certātĭo, ōnis, f. [2. certo], a contending, striving, a combat, strife, contest, etc. (in good prose, most freq. in Cic.).
I Lit.
A In gen.: jam ludi publici sint corporum certatione, cursu, etc., Cic. Leg. 2, 15, 38; cf. id. ib. 2, 9, 22; Ter. Ad. 212: certationes xysticorum, Suet. Aug. 45.—
B Esp., a military contest , a fight (very rare), Sisenn. ap. Non. p. 196, 1.—
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).