I.a confession, acknowledgment.
I. In gen. (in good prose; esp. freq. in Cic. and Quint.), with gen. obj.: “errati sui,” Cic. Div. 1, 17, 33: “ignorationis,” id. Ac. 1, 12, 44; cf.: “inscitiae suae,” Quint. 2, 11, 2: “captae pecuniae,” Cic. Clu. 53, 148: “culpae,” Liv. 21, 18, 5; 36, 27, 6: “paenitentiae,” Quint. 11, 1, 76: “vitiorum,” Tac. A. 2, 33: “facinoris,” Suet. Tib. 19. —In plur.: “cum ad vos indicia, litteras, confessiohes communis exitii detuli,” Cic. Sest. 69, 145.—With acc. and inf.: “ea erat confessio caput rerum Romam esse,” Liv. 1, 45, 3; so id. 2, 7, 7; 42, 47, 8 al.—With pron. pers.: “sua,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 47, § 104; 2, 5, 64, § 166; “Liv 28, 40, 11: confessionibus suis,” Cic. Cat. 3, 6, 15.—With gen. subj.: “illorum,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 40, § 103: “inimicorum,” id. Red. Quir. 1, 1: “omnium,” Vell. 2, 43: “illa Ciceronis,” Quint. 11, 1, 44: “adversarii,” id. 4, 4, 4; cf. “ipsorum,” Plin. 9, 7, 6, § 18 al.: extera corporum indubitatas confessiones habent, i. e. proofs of the healing power (of assafœtida), id. 22, 23, 49, § 103.—With de and abl.: immo si actionem stultissimasque de se, nefarias de patre confessiones audisses? Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 8, 2: “ipsorum de somno piscium confessio,” Plin. 9, 7, 6, § 18.—With abstr. subjects: ea confessionem faciunt, non defensionem, Cato ap. Gell. 7, 3, 15.—
II. Esp.
A. As a fig. of speech, Quint. 9, 2, 17; 12, 1, 33.—
B. In eccl. Lat.
2. An acknowledgment of Christ.
(α).
In gen., Vulg. Rom. 10, 10.—
(β).
Esp., an acknowledgment of Christ under torture; and hence, transf., torture, suffering for religion's sake, Lact. Mort. Pers. 1 init.
