taken on all of the aforementioned descriptions simultaneously. The term took on different meanings over time, adjusting for the gradually changing viewpoints of society, politicians, and the various authors. Years after Caesar's death, his heir Augustus rejected the contemporary meaning of dignitas. Augustus found the related term auctoritas to be a suitable alternative. In 46 BC, Cicero cited the ambiguous nature of the concept of dignitas. He wrote, "And so I have, if loyal feeling for the state and winning good men's approval of those loyal feelings is all that dignitas amounts to; but if in dignitas you include the power of translating those loyal feelings into action or of defending them with complete freedom, then ne vestigium quidem ullum est reliquum nobis dignitatis [not even a trace is left to us of our dignity]." Combination of dignitas and otium When paired with the term otium, the word dignitas took on a different meaning. Cicero did not consider himself worthy of having dignitas alone because he felt that—by turning his back on the Roman public—he had neglected the duty of one whose life had normally exemplified the concept. He then altered the definition to mean "[lifetime] impact", to better describe his unique status. By this time, Cicero's political life had ended, and he labelled his past political influence as his dignitas, and his present standing as otium. See also References Balsdon, J.p.v.d. "Auctoritas, Dignitas, Otium." The Classical Quarterly ns 10 (1960): 43–50. Cicero, Ad Familiares 4.14 Cicero, Epistulae Ad Familiares. J. Paul Leonard Library, San Francisco. Cicero, Epistulae ad familiares. San Francisco State University. 18 May 2007 Radin, Max. "Roman Concepts of Equality." Political Science Quarterly 38 (1923): 262–289. Remy Debes (ed.), Dignity: a History, New York: Oxford University Press, 2017. Ridler, Vivian. "Dignitas." Oxford Latin Dictionary. 1 vols. London: Oxford UP, 1968. Ancient Roman virtues Latin words and phrases Latin legal terminology Roman law Political philosophy Philosophy of law de:Dignitas