[Delictum]; Peccatum; Malefactum; Maleficium; Facinus; Flagitium; Scelus; Nefas; Impietas. 1. Delictum and peccatum denote the lighter sort of offences; delictum, more the transgression of positive laws, from levity; peccatum (from παχύς), rather of the laws of nature and reason, from indiscretion. 2. A synonyme and as it were a circumlocution of the above words is malefactum; whereas maleficium and facinus involve a direct moral reference; maleficium is any misdeed which, as springing from evil intention, deserves punishment; but facinus, a crime which, in addition to the evil intention, excites astonishment and alarm from the extraordinary degree of daring requisite thereto. 3. There are as many sorts of evil deeds, as there are of duties, against oneself, against others, against the gods; flagitium (from βλαγίς) is an offence against oneself, against one’s own honor, by gluttony, licentiousness, cowardice; in short, by actions which are not the consequence of unbridled strength, but of moral weakness, as evincing ignavia, and incurring shame; whereas scelus (σκληρόν) is an offence against others, against the right of individuals, or the peace of society, by robbery, murder, and particularly by sedition, by the display, in short, of malice; nefas (ἄφατον) is an offence against the gods, or against nature, by blasphemy, sacrilege, murder of kindred, betrayal of one’s country; in short, by the display of impietas, an impious outrage. Tac. G. 12. (ii. 139.)
[Deligere]; Eligere. Deligere means to choose, in the sense of not remaining undecided in one’s choice; eligere, to choose, in the sense of not taking the first thing that comes. (v. 98.)
Delirium, see [Amens].
Delubrum, see [Templum].
Demens, see [Amens].
[Demere]; Adimere; Eximere; Auferre; Eripere; Surripere; Furari. 1. Demere, adimere, and eximere, denote a taking away without force or fraud; demere (from de-imere) means to take away a part from a whole, which thereby becomes less, in opp. to addere, or adjicere. Cic. Orat. ii. 25. Fam. i. 7. Acad. iv. 16. Cels. i. 3. Liv. ii. 60; adimere, to take away a possession from its possessor, who thereby becomes poorer, in opp. to dare and reddere. Cic. Verr. i. 52. Fam. viii. 10. Phil. xi. 8. Suet. Aug. 48. Tac. Ann. xiii. 56; eximere, to remove an evil from a person oppressed by it, whereby he feels himself lightened. 2. Auferre, eripere, surripere, and furari, involve the notion of an illegal and unjust taking away; auferre, as a general expression for taking away anything; eripere, by force to snatch away; surripere and furari, secretly and by cunning; but surripere may be used for taking away privily, even when just and prudent self-defence may be pleaded as the motive; whereas furari (φωρᾶν, φέρω) is only applicable to the mean handicraft of the thief. Sen. Prov. 5. Quid opus fuit auferre? accipere potuistis; sed ne nunc quidem auferetis, quia nihil eripitu nisi retinenti. Cic. Verr. i. 4, 60. Si quis clam surripiat aut eripiat palam atque auferat: and ii. 1, 3. Non furem sed ereptorem. (iv. 123.)
Demoliri, see [Destruere].
Demori, see [Mors].
Denegare, see [Negare].
Densus, see [Angustus].