dignĭtas — Lewis & Short
dignĭtas, ātis (
I gen. plur. dignitatum, Sen. Ben. 2, 17, 1; Plaut. Ep. 9, 5, 3; Vop. Florian. 6, 2:
-tatium,Sen. Polyb. 17, 2), f. dignus.
I Lit., a being worthy, worth, worthiness, merit, desert (so, rarely, and perh. only in Cic.):
Lamia petit praeturam: omnesque intelligunt nec dignitatem ei deesse nec gratiam,Cic. Fam. 11, 17; id. Agr. 2, 2, 3:
dignitas consularis,a being worthy of the office of consul, id. Mur. 13:
pro dignitate laudare,id. Rosc. Am. 12, 33.
II Meton. (the cause for the effect), dignity, greatness, grandeur, authority, rank (cf. honos, honestas, laus, existimatio, gloria, fama, nomen).
A In gen.: mihi gratulabere, quod audisses me pristinam meam dignitatem obtinere. Ego autem, si dignitas est bene de re publica sentire, obtineo dignitatem meam;
sin autem in eo dignitas est, si, quod sentias, re efficere possis, ne vestigium quidem ullum est reliquum nobis dignitatis,Cic. Fam. 4, 14, 1;
dignitas (est) alicujus honesta et cultu et honore et verecundia digna auctoritas,id. Inv. 2, 55, 156: cum pulchritudinis duo genera sint, quorum in altero venustas est, in altero dignitas;
venustatem muliebrem ducere debemus, dignitatem virilem,id. Off. 1, 36, 130:
formae,id. ib.; Suet. Claud. 30: corporis, Laber. ap. Macr. S. 2, 7; Nep. Dion. 1, 2; cf. also Cic. Inv. 2, 1; Vell. 2, 29; Plin. Pan. 4, 5:
agere cum dignitate ac venustate,Cic. de Or. 1, 31, 142:
personarum dignitas,id. ib. §
141: retinere in rebus asperis dignitatem,id. ib. 2, 85, 346:
in senatu conservanda auctoritas, apud populum dignitas,Quint. 11, 3, 153 et saep.:
celsissima sedes dignitatis atque honoris,Cic. Sull. 2, 5:
ex tam alto dignitatis gradu,id. Lael. 3 fin.; cf. id. Rep. 1, 27 (twice):
est in ipsis (liberis populis) magnus delectus hominum et dignitatum,id. ib. 1, 34:
aliquem ex humili loco ad summam dignitatem perducere,Caes. B. G. 7, 39, 1:
aliquem dignitate exaequare,Caes. B. C. 1, 4, 4:
ut secundum locum dignitatis Remi obtinerent,id. B. G. 6, 12 fin.; 4, 17, 1; cf. id. ib. 6, 8, 1; 7, 66, 5; 7, 77, 6; id. B. C. 1, 9, 2 et saep.—
B In partic.
(a) Official dignity, honorable employment, office:
gratulor laetorque tum praesenti tum etiam sperata tua dignitate,Cic. Fam. 2, 9; id. ap. Quint. 7, 3, 35; cf. in plur., Plin. 21, 7, 21, § 44; id. Pan. 61, 2 al.—
(b) Men holding high office, men in honorable employment:
cum dignitates abessent,Liv. 22, 40, 4; cf. Quint. 11, 1, 67.—
C Transf., of inanimate things, worth, value, excellence:
opsonii,Plaut. Bacch. 1, 2, 23:
praeclara et plena dignitatis domus,Cic. Off. 1, 39; cf.
porticus,id. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 1; id. de Or. 3, 46, 180:
portus, urbis,Nep. Them. 6:
loci,Suet. Calig. 41 al.:
dignitas, quae est in latitudine pectoris,Quint. 11, 3, 141:
verborum,Cic. Prov. Cons. 11, 27; Quint. 11, 3, 46; cf. id. 8, 3, 24:
debita rerum,id. 12, 1, 8; cf. id. 8, 3, 38:
subsequendi,id. 12, 11, 28:
cum dignitate actionis,id. 5, 10, 54 al.