clārĭtas, ātis, f. [clarus], clearness, brightness, splendor (in good prose, most freq. in the post-Aug. per.).
I Prop.
A Of objects affecting the sight (so for the most part only in Pliny the elder): sidus Veneris claritatis tantae (est), ut, etc., Plin. 2, 8, 6, § 37; cf. id. 2, 8, 6, § 30; 23, 4, 41, § 84: matutina, id. 9, 35, 54, § 107: visus, id. 31, 10, 46, § 116; cf. oculorum, id. 18, 11, 29, § 114; 20, 10, 42, § 108: AD CLARITATEM (sc. oculorum), for clearness of sight (label of an ointment box), Inscr. Orell. 4234.—
B Of objects affecting the hearing, distinctness , clearness : claritas in voce, Cic. Ac. 1, 5, 19: sonituum chordarum, Vitr. 5, 3, 8: vocis, Quint. 6, prooem. § 11: vocalium, id. 9, 4, 131; 11, 3, 41.—
II Trop.
A Intellectually, clearness , distinctness , perspicuity (rare): pulchritudinem rerum claritas orationis illuminat, Quint. 2, 16, 10; so id. 8, 3, 70; Cod. Th. 1, 1, 6, § 1.—
B Morally, celebrity , renown , reputation , splendor , high estimation (so most freq.; several times in Cicero, who never uses claritudo, while in Sallust only claritudo is found, q. v.; cf. also amplitudo, splendor, nobilitas, gloria): num te fortunae tuae, num amplitudinis, num claritatis, num gloriae poenitebat? Cic. Phil. 1, 13, 38, id. Div. 2, 31, 66: quae ex multis pro tuā claritate audiam, id. Fam. 13, 68, 1, cf. Quint. 3, 7, 11: viri claritate praestantes, Nep. Eum. 3, 3: nominis, Auct. B. Afr. 22: generis, Quint. 8, 6, 7; cf. id. 5, 11, 5; 3, 7, 11: natalium, Tac. H. 1, 49: personarum, Plin. Ep. 2, 14, 1: Herculis, Tac. G. 34 fin. : vino Maroneo antiquissima claritas, Plin. 14, 4, 6, § 53: litterarum, id. 14, 4, 5, § 44: herbarum (i.e. nobiliores herbae), id. 24, 19, 120, § 188.—In plur.: claritates operum, Plin. 35, 8, 34, § 53: ingeniorum, id. 37, 13, 77, § 201.