Gravitas () was one of the ancient Roman virtues that denoted "seriousness". It is also translated variously as weight, dignity, and importance and connotes restraint and moral rigor. It also conveys a sense of responsibility and commitment to the task. Along with pietas (regard for discipline and authority), severitas, gloria, simplicitas (lucidity), integritas, dignitas, and virtus, gravitas was particularly appreciated as an ideal characteristic in leaders. Gravitas and virtus are considered more canonical virtues than the others. Roman concept Gravitas was one of the virtues that allowed citizens, particularly statesmen, to embody the concept of romanitas, which denotes what it meant to be Roman and how Romans regarded themselves, eventually evolving into a national character. Many Roman philosophers praised constantia (perseverance, endurance, and courage), dignitas and gravitas as the most important virtues; this is because it made dignified men capable. These are additional concepts that accompany Roman actions. The men of the ruling upper and upper-middle classes were educated in a public school system where Classical language and literature formed basic elements of the curriculum. Particularly, exuding gravitas or dignified and serious conduct allowed Romans to maintain a persistent element of conservatism and traditionalism. According to the Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius, the cultivation of gravitas involves acting with sincerity and dignity and this is said to be achieved by being temperate in manner and speech as well as by carrying oneself with authority. Other sources also associate it with living an austere lifestyle and it was one of the moral bases of the sanctioned control exercised by the Roman censores (see Roman Censors). An account described how old statesmen who realized that they no longer meet the standards of romanitas for failing to perform their public function with dignity and gravitas committed suicide or simply refused taking food. This concerned how the Romans defined themselves and their honor. During Augustus' regime, gravitas was not included in the four cardinal virtues (virtus, clementia, justitia, and pietas) that were introduced to establish the myth of the Roman emperor and the model of a good ruler. Greek presence Aristotle identified three essentials of persuasive communication—a big component of personal presence: Logical argument (the ability to articulate your points clearly) Emotion (the ability to create or control emotion in your listeners) Character (the ability to convey integrity and goodwill) Modern concepts In the British education system, gravitas was seen as one of