I.ignorance, inexperience, unskilfulness, awkwardness, stupidity, stolidity in any thing (usu. with suggestion of blame; while inscientia is simply the absence of knowledge; but the distinction is neglected by Tacitus; v. infra).—With gen., rarely with erga (class.): “rerum,” Cic. de Or. 1, 22, 49: “temporis,” id. Off. 1, 40, 144: “belli,” Nep. Epam. 7, 4: rei publicae ut alienae, Tac. H. 1, 1: “rerum verborumque,” Quint. 5, 13, 38: “veri,” Hor. S. 2, 3, 43: “artis,” Suet. Ner. 41: “temporum,” Plin. 7, 48, 49, § 155: “aedificandi,” Tac. G. 16: “inscitiam potius legionum quam audaciam increpans,” Tac. H. 1, 90.—Absol., ignorance, stupidily (ante-class.): “male mereri de immerente inscitia est,” Plaut. Curc. 1, 3, 29: “sex talenta magna dotis demam pro ista inscitia,” id. Truc. 4, 3, 71: “temeritate atque inscitia exercitum in locum praecipitem perducere,” Liv. 26, 2, 7; 8, 33, 17.—In plur.: “Pannoniorum inscitiae,” Front. Princip. Hist. 319.—
II. Ignorance, absence of knowledge, = inscientia (only in Tac.): “fore ut acerrimi militum per tenebras et inscitiam ceterorum occiderentur,” Tac. H. 1, 54: quo fidem inscitiae pararet, to induce confidence in his ignorance of the crime, id. A. 15, 58: “isque illi finis inscitiae erga domum suam fuit,” id. ib. 11, 25: “inscitia litterarum,” id. Or. 19.
