I. Prop., dearness, costliness, high price, etc. (opp. vilitas): “annonae,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 18, § 47; 2, 3, 92, § 215; id. Off. 3, 12, 50; Liv. 44, 7, 10; Suet. Ner. 45: “rei frumentariae (opp. vilitas annonae),” Cic. Imp. Pomp. 15, 44: “nummorum,” id. Att. 9, 9, 4: “olei,” Plin. 18, 28, 68, § 273: “vini,” Suet. Aug. 42.—Also absol. caritas (sc. annonae), high prices, Cato, R. R. 3: “ut tum vendas cum caritas est,” Varr. R. R. 1, 69: “cum alter annus in vilitate, alter in summā caritate fuerit,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 93, § 216; id. Off. 2, 17, 58.—
II. Trop., regard, esteem, affection, love (cf. amor, I.; in good prose; “syn.: benevolentia, favor, studium): cum deorum tum parentum patriaeque cultus eorumque hominum, qui aut sapientiā aut opibus excellunt, ad caritatem referri solet: conjuges autem et liberi, et fratres et alii, quos usus familiaritasque conjunxit, quamquam etiam caritate ipsā, tamen amore maxime continentur,” Cic. Part. Or. 25, 88; hence, opp. amor, as esteem to personal affection: “si id videare, quod sit utile ipsis, defendere... haec res amorem magis conciliat, illa virtutis defensio caritatem,” id. de Or. 2, 51, 206; cf. Treb. ap. id. Fam. 12, 16, 2; Liv. 24, 4, 8: “ut qui pacem belli amore turbaverant, bellum pacis caritate deponerent,” Tac. H. 2, 37: amor πάθος, caritas ἦθος, Quint. 6, 2, 12: “caritas, quae est inter natos et parentes,” Cic. Lael. 8, 27; “Quint. prooem. § 6: liberalitate qui utuntur benevolentiam sibi conciliant et caritatem,” id. Fin. 1, 16, 52; id. Lael. 27, 102; Quint. 11, 1, 72: “ingenita erga patriam caritas,” Liv. 1, 34, 5: “retinere caritatem in aliquem,” Cic. Lael. 19, 70: “sanguine et caritate propior,” Tac. A. 6, 46: “caritatem paraverat loco auctoritatis,” id. Agr. 16 fin.— The subjoined gen. is usu. objective: “patriae et suorum,” Cic. Off. 3, 27, 100; id. Sest. 24, 53; Nep. Alcib. 5, 1: “rei publicae,” Cic. Phil. 12, 8, 20; Liv. 2, 2, 5: “domini,” id. 1, 51, 8: “Syracusanorum,” id. 25, 28, 7: “Hieronis,” id. 24, 5, 1: “liberum,” id. 8, 7, 18: “filiae,” Tac. A. 12, 4: “ipsius soli,” Liv. 2, 1, 5: “sedium suarum,” id. 5, 42, 2; Quint. 6, 2, 14.—But sometimes also subjective, love entertained by one: “hominum, deorum,” Cic. N. D. 1, 44, 122; id. de Or. 2, 58, 237: “civium,” id. Phil. 1, 12, 29; Liv. 24, 4, 8 (with amor); “or, more rarely, of the cause or ground of the love: caritas illius necessitudinis,” Cic. Sest. 3, 6: “benevolentiae,” id. Lael. 9, 32.—In plur. of the different species of affection: “omnes omnium caritates patria una complexa est,” Cic. Off. 1, 17, 57; id. Fin. 3, 22, 73: “liberum,” App. M. 5, p. 171.—
B. In late Lat., meton., caritates = cari, the loved persons, Amm. 18, 8, 14; 24, 1, 9.
