter. Ad. 3, 2, 10; so, “offerre,id. ib. 3, 1, 9: “virginis,id. Eun. 4, 4, 55; cf.: “vitium auctore redemit,Ov. H. 16 (17), 49.—
2. In relig. lang., a defect in the auspices or auguries: si cui servo aut ancillae dormienti evenit, quod comitia prohibere solet, ne id quidem mihi vitium facit, Cato ap. Fest. s. v. prohibere, p. 234 fin. Müll.; Ter. Hec. prol. 2; Liv. 8, 23, 16; 4, 7, 3: “id igitur obvenit vitium, quod tu jam Cal. Jan. futurum esse provideras,Cic. Phil. 2, 33, 83: “tabernaculum vitio captum,id. N. D. 2, 4, 11; cf.: “vitio navigare,id. Div. 1, 16, 29: “comitiorum solum vitium est fulmen,id. ib. 2, 18, 43.—
3. A fault of language: “barbarismi ac soloecismi foeditas absit ... haec vitia, etc.,Quint. 1, 5, 5.—
4. In coinage, t. t., base metal, alloy: “in aurum vitii aliquid addere,Dig. 48, 10, 9 praef.; cf.: “ignis vitium metallis Excoquit,Ov. F. 4, 785.
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hide References (34 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (34):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 11.28.2
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 9.15.5
    • Cicero, For Aulus Cluentius, 48.133
    • Cicero, Philippics, 2.18.44
    • Cicero, On the Responses of the Haruspices, 26.56
    • Cicero, For Sextus Roscius of Ameria, 16.48
    • Cicero, Philippics, 2.33.83
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 2.2
    • Plautus, Epidicus, 1.2
    • Vergil, Georgics, 1.88
    • Ovid, Epistulae, 16
    • Caesar, Civil War, 1.81
    • Plautus, Aulularia, 4.10
    • Plautus, Mostellaria, 1.3
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 1.25
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 1.58
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 8, 23
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 4, 7.3
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 2.4
    • Cicero, De Senectute, 16
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 1.16
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 1.52
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 4.13
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 1.19
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 1, 1.13
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 1, 5.1
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 1, 5.5
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 1, 5.53
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 10, 1.60
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 11, 1.70
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 12, 1.22
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 12, 1.32
    • Cicero, Topica, 3.15
    • Ovid, Fasti, 4
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