mŏdestĭa

I. moderateness, moderation; esp. in one's behavior, unassuming conduct, modesty (opp. immodestia, superbia, licentia; class.).

I. In gen.: eam virtutem Graeci σωφροσύνην vocant: quam soleo equidem tum temperantiam, tum moderationem appellare, nonnumquam etiam modestiam, Cic. Tusc. 3, 8, 16; cf.: modestia est in animo continens moderatio cupiditatum, Auct. Her. 3, 2, 3: rectum dividitur in prudentiam, justitiam, fortitudinem, modestiam, id. ib.: disserebat de suā modestiā, Tac. A. 1, 11 init.—

II. In partic.

A. Unassuming conduct, discretion, moderation, sobriety of behavior (the predom. signif. of the word): sarta tecta tua precepta usque habui mea modestia, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 36: sine modo et modestia, id. Bacch. 4, 3, 2: temperantiae partes sunt continentia, clementia, modestia, Cic. Inv. 2, 54, 164; cf.: modestia est, per quam pudor honestus claram et stabilem comparat auctoritatem, id. ib.: non minus se in milite modestiam et continentiam, quam virtutem et animi magnitudinem desiderare, Caes. B. G. 7, 52: in dicendo, Cic. Phil. 2, 5, 10: modestia et humanitas, id. Att. 7, 5, 2: neque modum, neque modestiam victores habent, Sall. C. 11, 4.—

B.

1. Shame, shamefacedness, modesty: et sententiarum et compositionis et vocis et vultūs modestia, Quint. 4, 1, 55: virginalis, Pac. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 31, 66; cf.: primaeque modestia culpae Confundit vultus, Stat. Th. 2, 232; poet.: vacui lecti, i. e. (chaste) celibacy, id. Silv. 1, 2, 162.—

2. Sense of honor, honor, dignity: neque sumptui, neque modestiae suae parcere, Sall. C. 14, 6.—

C. As a transl. of the Gr. εὐταξία, in the lang. of the Stoics, the quality of saying and doing everything in the proper place and at the proper time, correctness of conduct, propriety: sic fit, ut modestia haec, quam ita interpretamur, ut dixi, scientia sit opportunitatis idoneo rum ad agendum temporum, Cic. Off. 1, 40, 142 (v. the entire context).—

D. (Post-Aug)

1. Of the weather, mildness: hiemis, Tac. A. 12, 43 (cf.: clementia hiemis, Col. 5, 5, 6).—

2. Of the course of a stream, gentleness: aquarum modestia, Plin. 6, 20, 23, § 71.