obscūrĭtas — Lewis & Short
obscūrĭtas, ātis, f.obscurus,
I a being dark, darkness, obscurity.
I Lit. (perh. only post-Aug.):
latebrarum,Tac. H. 3, 11:
atra,Plin. 2, 18, 16, § 79:
visūs,dimness, id. 23, 1, 20, § 35:
oculorum,id. 37, 3, 12, § 51. —
II Trop. (class.), obscurity, indistinctness, uncertainty:
ut oratio, quae lumen adhibere rebus debet, ea obscuritatem et tenebras afferat,Cic. de Or. 3, 13, 50:
Pythagorae,id. Rep. 1, 10, 16:
obscuritas fit etiam vet is ab usu remotis,Quint. 8, 2, 12:
in eā obscuritate ac dubitatione omnium,uncertainty, Cic. Clu. 27, 73:
rerum,id. Fin. 2, 5, 15:
naturae,id. Div. 1, 18, 35.—In plur.:
quo pertinent obscuritates et aenigmata somniorum,Cic. Div. 2, 64, 132: obscuritates non adsignemus culpae scribentium, sed inscientiae non adsequentium, Caecil. ap. Gell. 20, 1, 5:
obscuritatibus involutum,Arn. 1, 38.—
B Of rank, obscurity, lowliness, meanness: quorum prima aetas propter humilitatem et obscuritatem, in hominum ignoratione versatur. Cic. Off. 2, 13, 45:
sordes et obscuritatem Vitellianarum partium perstringemus,Tac. H. 1, 84:
generis,Flor. 3, 1, 13:
nec obscuritas inhibuit (Servium Tullium), quamvis matre servā creatum,id. 1, 6, 1.