hērēdĭtas — Lewis & Short
hērēdĭtas, ātis (
I gen. plur. hereditatium, Cic. Dom. 15, 35; Inscr. Orell. 107 al.;
but usu. hereditatum,Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 7, § 16; id. Agr. 1, 3, 8), f. heres, heirship, inheritance.
I Abstr.:
hereditas est successio in universum jus, quod defunctus habebat tempore mortis,Dig. 50, 16, 24:
si istiusmodi mi fundus hereditate obvenerit,Varr. R. R. 1, 12, 2; Plin. 17, 1, 1, § 4; cf.:
quoniam habes istum equum, aut emeris oportet aut hereditate possideas aut, etc. ... sed neque emisti, neque hereditate venit, neque, etc.,Cic. Inv. 1, 45, 84:
de hereditatibus,Gai. Inst. 2, 99 sqq.; 3, 1 sqq.—
II Concr., an inheritance (cf. patrimonium).
A Lit.:
hereditas est pecunia, quae morte alicujus ad quempiam pervenit jure, nec ea aut legata testamento aut possessione retenta,Cic. Top. 6, 29:
si qua mihi obtigerit hereditas magna atque luculenta,Plaut. Truc. 2, 3, 23; cf.:
cum ejus filio hereditas a propinquo permagna venisset,Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 10, § 27:
de hereditate ea, quae pupillo venit,id. Inv. 2, 21, 62:
hereditates mihi negasti venire,id. Phil. 2, 16, 40:
communem hereditatem concedere,id. Fl. 36, 89:
mentio hereditatum ... hereditatem adire,id. Phil. 2, 16, 42:
adire hereditatem,id. Rosc. Com. 18, 55:
obire,id. Agr. 1, 3, 8:
cernere,id. Att. 11, 2, 1; id. Agr. 2, 15, 40; cf.
cerno: capere ab aliquo,id. Caecin. 35, 102:
usurpare,Tac. A. 2, 19 fin.:
acquirere, repudiare, omittere,Dig. 24, 3, 58:
tradere alicui,Cic. Off. 1, 33, 121:
transmittere alicui,Plin. Ep. 8, 18, 7:
quem nisi in via caducae hereditates retardassent,i. e. that fall to heirs who have children, Cic. Phil. 10, 5, 11; v. caducus.—Prov.: hereditas sine sacris, i. e. a great advantage without trouble, without expense (because the maintaining of the sacred family rites was attended with great expense), Plaut. Capt. 4, 1, 8; id. Trin. 2, 4, 83; cf. Fest. p. 290 Müll.—
B Trop.:
a quo quidem rei familiaris ad paucos, cupiditatum ad multos improbos venit hereditas,Cic. Off. 2, 8, 28:
hereditas hujus gloriae,id. ib. 1, 22, 78; cf.:
optima hereditas a patribus traditur liberis omnique patrimonio praestantior gloria virtutis rerumque gestarum,id. ib. 1, 33, 121 fin.:
paternae scientiae,Just. 36, 2.