Lewis & Short

certātĭo, ōnis, f. [2. certo], a contending, striving, a combat, strife, contest, etc. (in good prose, most freq. in Cic.).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: jam ludi publici sint corporum certatione, cursu, etc., Cic. Leg. 2, 15, 38; cf. id. ib. 2, 9, 22; Ter. Ad. 2, 2, 4: certationes xysticorum, Suet. Aug. 45.
    2. B. Esp., a military contest, a fight (very rare), Sisenn. ap. Non. p. 196, 1.
  2. II. Trop.: Medea nequaquam istuc istac ibit: magna inest certatio, Enn. ap. Cic. N. D. 3, 25, 65 (Trag. Rel. v. 304 Vahl.): relinquitur non mihi cum Torquato sed virtuti cum voluptate certatio, Cic. Fin. 2, 14, 44: haec inter eos (amicos) fit honesta certatio, id. Lael. 9, 32: ingenia exercere certationibus, Vitr. 2, 1, 3.
    Of a judicial contest: haec est iniqua certatio, Cic. Quint. 22, 73: non par, id. ib. 21, 68; hence: per populum multae poenae certatio esto, Lex ap. Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 6; Liv. 25, 4, 8.
    So in the lang. of political life: certatio multae, a public discussion concerning a punishment to be inflicted, Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 6; Liv. 25, 4, 8 (cf. id. 25, 3, 13).