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călumnĭa (old form kălumnĭa; v. the letter K), ae, f. [perh. for calvomnia, from calvor; cf. incīlo], trickery, artifice, chicanery, cunning device.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: per obtrectatores Lentuli calumniā extracta res est, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 2, 3: (Lucullus) inimicorum calumniā triennio tardius quam debuerat triumphavit, id. Ac. 2, 1, 3: inpediti ne triumpharent calumniā paucorum, quibus omnia honesta atque inhonesta vendere mos erat, Sall. C. 30, 4: Metellus calumniā dicendi tempus exemit, Cic. Att. 4, 3, 3: cum omni morā, ludificatione, calumniā senatūs auctoritas impediretur, id. Sest. 35, 75.
      Plur.: res ab adversariis nostris extracta est variis calumniis, Cic. Fam. 1, 4, 1.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. A pretence, evasion, subterfuge: juris judicium cum erit et aequitatis, cave in istā tam frigidā, tam jejunā calumniā delitescas, Cic. Caecin. 21, 61: senatus religionis calumniam non religione, sed malevolentiā … comprobat, id. Fam. 1, 1, 1: Carneades … itaque premebat alio modo nec ullam adhibebat calumniam, id. Fat. 14, 31: calumniam stultitiamque ejus obtrivit ac contudit, id. Caecin. 7, 18: illud in primis, ne qua calumnia, ne qua fraus, ne quis dolus adhibeatur, id. Dom. 14, 36: quae major calumnia est, quam venire imberbum adulescentulum … dicere se filium senatorem sibi velle adoptare? id. ib. 14, 37.
      2. 2. In discourse, etc., a misrepresentation, false statement, fallacy, cavil (cf.: cavillatio, perfugium): haec cum uberius disputantur et fusius, facilius effugiunt Academicorum calumniam, Cic. Ac. 2, 7, 20: (Carneades) saepe optimas causas ingenii calumniā ludificari solet, id. Rep. 3, 5, 9: nec Arcesilae calumnia conferenda est cum Democriti verecundiā, id. Ac. 2, 5, 14: si in minimis rebus pertinacia reprehenditur, calumnia etiam coërcetur, id. ib. 2, 20, 65: altera est calumnia, nullam artem falsis adsentiri opinionibus, Quint. 2, 17, 18: si quis tamen … ad necessaria aliquid melius adjecerit, non erit hac calumniā reprendendus, id. 12, 10, 43.
      3. 3. A false accusation, malicious charge, esp. a false or malicious information, or action at law, a perversion of justice ( = συκοφαντία): jam de deorum inmortalium templis spoliatis qualem calumniam ad pontifices adtulerit? false report, Liv. 39, 4, 11: Scythae … cum confecto jam bello supervenissent, et calumniā tardius lati auxilii, mercede fraudarentur, an unjust charge, Just. 42, 1, 2: quamquam illa fuit ad calumniam singulari consilio reperta ratio … Quae res cum ad pactiones iniquissimas magnam vim habuit, tum vero ad calumnias in quas omnes inciderent, quos vellent Apronius, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 15, § 38: causam calumniae reperire, id. ib. 2, 2, 8, § 21: (Heraclius), a quo HS. C. milia per calumniam malitiamque petita sunt, id. ib. 2, 2, 27, § 66: mirari improbitatem calumniae, id. ib. 2, 2, 15, § 37: exsistunt etiam saepe injuriae calumniā quādam et nimis callidā juris interpretatione, id. Off. 1, 10, 33: iste amplam occasionem calumniae nactus, id. Verr. 2, 2, 25, § 61: quem iste in decumis, in rebus capitalibus, in omni calumniā praecursorem habere solebat et emissarium, id. ib. 2, 5, 41, § 108; 2, 2, 9, § 25: ad rapinas convertit animum, vario et exquisitissimo calumniarum et auctionum et vectigalium genere, Suet. Calig. 38 init.; cf. the context: calumniā litium alienos fundos petere, Cic. Mil. 27, 74: adeo illis odium Romanorum incussit rapacitas proconsulum, sectio publicanorum, calumniae litium, Just. 38, 7, 8: calumniarum metum inicere alicui, Suet. Caes. 20: principes confiscatos ob tam leve ac tam inpudens calumniarum genus, ut, etc., id. Tib. 49: calumniis rapinisque intendit animum, id. Ner. 32: creditorum turbam … nonnisi terrore calumniarum amovit, id. Vit. 7: fiscales calumnias magna calumniantium repressit, id. Dom. 9 fin.
        Plur.: istae calumniae, App. Mag. 1, p. 273, 9; cf.: calumnia magiae, id. ib. 2, p. 274, 10.
      4. 4. Hence, jurid. t. t., the bringing of an action, whether civil or criminal, in bad faith: actoris calumnia quoque coërcetur, litigiousness on the part of the plaintiff, Just. Inst. 4, 16, 1 Sandars ad loc.; Gai Inst. 4, 174: vetus calumniae actio, a prosecution for blackmail or malicious prosecution, id. ib.: calumniam jurare, to take the oath that the action is brought or defence offered in good faith, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 8, 3: sei juraverit calumniae causā non postulare, Lex Acil. Repetund. 19; Dig. 39, 2, 7; cf.: praeter jusjurandum exigere non calumniae causā infitias ire, Gai Inst. 4, 172: jusjurandum exigere non calumniae causā agere, id. ib. 4, 176.
        Hence: nec satis habere bello vicisse Hannibalem, nisi velut accusatores calumniam in eum jurarent ac nomen deferrent, Liv. 33, 37, 5 Weissenb. ad loc; so, de calumniā jurare, Dig. 39, 2, 13, § 3: jusjurandum de calumniā, Gai Inst. 4, 179; Dig. 12, 3, 34 al.: et quidem calumniae judicium adversus omnes actiones locum habet, a conviction in a cross-action for malicious prosecution, Gai Inst. 4, 175: turpissimam personam calumniae honestae civitati inponere, to fasten the vile character of a malicious prosecutor upon, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 17, § 43: sine ignominiā calumniae accusationem relinquere non posse, id. Clu. 31, 86.
        The person convicted of this charge was branded on the forehead with the letter K; v. calumniator.
  2. II. Transf., a conviction for malicious prosecution ( = calumniae judicium, v. I. A. 4. supra): hic illo privato judicio, mihi credite, calumniam non effugiet, Cic. Clu. 59, 163: scito C. Sempronium Rufum, mel ac delicias tuas, calumniam maximo plausu tulisse, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 8, 1: accusare alienae dominationis scelerisque socius propter calumniae metum non est ausus, Cic. Dom. 19, 49: perinde poenā teneri ac si publico judicio calumniae condemnatus, Tac. A. 14, 41: calumniam fictis eludere jocis, Phaedr. 3, prol. 37.
  3. III. Trop.
    1. A. Of abstr. things: in hac igitur calumniā timoris et caecae suspitionis tormento, cum plurima ad alieni sensūs conjecturam, non ad suum judicium scribantur, i. e. when the writer’s mind is made the fool of his fears, Caecil. ap. Cic. Fam. 6, 7, 4.
    2. B. Contra se, a mistaken severity towards one’s self: inveni qui Ciceroni crederent, eum (Calvum) nimiā contra se calumniā verum sanguinem perdidisse, Quint. 10, 1, 115 (referring to Cic. Brut. 82, 283: nimium inquirens in se atque ipse sese observans, metuensque ne vitiosum colligeret, etiam verum sanguinem deperdebat).