saevĭtĭa — Lewis & Short
saevĭtĭa, ae (collat. form f.saevus,
acc. saevitiem, App. M. 6, p. 181 med.),I a raging, rage, fierceness, ferocity.
I Lit., of animals:
sicut aves ad volatum, equi ad cursum, ad saevitiam ferae gignuntur,Quint. 1, 1, 1:
canum,Plin. 8, 40, 61, § 146. —
II Transf., for any violent, passionate excitement, fierceness, violence, harshness, savageness, cruelty, barbarity, severity, etc. (freq. and class.).
A Of persons:
num meam saevitiam veritus?Ter. Eun. 5, 2, 15:
in judicio aut saevitiam aut clementiam judicis (sibi proponet),Cic. Part. 4, 11; so (with immanitas) Plin. Ep. 2, 11, 2:
feneratorum (shortly before: violentia atque crudelitas),Sall. C. 33, 1:
Iasidos,Prop. 1, 1, 10; cf.
creditorum,Tac. A. 11, 13:
ingenii,Suet. Calig. 27:
hostium,Sall. J. 7, 2; Tac. A. 1, 67; 2, 11; Liv. 2, 58:
secandi urendique,Plin. 29, 1, 6, § 13; Cic. Off. 2, 7, 24:
saevitiam reprimere,Suet. Calig. 6:
quantum saevitia glisceret,Tac. A. 6, 19.—In plur.:
quibus saevitiis et maxime faenoris onere oppressa plebs,Sall. H. 1, 9 Dietsch; cf. id. id. 2, 40 ib.—
B Of things:
maris,Vell. 1, 2, 7; Plin. 9, 31, 51, § 100:
Scyllae,id. 3, 8, 14, § 87:
undae,Ov. H. 19, 23:
hiemis,Col. 8, 17, 11; Plin. 19, 8, 51, § 166;
for which, temporis,Sall. J. 37, 4:
tempestatum,Plin. 2, 47, 47, § 125:
caeli,Curt. 8, 4, 13:
maris,id. 4, 3, 7:
ignea (i. e. sacri ignis),Col. 7, 5, 16:
amoris,id. 6, 37, 1:
annonae,i. e. dearness, Tac. A. 2, 87.